Telegram, the popular messaging app, has released its July 2025 update with new group tools and monetization features. These additions aim to enhance group management and provide fresh earning opportunities for channel owners, but most of the updates are locked behind Telegram Premium.
Checklists in Telegram Groups Bring Order to Chaos
With the new update, group members can now create fully functional checklists. This is ideal for task delegation, shared to-do lists, or shopping coordination. Each checklist can hold up to 28 items, and every item can include a custom emoji for personalization.
To create a checklist:
- Tap the paperclip icon
- Select Checklists
- Start adding items
Checklists aren’t limited to groups; users can also use them in one-on-one chats and in “Saved Messages.” However, only Telegram Premium users can mark tasks as complete. Free users can view the list but can’t interact with it, another nudge toward a Premium subscription.
Telegram Feature Overview – July 2025 Update
| Feature | Description | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Checklists in Groups | Create up to 28 checklist items with emojis | Premium (full access); Free (read-only) |
| Crowd Content Submission | Users submit posts with payment via Toncoin or Stars | Premium only |
| Monetization Options | Channel owners earn via Stars or Toncoin | Premium required |
| Voice-to-Text | Convert audio messages to text | Premium only |
| Animated Emojis & Stories | Exclusive visual enhancements and status updates | Premium only |
Reference: Telegram Blog
Monetizing Telegram Channels with Toncoin and Telegram Stars
Telegram is now introducing crowd-sourced content submissions in channels. Users can suggest posts through an automated system and pay for their inclusion using either Telegram Stars or Toncoin, Telegram’s blockchain-based token.
Here’s how it works:
- A user creates a post and submits it to a channel
- The admin can approve, reject, suggest changes, or modify the price
- Once published, the user receives payment after 24 hours
This system gives users creative control and incentivizes high-quality contributions but again, it’s only available for Telegram Premium subscribers.
Telegram Premium: The Gatekeeper of All New Features
All new features in the July 2025 update require a Premium subscription. Whether it’s voice-to-text conversion, animated emoji support, or monetization tools, access is exclusive.
Premium also offers:
- Faster downloads
- Improved support
- Double limits across groups, channels, and chats
Telegram appears to be leaning hard into its freemium model, using valuable tools as the bait for monthly subscribers.
Telegram and Grok: The Elon Musk Conflict
Back in May 2025, Telegram announced a partnership with xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company, to integrate the chatbot Grok into the Telegram app. It promised users real-time AI assistance directly in their chats.
However, shortly after the announcement, Musk denied any agreement had been signed, saying flatly, “We didn’t sign anything.” The partnership now hangs in limbo.
Telegram has remained silent since. Whether Grok will become part of the messaging app or disappear altogether is still unknown.
Group Collaboration Gets Smarter, But Only for Some
Checklists are a practical tool, especially for work groups or community-based task coordination. Yet, restricting their full functionality to Premium users could divide group dynamics. Admins who rely on full team participation may find the partial access frustrating.
It raises the question: Should essential productivity tools be behind a paywall?
Creators Gain Power If They Can Pay First
Telegram’s crowd-content submission system resembles a decentralized editorial board. Creators get visibility, and channel owners gain valuable, user-funded content. The model promotes user engagement and monetization, two major pillars for the platform’s growth.
Still, the system’s potential is limited by its exclusivity. Until it’s available to all users, its long-term impact remains theoretical.
The Bigger Picture: Telegram Is Becoming a Premium Ecosystem
Telegram’s growth is shifting from mass adoption to premium engagement. With over 800 million monthly active users, the app is evolving beyond messaging into a platform for commerce, content, and AI integration.
The move towards premium-only tools hints at a future where Telegram becomes less about free communication and more about personalized, paid functionality.
Whether that pays off or pushes users away will depend on how much value Telegram Premium continues to deliver.
