Here comes the next update of Telegram; as usual, it hits all the platforms where the messenger is available. You may even not notice it, while the update is already here, with a bunch of new features. And some of them really reshape what you call communication, so impressive they are.

Probably the most spectacular part of the 8.5 updates is the video stickers. Now you can send animated stickers which, unlike regular GIFs, are themed and come in sets. This enables you to color up your communication with a non-romantic bear (great if you hate St. Valentine’s), an orangutan, a cubic crocodile that looks like a Minecraft dweller, and other funny creatures that express their emotions very vividly. If you want to create your own set, Telegram offers you a special software tool for converting videos into compatible stickers.

Another highly visible update concerns reactions. They are a theme all around now, but Telegram has made them animated as well. Now you can see all these reactions land in a cloud of its smaller versions dancing around. After that, though, they remain still: animation only appears as you leave the reaction. The recipient, by the way, sees this animation too. In addition, Telegram has added five new reactions. If it goes on like this, it might be simpler to enable reacting with emoji.

Finally, the redesigned navigation now lets you return directly to any of the chats you opened earlier. It’s similar to a long tap on the Back button of modern browsers that shows you the entire recent history for the selected tab. So you don’t have to go back to the list of chats and search for the one you left when you can go back to it directly.

Which of these updates impresses you the most? Of course, the most noticeable one is animated stickers. But what if you prefer better navigation? If you have received the update, does it work well? Let’s discuss this new update in the comments!