Telegram has kicked off 2026 with a modest but noticeable update that largely targets users on Apple devices. The January release, which was originally intended to land at the end of 2025, introduces two headline changes on iOS and iPadOS: a heavier embrace of Apple’s Liquid Glass visual language and the addition of AI-generated summaries for long-form content.
On the design side, Telegram has leaned further into the Liquid Glass aesthetic introduced with iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. The app now features more translucent panels, layered glass-like elements, and refined animations throughout the interface. Telegram had already experimented with this style in earlier versions, but the latest update applies it more consistently across menus, chat views, and navigation elements. The result is an interface that feels more aligned with Apple’s current design direction, though it may take some adjustment for users accustomed to Telegram’s flatter, more utilitarian look.
The second major change is functional rather than cosmetic. Telegram has added AI-powered summaries for long posts in channels, allowing users to quickly skim condensed versions of lengthy updates. The same summary feature also works with Instant View articles, where long-form web content is rendered inside the app. This is Telegram’s most visible step yet into generative AI features, an area that many messaging platforms have already started exploring.
According to Telegram, the summaries are powered by Cocoon, which it describes as a decentralized network designed with privacy in mind. The company says each summary request is encrypted, and positions the system as a way to balance AI convenience with Telegram’s long-standing emphasis on user privacy. While the technical details remain high-level, the messaging suggests Telegram is trying to differentiate its AI approach from more centralized models used elsewhere.
The update arrives after a particularly busy year for Telegram. In 2025 alone, the platform rolled out 13 major updates that collectively introduced more than 75 new features. Recent additions included passkey login support, live stories, music embedded in profiles, collaborative checklists, digital gift auctions, and other social and monetization tools. The Liquid Glass update was initially planned as the fourteenth major release of the year but slipped into early 2026, something Telegram jokingly attributed to slower app review timelines over the holidays.
While this January update is relatively small compared to some of last year’s feature-heavy releases, it signals two ongoing trends in Telegram’s development. First, the app is increasingly willing to adapt its interface to better match platform-specific design languages, particularly on iOS. Second, despite its privacy-first branding, Telegram is not sitting out the broader shift toward AI-assisted features, instead choosing to introduce them cautiously and with an emphasis on encryption and user control.
For iPhone and iPad users, the update makes Telegram feel more visually native to Apple’s latest operating systems. Whether the AI summaries become a widely used convenience or remain a niche feature will likely depend on how accurate and useful they prove in day-to-day channel browsing.
