Telegram Turns Chat Into Mini-Apps

Telegram has launched interactive widgets that run within chat messages, allowing developers to embed small applications and services without sending users to a separate webpage or app. The goal is to make chat bubbles do more than just send messages.

The widgets are lightweight, with compressed code limited to 4KB, and use native rendering instead of opening a browser-like interface. This approach enables seamless integration of mini-apps within chat conversations. Production access to the widgets is currently only available for private chats between users and bots.

Developers can create small interactive interfaces in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, which Telegram runs inside a QuickJS sandbox. The code for each widget can be up to 32KB (before compression), providing sufficient space for building functional mini-apps. Telegram's native wallet and TON Connect transaction formats also support payment requests, allowing developers to build payment requests using the existing TON Connect code.

## Why it matters The introduction of interactive widgets marks a significant step in transforming Telegram into a more comprehensive platform. By enabling developers to embed mini-apps directly into chat messages, Telegram aims to reduce the need for users to switch between apps. This move has the potential to enhance user experience and increase engagement within the platform.

The new widgets are part of Telegram Bot API 10.4, released on November 9th. While widgets for groups and forwarding messages are still only available on Telegram's test server, the current implementation for private chats between users and bots provides a solid foundation for further development. As developers explore the possibilities of these interactive widgets, Telegram's messaging platform is likely to become even more versatile and appealing to its users.