Telegram premium paid subscription plan to launch in June, says founder Pavel Durov

Messaging app Telegram will launch a paid subscription plan for its users this month, founder Pavel Durov said on Friday.

Users who will opt for Telegram Premium will get a higher limit for chats, media and file uploads, Durov said in a blogpost.

Telegram Reportedly Dropping 'Free Forever' Tag Line to Go Premium

The app, along with messaging tool Signal, have seen an increase in users following privacy concerns with larger rival WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms. 

Telegram currently has 500 million monthly active users and is one of the 10 most downloaded apps in the world, according to its website.

Durov said the move to offer a paid subscription was to ensure that Telegram remains funded primarily by its users and not advertisers.

Noted developer Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) on Twitter suggested that Telegram is changing the initial tagline of the app to launch its paid version soon. 

The new data strings shared by the developer include a new tagline "Telegram provides free unlimited cloud storage for chats and media." 

The screenshot also suggests that there are plans to show ads. The Telegram Premium subscription is expected to unlock additional stickers as well.