Telegram is testing a News feed with personalized channel recommendations, but its launch remains uncertain. Sections called “Added” and “For You” were found in October beta versions of the messenger, potentially allowing users to browse posts outside the regular chat list. However, the feature was removed from newer Android and macOS builds in late October. For channel owners, this means the potential new source of organic traffic remains an experimental development for now.
Key Takeaways
- On October 15, 2026, researchers discovered the News feed in a test version of Telegram for macOS.
- The interface included “Added” and “For You” sections, with personalization based on interests.
- The iOS 13.2 beta introduced an option to add a channel to the feed without subscribing to it.
- On October 25, the News tab was also found in Android 13.2, where it replaced the Contacts tab.
- The feed was removed from subsequent Android and macOS builds; the reasons for the decision are unknown.
- Telegram has not announced a public launch, recommendation rules, or monetization options for the new feed.
How the Telegram News Feed Was Supposed to Work
In mid-October, Telegram beta researchers from the teleLakel channel discovered a separate News section. It was designed to bring channel posts together in a feed separate from private messages and group chats.
The test interface included two main sections:
- Added. A feed of posts from channels that users had added themselves to read.
- For You. A personalized selection of content based on chosen interests.
The code and interface also contained search, new-post indicators, and an option to mark posts as read.
Importantly, the presence of these elements in a test build does not confirm that the recommendation algorithm was fully operational. The server-side functionality remained limited.
Channels Could Be Added Without Subscribing
On October 25, teleLakel demonstrated a feature in the Telegram iOS 13.2 beta: users could add a channel to News without joining it as subscribers.
In this scenario, the channel’s posts appeared in the feed, but the user did not increase its subscriber count. Joining the channel normally required a separate action.
If Telegram retains this behavior after release, administrators will face an important distinction between a channel’s audience and the audience for its posts.
A channel could potentially receive views from people who are not subscribed to it. However, it is still unknown how such views would appear in analytics and whether they would have their own attribution source.
Why the Feature Disappeared From New Builds
The situation changed in late October. According to teleLakel, the News section and related AI Agents interfaces were removed from new Telegram beta versions for Android and macOS.
The Android 13.2.0 (7278) build dated October 31 no longer contained methods associated with the recommendation feed, including feed.getFeed, feed.getForYou, and feed.setInterestCategories.
Related interface labels, including News and For You, also disappeared. On macOS, the feed screens had already been removed from later test builds on October 30.
This does not prove the project has been canceled permanently. Telegram may have temporarily hidden the feature for further development, changed its implementation approach, or postponed the launch. The company has not publicly confirmed any of these explanations.
As of November 9, 2026, there has been no official announcement of a News launch.
What Is Known About the “For You” Algorithm
In the test implementation, users could select topics they were interested in. These settings were intended to personalize recommendations.
Researchers also discovered server-side interest categories and associated signals. UAGEEK previously examined nine categories of Telegram News recommendations.
However, Telegram has not explained exactly which factors would determine the position of a post in the personalized feed.
It is unknown whether recommendations would be influenced by subscriber counts, views, forwards, reactions, channel language, or a user’s history of engagement with specific topics.
Consequently, claims about established ways to enter recommendations or guaranteed methods of gaining organic traffic currently have no confirmed basis.
Could News Become a New Source of Free Traffic?
Potentially, yes, but only if Telegram launches recommendations for posts from channels users have not subscribed to.
Today, channel owners attract new audiences through search, forwards, mentions, cross-promotion, external traffic sources, and paid advertising.
A personalized feed could add another distribution mechanism: a user opens News, sees a recommended post, and visits the channel or an external resource.
For content projects, this could reduce dependence on their existing subscriber base. However, there is still no data on the share of recommended posts, availability to smaller channels, or possible reach restrictions.
It is worth remembering that Telegram’s organic discovery opportunities do not begin with News. UAGEEK previously explained how Telegram channel promotion through search works and which factors administrators consider in practice.
Will iGaming and Crypto Channels Appear in Recommendations?
That remains unknown. The presence of topic categories in the test implementation does not automatically mean that all content within those topics would be eligible for recommendations.
Telegram has not yet published channel selection rules for News, content requirements, or restrictions on commercial posts.
For iGaming and crypto projects, it will be important to check not only whether they can enter recommendations but also the rules governing advertising, financial offers, gambling, and external links.
There is currently no basis for claiming that the new feed will be an accessible traffic source for gambling offers or that such posts will receive priority in recommendations.
What Happened to AI Agents in Telegram?
Alongside the News feed, another experimental feature called Agents appeared in October beta versions.
It was designed to connect third-party AI services using users’ own API keys. The providers identified included OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, and OpenRouter.
Researchers showed an interface for adding keys and managing connections. However, fully functioning agents for users were not confirmed.
In late October, the relevant screens were also removed from new Android and macOS builds. This is another example of why features found in beta versions should not be treated as guaranteed additions to the next release.
How Channel Owners Can Prepare for a Possible Launch
Until Telegram opens News, there is little point in allocating a separate budget to promotion in a placement that does not yet exist. Instead, teams can prepare their content and measurement systems.
- Establish baseline reach. Measure typical post views 24 and 48 hours after publication.
- Track forwards. Identify which topics already reach beyond the regular audience.
- Review channel presentation. Make the channel’s name, description, and subject clear to new readers.
- Create self-contained posts. A new user should understand a post without reading previous messages.
- Measure click-throughs. Use your own link analytics to distinguish views from actual audience actions.
These are editorial recommendations, not confirmed News ranking factors. They will help compare channel performance before and after a potential launch of the new feed.
It is also important to distinguish organic recommendations from Telegram Ads. The platform already offers audience-targeting advertising tools, which UAGEEK covered in an article about Target Users in Telegram Ads. There is currently no confirmed advertising placement within News.
Conclusion
The “For You” feed could significantly change how content spreads on Telegram: posts could potentially reach audiences beyond a channel’s subscriber base.
However, the latest beta builds do not indicate an imminent launch. On the contrary, News and Agents were removed from Android and macOS, and Telegram has not explained why.
For affiliate teams, this is a reason to monitor the platform’s development rather than prepare budgets for a guaranteed new stream of free traffic. The real opportunities will only become clear after a launch, the publication of recommendation rules, and the first measurable results.
Sources for Verification
Sources for Verification
teleLakel, October 25, 2026. Demonstration of adding channels to News without subscribing in the Telegram iOS beta.
Testing News on iOS
teleLakel, October 25, 2026. Confirmation that the News tab appeared in Telegram Android 13.2.0 (7254).
News Tab on Android
teleLakel, November 2, 2026. Report that News and Agents were removed from new Android and macOS beta versions.
Update on the Status of Experimental Features
GramNews, November 1, 2026. Technical analysis of Android and macOS builds listing removed API methods and interface elements.
Analysis of Changes in Telegram Betas
teleLakel, October 2026. Description of the experimental Agents feature, third-party AI providers, and connecting users’ own API keys.
Testing Telegram Agents
Telegram Blog. The official list of announced messenger updates, which can be checked for a public release.
Official Telegram News
