Telegram Finally Releases iOS App Update After Two Months

Telegram has finally rolled out a new update for its iOS app after almost two months. The release of the update comes after the Russian government sought to have the Telegram app removed from the App Store.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov took to Twitter on Friday to thank Apple for approving the release of version 4.8.2. “Thank you @Apple and @tim_cook for letting us deliver the latest version of @telegram to millions of users, despite the recent setbacks,” Durov tweeted.

Durov’s tweet comes a day after he explained to Telegram users why its iOS app hasn’t received any update for almost two months. In his explanation, the CEO revealed that Apple stopped approving Telegram’s iOS updates ever since the Russian government asked for the removal of its app from the App Store.

“Apple has been preventing Telegram from updating its iOS apps globally ever since the Russian authorities ordered Apple to remove Telegram from the App Store,” Durov said in a statement. “Russia banned Telegram on its territory in April because we refused to provide decryption keys for all our users’ communications to Russia’s security agencies.”

Durov also claimed in his statement that Apple opted to side with the Russian government amid the ban. “While Russia makes up only [seven percent] of Telegram’s userbase, Apple is restricting updates for all Telegram users around the world since mid-April.”

Following Durov’s revelation, many users called out Apple for allegedly siding with the Russian government and preventing the rollout of new updates. Without the updates, the cloud-based instant messaging and voice over IP service couldn’t function well with the latest iOS 11.4 software update for iPhones and iPads.

It appears Apple listened to the complaints of users and reversed its position on updates, so it has now allowed the release of Telegram version 4.8.2 on its iOS App Store, according to MacRumors.

The 50.5 MB app update comes with a new registration process for those who are residing in the UK or EU. The update also provides users with the option to stop updating their contacts and delete synced contacts in Privacy & Security settings, along with other small changes.