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Telegram Restores Native Apple Watch App

The release brings first‑party watchOS messaging with QR pairing and rich media support to replace third‑party solutions.

Overview

  • Telegram, which announced the launch Tuesday, has begun rolling out a fully native Apple Watch app that lets users view and reply to messages from the wrist.
  • The watch app supports GIFs, video playback, stickers, voice messages, location sharing, and text replies to deliver the same kinds of media you see on the phone.
  • Initial setup requires scanning a QR code from the Telegram iPhone app and, if enabled, entering the user’s cloud password to authenticate the watch client.
  • Telegram’s App Store release notes do not mention the new watchOS build, which could slow discoverability even though the update is reported as available now.
  • The return ends years of reliance on third‑party watch clients after Telegram removed its 2015 watch app and could improve battery use and responsiveness by using native watchOS integration.