While the numbers game (meaning users and advertisers probably) is being fought among more popular messenger apps like Viber, WhatsApp, LINE, and Messenger among others, there is one app that may be smaller than them but has a more innovative and open approach for the market. Telegram recently allowed users to create their own stickers, and now developers can actually create their own bots using the API and platform that they’re offering for third-party creators.
The bots are of course, not controlled by humans, but by software and so you can get it to “do” or “say” anything using AI features. It can “teach, play, search, broadcast, remind, connect” and you can also get it to function with other services and also make commands for the Internet of Things. And for the end user, the newest version of the app will also make it easier to interact with bots, and sometimes you don’t even need to type anything since the bots will already give you custom buttons to choose from.
Beta testers of the API and platform were able to create bots in just a few hours. Some of the ones they created were @ImageBot which will give you relevant pictures when you send a keyword; @AlertBot can send you a reminder when you set a time; @TriviaBot which gives you trivia questions and you can even compete with friends if you add this bot in a group; @PollBot can create polls in your Telegram groups.
Setting it up is pretty easy (well, if you understand these kinds of things). Generate a key with @BotFather, then set up the https API to be able to control the bot you’ve created. Bots can be added to your groups or shared in public and these buttons are already included in their profile. If you’re not using Telegram yet, you can download it for free from the Google Play Store.
SOURCE: Telegram
