# Photos and videos for Stars on Telegram How to post paid content, how to unlock it and where the Stars go. https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/paid-media Updated 2026-10-02 · 4 min read Photos and videos for Stars are paid posts: instead of the picture, subscribers see a blurred preview and a button with the price. A post opens only after paying in Stars, and the Stars go to the channel's balance. ## How to view a photo or video for Stars 1. Under the blurred post, tap "Unlock for …" — the button shows the price in Stars. 2. Confirm the payment. The Stars are taken from your account's balance. 3. The photo or video opens at once. You keep access to a post you unlocked even if the author later deletes it or you leave the channel: such purchases are in your Stars history — [where to see your Stars](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/stars-balance). If you don't have enough Stars, Telegram offers to buy them. You can also buy Stars in the Shiba Bank bot — with crypto or a card, for yourself or for a friend by @username. [Buy Stars — Open the app](https://t.me/barboskich_stars_bot?startapp=site_ai_en_buy) ## Can you view a photo for Stars for free No. A paid post is locked on Telegram's side: until the payment goes through, your device receives only the blurred preview. That's why every way to open it for free is a trick. - **"Unlocker" bots.** A bot that promises to open a paid photo without payment can't get it. Usually such bots ask for your phone number and login code — that is, they hijack the account — or take money for "access". - **Mods and "hacked" versions of Telegram.** A third-party client gets from Telegram exactly what the official one gets: the blurred preview. By installing such builds you put your account at risk. - **"Leaks".** Channels that post other people's paid content break Telegram's rules and the authors' rights, and often hide links to scammers behind the "leak". > **Important:** Never enter your Telegram login code or cloud password in any bot or on any site that promises to open paid content. The code exists to sign in to your account: whoever gets it signs in instead of you. ## How to make a photo or video for Stars A paid post is published by a channel admin: 1. In the channel, pick a photo or video to send — several at once are fine. 2. In the attachment menu, tap "Make This Content Paid". 3. Enter the unlock cost in Stars and send the post. One paid post can cost from 1 to 25,000 Stars. Subscribers see the preview and an "Unlock for …" button, and the payment goes to the channel's balance. In private chats, paid photos and videos are sent by bots. How paid messages work — when you pay to write to someone — is covered in [messages for Stars](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/paid-messages). ## Where the Stars from paid posts go Stars from paid posts collect on the channel's balance, which is in the channel's statistics on the "Monetization" tab. The channel owner can withdraw them through Fragment: from 1,000 Stars, and each Star becomes available for withdrawal 21 days after it arrives. Step by step in [how to withdraw Stars from a channel](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/withdraw-stars-from-channel). ## FAQ ### How do I view a photo for Stars on Telegram? Tap "Unlock for …" on the post and confirm the payment: the photo opens, and the Stars go to the channel. ### Can I open a photo for Stars without paying? No. Until you pay, Telegram sends only a blurred preview, so no bot, mod or third-party client can open the post. Anyone who promises to is a scammer. ### How do I send a photo for Stars? In a channel: when sending a photo, tap "Make This Content Paid" and set the unlock cost. Paid posts are published by channel admins. ### How much can a post for Stars cost? From 1 to 25,000 Stars; the author sets the price. ### Do I get my Stars back if the author deletes a paid post? The Stars don't come back, but you keep access to the post you unlocked: you can find it in your Stars history.