Telegram video messages: how to record and send round videos
How to record a round video message on Telegram: switch the button from voice to video, lock the recording, pause, use the flash, and what to do about music and existing videos.
A Telegram video message is a round video of up to one minute. To record one, open a chat and tap the microphone icon once next to the message field: the button switches to video. Hold the camera icon while you talk, and release it to send. There is no separate setting to turn video messages on, and you do not need Premium to record them.
How to record a round video on Telegram
- Open the chat you want to send it to.
- Tap the microphone icon in the message bar. The button now records video instead of voice.
- Hold the camera icon and record. When you release it, the message is sent right away.
This is how Telegram itself describes it. Video messages were introduced in May 2017 and the format has stayed the same: a round video up to one minute long. Telegram compresses the video and starts sending it while you are still recording, which is why these messages go out quickly.
Recording without holding the button
While you hold the camera icon, swipe up: the recording locks and you can lift your finger. Once it is locked, more options are available:
- Pause. You can pause a recording and continue later instead of sending several messages. After locking, tap pause; to carry on, tap the camera icon again. Telegram added this in January 2024, and it works for voice messages too.
- Flash. Round videos have a front flash for filming in the dark: lock the recording and tap the flash icon.
- Zoom. When you record with the rear camera, you can pinch to zoom in.
- View once. A video message can be sent so that the other person watches it a single time. See view-once photos, videos and round videos.
iPhone and Android
Telegram describes recording in the same way for both kinds of phone: switch the icon, hold, and optionally swipe up to lock. In January 2024 Telegram also improved video messages on iPhone: a clearer picture, quicker switching between the front and back cameras, and less camera shake.
Watching a video message
Video messages download and play automatically by default, and you can change this in the settings. To watch one with sound, tap it. To read what was said instead of watching, tap the →A icon; see voice-to-text in Telegram.
Music in video messages
Telegram does not describe a built-in way to lay a track over a video message. If music is playing from another app while you record, the result depends on a setting. On iPhone, the Data and Storage section of the settings has the option "Pause Music While Recording", which decides whether your music is paused when recording starts. We could not confirm a matching option on Android, so we do not describe one.
Making a round video from an existing video
Telegram's own apps do not offer to turn a video from your gallery into a round video: a video message is recorded in the chat. Some bots do the conversion. The Bot API lets bots send video messages (MPEG4 video in a rounded square, up to one minute), but such a bot receives your whole video and you do not know what happens to it afterwards. For personal videos, recording the message yourself is the safer route.
If recording does not work
The checks are in a separate guide: Telegram video message not recording or lagging. For voice messages, see voice messages on Telegram.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make a round video on Telegram?
Open a chat, tap the microphone icon once to switch it to the camera, hold the camera icon and speak, and release to send. The maximum length is one minute.
How do I record a video message without holding the button?
Start recording and swipe up. The recording locks and you can let go. You can also pause it and continue later.
How do I turn on video messages in Telegram?
You do not need to: the button next to the message field switches between voice and video when you tap it. If the camera icon looks faded and does not respond, the other person may have restricted voice and video messages, or the group's admins have not allowed them.
Can I turn a gallery video into a Telegram video message?
Not with a built-in feature. Bots can send round videos from a file you upload, but they receive the whole file.
Can I add music to a Telegram video message?
Telegram does not describe a way to add a track to one. If music plays from another app, on iPhone the "Pause Music While Recording" option in Data and Storage controls whether it pauses when you start.
Do I need Telegram Premium to send video messages?
No, they are available to everyone. Premium adds voice-to-text without a weekly limit and lets you restrict who can send you voice and video messages. For transcripts of video and voice messages without a weekly limit, see voice-to-text in Telegram and the Telegram Premium page.
