How to Host Live Stories in Telegram
Broadcast real-time video directly into your followers' story feed. Engage your community with instant comments, receive Star donations, and maintain granular privacy control.
Live video streaming on Telegram is no longer confined to traditional voice chats or channel broadcasts. With Live Stories, any user—along with boosted groups and channels—can launch an interactive live video stream directly from their story avatar. Viewers discover streams instantly at the top of their chat list, can post real-time chat messages, and send Telegram Stars to support creators on the spot.
Top-of-Feed Discovery
Live streams highlight with an animated gradient ring in the horizontal story bar at the top of your contacts' dialog screen for instant click-throughs.
Direct Star Donations
Viewers can donate Telegram Stars during the stream. Animated badges and celebratory animations highlight top supporters on screen.
Granular Audience Privacy
Broadcast publicly to Everyone, restrict access to My Contacts, or stream exclusively to Close Friends or custom Selected User lists.
Live Story Broadcast Sandbox
Simulate hosting a live story, test Star donation toasts, and toggle privacy settings.
Technical Protocol: MTProto Live Story Publishing & Star Payments
Live Stories combine the MTProto stories.sendStory payload with WebRTC media endpoints. When a stream begins, the client establishes an active group call descriptor linked to the story item, enabling synchronized live commentary and real-time Star donation settlements.
Platform Step-by-Step Instructions
phone_iphone iOS (iPhone & iPad)
- Pull down on your chat list to reveal the stories drawer, then tap your profile avatar (or tap the Camera icon).
- Swipe the bottom mode selector from PHOTO / VIDEO to LIVE.
- Configure your privacy rules (Everyone, Contacts, Close Friends) and tap Start Live Story.
- Monitor comments and Star donations on screen during your broadcast.
android Android
- Tap the Camera button in the bottom right corner of the chat screen.
- Scroll along the bottom carousel to select Live mode.
- Tap the Settings gear to adjust comment permissions and enable front/rear camera switching.
- Tap the red record circle to begin broadcasting to your chosen audience.
groups Channels & Groups
- Ensure your channel has reached the required Boost level to post stories.
- Open Channel Info > tap the camera icon with the plus sign (+) > switch to Live.
- Select Stream as Channel to preserve personal admin anonymity.
- Subscribers receive immediate push notifications when your stream begins.
Feature Matrix: Live Stories vs Channel Live Streams vs Group Video Calls
| Attribute | Telegram Live Stories | Channel Live Streams | Group Video Calls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery Location | Top story feed ring & profile avatar | Pinned message & channel feed | Group chat header banner |
| Host Entity | Personal account, channel, or group | Channels only | Groups only |
| Privacy Granularity | Close Friends, Contacts, Public | Public or Channel Members | Group Members only |
| Star Donations | Direct one-tap Star gifts | Channel donation links | Not natively integrated |
| Expiration / Save | Ephemeral (can save to profile highlights) | Can save full audio/video file | Optional admin recording |
