Telegram's Bot API gets updated, offers inline keyboards, buttons and more

Chatbots are the in thing now and in a bid to keep up with the times,  Telegram, among the better chat services out there, has upgraded its Bot API to v2.0. The changes are huge and are an attempt to impact the way we interact with the bots themselves. Prominently featured is support for inline keyboards. These keyboards can provide context-sensitive keyboards that should ease the function of interacting with bots. The in-line keyboards offer features like callback buttons or links to website, reports VentureBeat. The API has been updated to allow bots to update their message as well. Instead of sending a new message every time there’s an update, the previous message can be updated, for example. A whole slew of admin tools have also been introduced, allowing bots to kick or un-ban group members, among other features. The entire list of changes runs to many pages so be sure to check them out here if you’re interested. “Today we’re introducing the biggest change to Telegram’s Bot Platform since June 2015. These new tools will help you create fluid and intuitive interfaces for your bots. And bots are becoming a lot more capable. They can now send any type of content supported on Telegram, provide location-based services and integrate with other services deeply based on users’ phone numbers,” says Telegram. Bots are the next big thing in the industry and we’re definitely curious to see what a bot-filled future looks like.