The cloud-based messaging app Telegram has benefited from a new update where users will have the option of editing their messages even after sending them.

The update was released by the company on May 15 and will be a welcome addition for users of both the desktop and mobile app for Telegram. The fact that the editing option works in tandem with all types of chats and not restrictive is a bonus.

"Farewell to typos! Starting today, you can edit the text of your messages after sending them. This works across all Telegram chats, including groups and one-on-one conversations," notes the Telegram team in a blog post.

The new feature is quite handy and gives Telegram an edge over rival messaging apps such as WhatsApp. While the latter has the option to recall or delete a message, it does not offer its users the ability to alter a message.

You can edit a message within two days of sending it.

How To Edit A Message?

Step 1: Tap and then hold the message you wish to edit.

Step 2: Press "Edit." If you're using the service on your desktop, press the up arrow button to edit the last sent message.

Step 3: The message will reflect a tiny "edited" label so one can distinguish the edited information.

The update for Telegram also brings another interesting feature - Mention. Basically, this feature will enable users to mention any person in a group chat despite them not having a username. One merely needs to type the symbol @ and select from a menu the person whom they wish to address. This feature is handy as it will alert the individual of the message even if they have muted the chat group.

Another feature that gets an improvement post the update is search. Finding recent chats with a specific user is now faster thanks to the new People list in Search.

Moreover, the update also brings the ability to access one's favored inline bots seamlessly to add them to a conversation. One merely needs to scroll down to the attachment menu to locate them. The more frequently an inline bot is used by a Telegram user, the higher its visibility.

The latest version for Telegram also brings several interface enhancements. You can now download it for iOS, Windows Phone and Android.

A Web and PC/Mac/Linux version is also available.

With Telegram throwing the gauntlet to WhatsApp, will the latter take the bait and also introduce editing abilities and mentions for its messaging app? We can only wait and watch!