[Update: Fixed] Apple iOS 11.4 update breaks Telegram stickers

Update (June 06):

The matter has been resolved in the app’s latest version.
https://twitter.com/telegram/status/1002645478725636099

Update (May 31): Turns out our speculations was correct. Telegram CEO has confirmed the stickers problem is due to Apple blocking their updates around the world.

Here’s what Telegram CEO has said:

Unfortunately, some Telegram features, such as stickers, don’t work correctly under iOS 11.4 that was just released – even though we fixed this issue weeks ago.

Apple has been preventing Telegram from updating its iOS apps globally ever since the Russian authorities ordered Apple to remove Telegram from the App Store. Russia banned Telegram on its territory in April because we refused to provide decryption keys for all our users’ communications to Russia’s security agencies. We believe we did the only possible thing, preserving the right of our users to privacy in a troubled country.

Unfortunately, Apple didn’t side with us. While Russia makes up only 7% of Telegram’s userbase, Apple is restricting updates for all Telegram users around the world since mid-April. As a result, we’ve also been unable to fully comply with GDPR for our EU-users by the deadline of May 25, 2018. We are continuing our efforts to resolve the situation and will keep you updated.

Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

Update (May 30): On its official website, Telegram says Apple has been blocking them from updating their iOS app since mid April.

Unfortunately, Apple has been blocking Telegram from updating its iOS app globally since mid-April

Assuming this stickers issue is at Telegram’s end, may be this could be the reason the company could not update the app in time for iOS 11.4.

Original story follows:

Seems like we’ve found first major causality of Apple’s new iOS 11.4. A lot of users are reporting that they can’t access stickers on the Telegram app ever since they installed the iOS 11.4 update.

Hey @telegram since I updated to iOS 11.4 I’ve been having issues with stickers not displaying within the app [source]

A user even shared an animated gif clearly showcasing the problem.

https://twitter.com/furahi/status/1001834251514331136

Given the popularity of both iOS and the Telegram app, it isn’t surprising that complaints are piling up with each passing hour (1,2,3,4,5,6,7, 8, 9, 10).

A-least one user confirmed that re-installing the Telegram iOS app brings back stickers, but only for a while, as they again disappear. Another user said there is no such problem with the Telegram X app as stickers work fine there.

Prima facie it seems to be due to some problem at Telegram’s end. But you never know as this could be just an initial symptom of a much larger problem iOS 11.4 may have brought along. For now, neither Telegram nor Apple has offered a word on these reports.

Rest assured, we will update the story whenever anything news-worthy happens related to this matter. Meanwhile, do let us know your experience with the iOS 11.4 update.

Stay connected with us on Twitter (@PiunikaWeb) to hear about all related developments as and when they occur