A prototype of HTMLBubbles, an experimental technology for interactive messages built on HTML, CSS and JavaScript, first spotted in October, runs in Telegram beta 13.2 for Android. Similar components turned up in the iOS 13.2 beta, which added built-in widget testing tools.
Such messages appear directly in the chat and don't require opening a separate mini app. To test it, observers built their own HTML widget. It confirmed that JavaScript and basic functions of regular websites work.
There is no public developer API yet, and the ability to send such messages is limited. Observers found no toggle to disable HTMLBubbles in the settings of the tested betas. Earlier, observers had already raised concerns about running JavaScript directly in a chat.
Separately, the Android 13.2 beta includes integration with Telegram's built-in TON wallet. The iOS beta added a card showing the wallet balance and address.
HTMLBubbles first surfaced in October in the Telegram for macOS beta. Telegram has not announced a full launch date, and HTMLBubbles is not yet mentioned on its official blog.
For developers building bots and mini apps, this means an interactive block may appear in chats, but without a public API there is nothing yet to build it into their products. The next step is either opening the API or moving the feature out of beta. Telegram has not named a date.
