Transformation of the Telegram Bot into a Full-Fledged Mobile Service

A large part of our blog is devoted to mobile application development. However, right now, we can observe a new wave in this niche: it is development of built-in mini-applications within the Telegram messenger. But what is the app in Telegram and how exactly does it work? Are they profitable for business? Are they difficult to launch? Below, we will provide answers to these questions based on our experience in developing a web app Telegram project, i.e., the Telegram-based version of the NutriTrack app. These WEZOM team’s insights can be useful for those who have already considered creating an app in this format.

What Are Telegram Mini-Apps?

Recently, the Telegram messenger has offered the ability to create bots for almost any need. With the bots’ help, companies and organizations can implement directories, introduce various online services, and even provide multiplayer games. However, until this year, these bots had a significant limitation – they were text-based and could only offer a dialog box and a basic control panel as an interface.

 In 2022, the messenger took a huge step forward – it allowed developers to embed full-fledged web applications (Telegram mini apps) into bots. In other words, now, the Telegram bot is no longer just a text window. In particular, it can implement a full-fledged interactive web interface, identical to the one we can see in mobile applications. At the same time, such a mini-application relies on messenger’s resources; moreover, the best Telegram apps can provide an almost relevant mobile experience, with support for notifications and native functions of user devices.

 This year’s spring and summer, Telegram mini-apps received several life-changing updates. In particular, the messenger has obtained its own internal currency – "stars" – and a corresponding payment ecosystem. Thus, we can conclude that over time, the mini app’s capabilities expand very rapidly. Specifically, at the moment of writing this article, the messenger team announced a list of new features: full-screen mode, separate icons on the main channel, access to geolocation and gadget orientation, subscription plans, advertising monetization, etc.

 The advantages of such applications are obvious: they can be created quickly and easily, and in some cases, they enable developers to bypass the strict rules of moderation/monetization in the App Store and Play Market at least partially. In addition, Telegram is rapidly evolving into a separate ecosystem: it now has a built-in browser with support for the TON decentralized network, its own mini-app store, and an internal blockchain economy. Thus, with almost a billion active users, this messenger has opened a huge niche market ready to be flooded with brands and companies.

The Idea of a NutriTrack Mini-App 

Recently, our team completed work on the innovative mobile startup NutriTrack. This is a fictitious naming because our client's brand is protected by an NDA. However, its essence has remained the same: we have developed a mobile AI assistant that helps users build a personal healthy eating plan and monitor their diet.

 You can read about this product’s capabilities in detail in our portfolio: premium status in the application opens users to a list of advantages, such as personal recommendations from a digital nutritionist and in-depth analytics.

 Although the client was satisfied with the start and dynamics of the mobile app development process for iOS/Android, the appearance of apps for Telegram aroused his great interest. After all, from the user's point of view, access to the service through the messenger means convenience and availability. From a business point of view, the core features of Telegram apps open additional sales channels and provide an opportunity to reduce the high commission on application transactions in the App Store.

 Therefore, the client turned to us with a new request: to create a mobile application on the Telegram platform to enable users to interact with the service through the messenger interface. The key advantage of such a solution should have been paying for premium status in the application using Telegram "stars".

Development Goals and Tasks 

The mini-application for Telegram is a full-fledged mobile solution, but it relies on the messenger’s resources. Therefore, this application required a full-fledged development cycle, including creating the backend and frontend, setting up integrations, testing, etc.

 In this app Telegram project, our team had to solve the following tasks:

• Creation of an administrative panel for managing the app’s content and user base;
• Implementation of the mobile application itself, with full adaptation to the Telegram platform;
• Development of a Telegram bot serving as a frontend for user interaction with the client's online service.

 We had a ready-made solution, the NutriTrack mobile application, so we did not have to create a complex system from scratch. The goal was to adapt this product to the messenger, implement usability for the new platform, and also provide the mini-app with the ability to integrate with digital currencies and the Telegram wallet.

How Was The Development Process Carried Out?

Did developing a mini app for Telegram require any special steps? Generally not, except for bot registration – but that's the easiest part. In our NutriTrack project, the following stages can be identified.

 Development stages of the Telegram mini-application:

• Analysis and planning
• Launching a bot
• Technical implementation
• Quality control
• Release and further support

 Let's consider each of these stages in more detail.

• Analysis and planning. The WEZOM team analyzed the client's request, defined the project concept, formulated its goals and objectives, and prepared technical documentation.
• Launching a bot. To integrate the application into Telegram, our team needed to register the bot in the system through the BotFather service. This is how our developers received a unique token that provides access to the messenger API.
• Technical development. The WEZOM team needed to implement an application interface for the Telegram frontend and an admin panel for system managers. These solutions were integrated with the already existing backend.
• Quality control. Our QA experts tested the functionality of the bot and widget in various scenarios to identify bugs and potential usability issues.
• Release and further support. The launch of the mini-application in Telegram was successful, and now, our team is analyzing the feedback of the first users and working on small updates to its functionality.

 In general, we built our work according to the Agile Scrum methodology, which involves the organization of development in the format of small sprints lasting 1-2 weeks. Based on the results of each sprint, we reported to the client and received fresh feedback from him to continue our work on the usability on the right course.

Nuances of Mini-Application Development

Summarizing the above, let's figure out what features the development of Telegram bot apps has. In general, it is possible to single out several subtleties that should be known to developers and customers of such solutions.

•  Telegram has its own library that allows developers to work with the messenger ecosystem. The Telegram API integration is simple enough: the library has a fairly convenient functionality for working with the user base, generating invoices, etc. Telegram currently does not charge for creating bots, and the process itself is as fast and developer-friendly as possible. It is enough to get a special token and define a URL for application integration, and you can continue to work.
•  So, what is a Telegram application? By default, Telegram client applications work with conditional (i.e., not explicit) end-to-end authorization. That is, there are no registration screens: when the user enters the mini-application, he or she is automatically authorized with the unique user ID from the messenger. In some cases, additional authorization can be used for optimal protection (or if the need to synchronize with other applications or services requires it). Actually, all these instructions describe how to use Telegram apps.

•  The native app and the NutriTrack Telegram bot are two fully-fledged separate platforms where each user can obtain two separate accounts. But, if necessary, such projects can implement end-to-end authorization with a single account. That is, users will be able to register in the native application and then – log in with the same account in the Telegram service, and vice versa.
•  The testing of the mini-app was mostly manual and involved checking the basic functionality, such as authorization, login, bot notifications, and paying for a premium subscription with stars. However, in projects that will require backend development from scratch and complex integrations, quality control may need more substantial resources.

What We Got

The result of our work was a full-fledged mobile AI application for food tracking that can be opened and works in the user's messenger. Let's consider its main features:

• The simplest authorization
• Integration with the Telegram wallet
• Effective monetization
• The internal currency of Telegram Stars

 We propose you analyze them in more detail below:

• Telegram "Stars". The application relies on the messenger's payment ecosystem and uses its internal currency, Telegram Stars, for transactions. "Stars" allow you to pay for digital products and services. They can be purchased directly from the messenger client and withdrawn to Toncoin cryptocurrency as needed. All in all, this is a convenient way to pay for premium status in NutriTrack.
• Subscriptions and monetization. Based on the Telegram ecosystem, the client was able to partially bypass the strict monetization policy of the App Store and Google Play. In other words, paying for the service in Telegram Stars currently does not require an additional fee, unlike transactions in traditional mobile app stores.
• Easy authorization. Telegram users get access to NutriTrak in one click, without the need to register, enter logins and passwords, etc. Security and privacy are ensured through the user ID in the messenger.
• Telegram wallet. The mini-application integrates with the messenger's built-in crypto wallet, which supports "Stars" and cryptocurrencies. This ensures convenience, speed, and security of transactions.

 Now, you know the answer to the question: “What is the Telegram application?” and can make an informed decision whether your business needs it or not.

Project Results

Our team implemented a solution with complex functionality quickly – it took only 250 hours. These are the terms of development of the custom Mini App itself, based on a ready-made backend.

 Not so long ago, a bot with a mini-application was released: it has already become one of the most popular apps for Telegram in the client’s region and attracted several hundred users, and they left positive feedback on its usability and functionality. Currently, the WEZOM team is working on an update including the first improvements to the service.

 The client is absolutely satisfied: he opened a new business direction by selling subscriptions to his service within the flexible Telegram blockchain ecosystem. Overall, this solution offers the user convenience and intuitiveness, and, in the business context, the freedom of further updates on functionality and monetization. The client’s new plans include the introduction of the new NutriTrask Telegram app functionality and the prospects of creating a whole marketplace with services and healthy food products.

 For the WEZOM team, this case is important in many ways. Telegram today is not just turning into a super app: it is evolving into a separate segment of the network, with its own TON sites and a well-thought-out blockchain economy. One can only imagine how great the prospects are for those who today only try to deal with this market and launch their first products there. We like to pioneer ambitious stories like this as it always pays off in the future.