Platformer β // Mini Apps Ecosystem 🦄

Hey folks! Long time no see 🙂

Due to some reasons, we had to delay Platformer development, but we are finally back now!

During this time, we have made some changes and would like to tell you more about them. We also have an important announcement and future plans.

Latest Changes

As some of you may have already noticed, the admin panel was visually updated. We’ve developed a new UI Kit and switched to it. The important note here is that some problems preventing the normal interface from functioning were also fixed.

The second important update is that the launcher was also reworked. The following changes have been made in this area:

1. The UI was updated to improve the user experience.

2. The Platformer disclaimer "Works on Platformer" in the bottom part of the UI was removed.

In future updates, we are going to work on personalizing the launcher to make it "your own" 😬

As a part of the latest updates, we should also mention some adjustments on our server side leading to a dramatic increase in request processing speed. You can already see the results in the admin panel. This update will increase application display speed.

Last but not least — we’ve solved a problem related to transmitting launch parameters to the query parameters. Let us remind those who have forgotten — Platformer allows the option for your server to use SSR (Server-Side Rendering). This option is now an option of the launcher, not the application. So you should go to the Launcher configuration screen, enable the option, copy the launcher URL and use it in @BotFather — or just add the query_lp=1 query parameter to the launcher URL.

Subscription Removed

Yes, we did what it says. Subscriptions were completely wiped from the project, so now everybody can use Platformer to its max 👨‍💻

Future Plans

Now let’s talk about what will be introduced in Platformer in the near future.

We understand that having a third-party brand in your application is not something a serious project would like to have. For this reason, we are going to implement the functionality to modify the launcher icon, visually making the launcher the project's own. After this update, the launcher will look seamless and like a part of the project.

The next important update to be implemented is Stored Data. Platformer will allow developers to store some data on its side. What does this mean for projects? They will be allowed to request this data dynamically from Platformer right in the application, so they don’t have to have their own backend servers in some cases. Think of some JSONs that may be updated by you in the admin panel without redeploying the app.

If you have had experience with VK Mini Apps, you already know what Stored Procedures are. They are the next evolutionary step of Platformer’s Stored Data. Allowing code to be executed dynamically on Platformer’s side, they solve a wide range of problems. For now, we want to implement a simpler functionality with future expansion.

That’s all for now. We will reveal more plans when the aforementioned features are implemented. Stay tuned 🥸

✍️ Documentation is ready!

We know that trying to explore Platformer's features and inner workings through a Telegram channel is both hilarious and bizarre. That’s why we’ve laid the foundation for a future centralized documentation hub, which already covers Platformer's core functionality and explains how to get started with the project.

The documentation is available in both Russian and English, and you can start here: https://docs.mini-apps.store/about!

According to our plan, we’re aiming for a full release this month—so stay tuned, friends.

🔥 Pre-release Huge Update!

Exactly one month ago, we announced that May would be the month of intense development to significantly improve Platformer and make it far more functional.

Well, here we are — we’ve just released the biggest update in Platformer’s history. In this post, we’ll walk you through the massive new features that come with it.

Before diving into what’s changed, a quick reminder: during the beta, Platformer is completely free to use. That means you can enjoy all its features at no cost. However, Platformer is self-funded — there’s no external sponsorship. Some advanced features will eventually become available only via a monthly subscription. These subscriptions will not only raise usage limits but also unlock new, unannounced features. So take this opportunity to try Platformer for free!

Although we initially planned for this update to mark the official release, we’ve decided to take a little more time to polish the product and ensure top quality.

Until then, explore Platformer, share your ideas, and report any issues you encounter.

Now, let’s get into the updates!

🌐 Localization

We know a large portion of our users are Russian-speaking. That’s why we’ve localized the admin panel — it’s now available in Russian. Prefer English? Just head to My Profile (formerly Account) and change your interface language.

📩 Application Transfers

You can now transfer app ownership to another user. To do so, you must be the current app owner, and the recipient must have a free slot.

Platformer creates a transfer request, which the recipient must accept. Once accepted, the recipient becomes the owner, and you become an admin.

Transfer requests can be found in a new section on the main page called App Transfer Requests.

🔒 Privacy Settings

You can now manage whether you want to receive:

— App management invites
— App transfer requests

These are disabled by default, so make sure to enable them if you want to participate.

🧹 Cache Reset

Tired of Telegram clients caching your app? Now you can force them to reload new assets by using the Reset URL Cache option in the app information section.

Platformer appends a special query parameter to your URLs. This tricks Telegram into treating them as fresh links.

🧪 Test Groups with Multiple Platforms

Based on your feedback, test groups can now target multiple platforms at once. No more duplicating test groups for each client — just create one and select all the platforms you need.

Note: after this update, existing test groups require you to reassign platforms, as backward compatibility was broken.

⚙️ SSR Support

We’ve enabled support for Server-Side Rendering (SSR) — great news for developers using frameworks like Next.js.

You can now pass Telegram launch parameters as query parameters directly to your server. Just go to App Information → Telegram → Integration and enable Proxy launch parameters.

🔍 URL Viewer

Meet the URL Viewer — a new tool that helps you debug and understand which URL is returned for a specific user on each platform, and why. Find it in the Application Information section.

✨ Quality of Life Improvements

We’ve made various small UI and UX improvements, fixed minor issues, and added subtle new features that you’ll discover as you use the platform.

What’s Next?

We’ve got big plans ahead. Before the full release, we’ll finalize our monetization strategy and introduce reasonable subscriptions.

After that, we’ll begin work on a major new feature — giving developers a way to monetize their apps more easily. This one’s complex, but we believe it’s going to be a game-changer.

And once Platformer is a strong foundation for mini apps on Telegram, we’ll be ready to unveil an even larger project that expands the vision of Platformer beyond developers — making mini apps more accessible to everyday users too.

But that’s a story for another episode.

Thanks for using Platformer — and stay tuned! 😜

📱 Android UI is out!

Three days later, we’ve finally implemented Platformer’s UI for Android — Android users will now see an interface specifically tailored for Android devices. Meanwhile, we’ve chosen to keep the iOS design for all other platforms.

In developing the new UI, we used the Conditional Build-Time Substitution approach described in our previous post. This method allows us to maintain a single codebase while building different versions of the application for different platforms. Since this feature is still a work in progress, you might encounter related issues — please let us know in the chat or comments if you notice anything unexpected. Also, since most of our team members are Apple users, it's possible we’ve implemented certain aspects of the Android UI incorrectly, so your feedback is especially welcome.

As mentioned earlier, the Platformer admin panel shares the same launcher and related functionality. So, when you open the application in Telegram for Android, your device will load the bundle for the Android version of the admin panel. Opening the app on any other platform will load the iOS-style bundle. Just a reminder — you can also configure separate URLs for each platform yourself!

Admin panel is right 👉 here.

❓ What’s Next?

Implementing a separate bundle for Android is a big step — not just because it improves the user experience, but because it sets an example for developers on how to structure platform-specific mini apps using Platformer.

That said, the biggest and most important task before our official release is still ahead. This month, we’re preparing a major update that will introduce a host of new features and completely rework some of Platformer’s core functionality, while also refining many of the existing tools.

Since this release will mark Platformer’s transition out of beta, and to ensure a higher level of data security, we’ll be purging the current database. This means you’ll need to recreate your applications. More information will be shared closer to the update.

That’s all for now — thanks for building with Platformer! ✈️

🧑‍💻 Status Update #4

Last week, we concentrated on improving the overall UX and tackling several backend issues.

⚠️ Old Launcher No Longer Supported

If you're still using the previous version of the Telegram launcher (platformer-tg-launcher) via this URL, it’s time to switch — the old version has been fully disabled and will no longer receive support.

Please migrate to the updated version now hosted in our monorepo: New Telegram Launcher

🎨 UI/UX Enhancements

- We added a Launcher Configuration section in the app’s information page to help you find the correct launcher URL quickly.
- You can now enable Single URL mode to avoid setting a separate URL for each Telegram client — much simpler!
- Also, to clear up confusion around how HTTP links behave, we added helpful warnings within the app interface.

🤤 What’s Next?

This week we’re shifting focus to improving the Android UI. After that, we’ll dive into broader changes in Platformer’s functionality. Both this month and the next will be significant in shaping what’s next.

That’s all for now — have a great week! ✨

👨‍💻 Status Update #3

Bugfixes

Last week, we focused heavily on resolving issues related to Platformer’s Telegram application launcher—and made significant progress.

While we addressed some critical problems within the launcher itself, we also identified and resolved issues tied to both Telegram for macOS and Telegram Web K. These platforms either don’t support certain Mini App methods or handle them incorrectly. In short, the problems stem from long-standing bugs within the clients themselves.

Since one of the launcher's goals is to shield developers from platform-specific inconsistencies, it now handles these issues gracefully—so you don’t have to.

If you’re curious about what exactly behaves incorrectly in the Telegram clients, here’s a breakdown:

— Telegram for macOS: The client emits an event called content_safe_area_changed instead of the expected safe_area_changed when the web_app_request_safe_area method is called. If you’re using @telegram-apps/sdk and mounting the viewport, your app may freeze. Additionally, the client does not emit the theme_changed event in response to the web_app_request_theme method.

— Telegram Web K: This client does not support the web_app_request_content_safe_area or web_app_request_safe_area methods at all.

Improvements

— The applications list UI has been slightly redesigned, including a hint about the maximum number of apps allowed.
— You can now delete apps directly from the app information section.
— The app managers list has been reworked for better clarity.
— A new hint has been added to the app URLs page explaining how they function.
— Test group creation and update UIs have been improved. You can also now delete test groups.

We’ll continue focusing on UI/UX improvements over the next week or two to enhance your experience. After that, we’ll be sharing more about our future plans.

Thanks for building with Platformer! 🦄

⚡️ Platformer Open Beta Starts Today

Hey devs, Vlad here.

One month after the closed beta launch, we’ve finally completed the MVP version of the administrative panel UI, and now everyone is free to join Platformer and give it a try! Keep in mind that this is just an MVP, so don’t expect too much from it. I’m sure there are still some bugs in the UI. The Android version will be released later, so for now, Android users will have to work with iOS components.

Don’t worry—we’ve already gathered a backlog of necessary project changes to address some logical inconsistencies and UI improvements. We’ll start working on them soon, but in the meantime, we’d love to hear your feedback on useful changes and any bugs you find. You can share your thoughts in our chat.

💬 What is Platformer?

Not all developers fully understand what Platformer is, its purpose, what it can and can’t do, or how to use it. Some assume it was built only for Telegram Mini Apps, which isn’t entirely true.

⭐️ Platformer is a mini app platform

Platformer has its own database of mini applications registered by developers. To Platformer, mini apps are simply database records, each with URLs assigned for different mini app platforms. Since Platformer doesn’t have its own dedicated space to display applications, it relies on other mini app platforms like VK, Telegram, and more.

So, when creating a mini app, don’t think, “I’ll create a mini app in Telegram and then connect it to Platformer.” Instead, the correct approach is, “I’ll create an app in Platformer, and then it can be displayed in Telegram.” However, you can still create a mini app in Telegram first and then connect it to Platformer.

✨ What problems does Platformer solve?

Platformer addresses the most common challenges in mini app development while also providing essential features for mini app developers—all across supported platforms.

Currently, Platformer offers:

— A launcher (https://github.com/platformer-hq/platformer-tg-launcher) that opens Platformer applications in Telegram. The launcher is open-source.
— Separate links for different Telegram clients. For example, you can assign a link specifically for Telegram Web K, ensuring the app is only accessible in that client. Users on other clients will receive a notification about the app’s unavailability.
— A management system that lets you invite other users to manage your application. You can also transfer app ownership if needed.
— Test groups that allow you to display a specific URL to selected users on a specific platform. For example, you can use a development URL while still opening the same application.
— HTTP link support. Unlike Telegram, which doesn’t support HTTP links, Platformer does—allowing you to open your app in development mode without third-party services like Cloudflare, tmole, ngrok, or localtunnel.

✍️ Acceptance Clarification

We've noticed that some applicants for the closed beta expected to receive a specific notification about their acceptance. However, we do not have a private channel for sending such notifications.

To check if you’ve been approved as an early adopter, simply visit the temporary dedicated application. If you’re eligible to use Platformer, you will see an access token.

Today, we received many additional requests and have decided to approve them as well. Those users are now free to start exploring Platformer 😉