A privacy-focused free messaging app

Telegram is a free instant messaging application for Android. It comes packed with a range of features, including secret chats, self-destructing text messages, cloud storage, usernames, and more. Once downloaded, you will be able to customize the appearance of the app to suit your preference. The application works on multiple devices, is free to download, and is also available for iOS users. 

In 2021, when WhatsApp changed its privacy policy, Telegram saw a surge in users. As of today, the cross-platform messaging tool has over 550 million active users. It also comes with an open-source API and a Bot API that lets developers create personal chatbots. Apart from WhatsApp, a few alternatives for Telegram are Beeper and TextNow.

What is Telegram used for?

Founded by Pavel Durov, a Russian businessman, Telegram is a multi-device messaging service that was first available in 2013. The application focuses on user privacy and provides end-to-end encryption with an open-source API. Additionally, it allows users to operate one account on multiple devices or operate multiple accounts on one device. 

When it comes to functionality, Telegram offers almost all the features of other instant messaging apps. You can send a text to other users on the platform, make audio or video calls, create group chats, send files, and respond with emoticons or stickers. Apart from these features, Telegram comes with self-destructing texts, a global delete feature, and secret chats. It also doesn’t add any limit to the file size you wish to send. 

Does Telegram have a simple interface?

One of the best things about downloading Telegram is that you can customize it to your preference. When you first launch the app, you will come across a clean login page with various design elements and animations. From here on, you will be able to change the app’s primary color, add or remove animations, create your own theme, and access a bot to make your entire experience more seamless. 

What are the features of Telegram?

Telegram has a lot of unique features that you won’t see on similar messaging applications. However, the one feature that sets it apart is its encryption. The app has a secret chat feature where users can partake in end-to-end encrypted texting. The contacts added to this secret chat will be unable to capture screenshots or forward messages to other people. 

However, users should note that not all chats on Telegram are encrypted. Other than the secret chats, all messages are uploaded to a remote server. This means that even if you don’t have your Android device on you, you can still access all your chat logs, files, and documents from a web portal. This cloud storage feature allows users to stay connected even on the go!

The Translating Entire Chats feature has been one of the most popular additions to this messaging app. With real-time translation, you can now translate entire conversations, chats, groups, and channels into any of your preferred languages. However, all users can translate individual messages by selecting them and tapping the word Translate, but only premium users have access to The Entire Chats feature.

The Profile Photo Maker feature will allow users to quickly make profile pictures for their accounts out of any sticker or animated emoji. Even users without premium versions can use animated and custom emojis in their pictures. In addition to a wide variety of emojis, this tool also provides an Emoji Categories feature where you can get emojis and stickers sorted into categories.

In addition to its many other features, this messaging platform introduced network usage features to its users. With this app, users can see the amount of data used for each type—Wi-Fi or mobile—and how much total bandwidth has been consumed in a detailed pie chart. Users can also adjust their auto-download settings to accommodate the size of their data plan.

Does Telegram have any advanced functionalities?

Telegram has an open-source API, allowing developers to change the app to their preference. It also has an extensive bot-building environment, allowing users to access various additional functionalities and enhance their experience. Developers can also use Telegram’s Bot API to create their own bots and use them as per their requirements. 

Apart from these prominent features, Telegram has a unique functionality that is currently missing in the market. The application allows users to create an account with a username, instead of a phone number. This way, you can create multiple accounts and use them from any device. This way, you no longer have to share your handset number with anyone online. 

Telegram also comes with a global message deletion function that allows users to delete their own messages, as well as messages sent by other users. This way, you have control over what messages remain on the web, irrespective of who sent them. The application also lets you send files up to 2GB to your connections. 

Is Telegram like WhatsApp?

Telegram is quite similar to other instant messaging applications, including WhatsApp. However, there are some subtle differences. For instance, WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption on all its chats whereas Telegram only offers said encryption on its secret chats window. However, Telegram is the only platform to provide a 2GB size limit for sharing files and a self-destruct messages function. 

Start sharing stories on your TG page

Aside from Facebook and Instagram, Telegram has also started adopting the Story posting feature. These are photos or videos — or a mixture of both — users can post on their respective accounts. The distinctive feature for stories is that they disappear after a set time, usually after 24 hours. With Telegram, however, users will be able to choose the duration, from six, 12, 24, or 48 hours.

Also, stepping up from Instagram’s option to choose between Public and Close Friends story posts, TG will allow users to create custom lists for its story audience. This means that you have better flexibility in choosing who gets to see each of your posts. Lastly, reposting content as a story from a different channel is also possible, letting you share content and posts from your friends and other groups.

Should I download the Telegram app?

If you’re looking for an advanced instant messaging application that protects your online privacy, then download Telegram. The application is feature-rich and has a clean interface that can be customized to suit user preferences. It also provides users with various functionalities like secret chats, group messaging, Bot API, end-to-end encryption, disappearing messages, and more. It also protects user privacy by not sharing data with third-party companies.