Telegram may be among the most popular messaging services in the world, yet there are still many who don’t know what it’s all about. The app is often name-dropped in discussions regarding online privacy and security, but aren’t all messaging apps secure? Don’t apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger also have the fabled “end-to-end” encryption? What makes Telegram so special?
In this article, we’ll explain what Telegram does, what its main features are, and why you might consider using it.
What is Telegram?
Telegram is a multi-platform messaging service founded by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov. It rolled out for Android in Alpha on October 20, 2013, and now has an estimated 200 million monthly users.
Telegram’s user base tends to increase whenever a privacy scandal hits one of its larger competitors.
Telegram Messenger: Just another messaging app?
Telegram’s core functionality is the same as most other messaging apps: You can message other Telegram users, create group conversations, call contacts, and send files and stickers.
Telegram’s similarity to other more popular messaging apps is a major part of why some people either haven’t heard of it or aren’t interested in using it — If they already use a messaging app and it serves them well, why would they consider another?
Telegram’s headline feature is privacy, and to ensure this it employs end-to-end encryption. This is what stops those outside a two-way conversation — be it a company, the government, hackers, or someone else — from seeing what has been sent.
For the average person, using Telegram doesn't necessarily mean their messages are more private or secure than when using WhatsApp.
However, Telegram only uses this encryption in callsand in its “secret chats” feature (which I talk more about below), not in regular chats — those are only encrypted client to server. Meanwhile, WhatsApp, the supposedly less secure service, has used end-to-end encryption in messages, calls, and video calls since 2016. Both services also have optional two-factor authentication.
So, for the average person, using Telegram doesn’t necessarily mean their messages are more private or secure than when using WhatsApp. In fact, unless they’re using secret chats, WhatsApp’s messaging is technically the more secure.