Telegram

Messaging for people and groups

Telegram is a communication app for one-to-one conversations, group chats and public channels. It suits people who want to keep in touch with friends or family, as well as users looking for large communities and broadcast-style updates. Chats can include text, photos, videos and other files.

Chats across devices

Regular Telegram chats are stored in the cloud, so messages can be accessed from supported devices without keeping the phone that started the conversation online. This can be useful when switching between a phone, tablet or computer. The same cloud-based approach also means conversations and shared files are not limited to the storage on one device.

Groups, channels and privacy

Groups give members a shared place to talk, while channels let publishers send updates to an audience. Telegram also supports bots, which can add automated tools to chats and communities. For conversations that need end-to-end encryption, users can start a Secret Chat; this is separate from standard cloud chats, where that encryption is not enabled by default.

The range of chat types and settings may take time to explore. People who only need basic messaging may not use many of Telegram’s community or customization options, while those managing groups or following channels may find them more relevant.

At a glance

Telegram is listed in Communication and has more than 1 billion installs. Its rating is about 4.0 out of 5, based on 16,565,637 ratings. The developer is Telegram FZ-LLC.