If you’re one of the millions hitting ‘Uninstall’ on the popular messaging app ‘WhatsApp’ then you must look for an alternative. Well, here it is, Telegram: the ultimate WhatsApp alternative. How? Why? All questions answered in this article.
WhatsApp was the most used instant messaging app of 2021 worldwide (to know more click here). There’s no doubt about its popularity but Telegram is also adding new users in huge numbers. But before you switch here are a few things you should know about this messaging app.
Also, if you want to download the app from the Google Play Store click here, and from the Apple App Store click here.
Table of Contents
What is Telegram and who owns it?
I know most of you know what Telegram is. But for readers who don’t, here’s a gist of the app and its background.
Telegram isn’t new at all. The app has been around since 2013 and currently, it’s having its moment. It has over 1billion+ downloads on Android and over 400 million active users. Telegram is often grouped with Signal, another messaging app, for a secure messaging solution.
Telegram is owned by the same two people who founded the company in Russia back in 2013. Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai own the company and Pavel is also the company’s CEO. Pavel Durov is called Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg as he originally founded that country’s biggest social networking site, known as VK. The company made him a billionaire.
How can Telegram become the ultimate WhatsApp alternative?
We all have that one primary app that we use to connect with people. And if one wants to change that, you must look for all the facilities in the other app and compare it with your recent app. So let’s compare WhatsApp with Telegram with all the similarities and dissimilarities.
Let’s start with all the Similarities-
- Both the apps are basically messaging platforms that can send and receive text messages and media over an internet connection.
- Both the apps are available on Android as well as iOS. Furthermore, the web version of both apps is also available.
- Both give the option of pinning the most important chats.
- The two apps show the last seen status by default.
- Both give the facility of self-destructing messages and cloud synchronization options.
- End-to-end encryption is present in both. In WhatsApp, it is present by default. In the telegram, there is the same feature with the name secret chats.
- Both platforms allow sending GIFs and have internal media players.
- Both platforms have image compression and image editing facilities built-in.
- Users can post a status update on both platforms. Audio calls and messages are supported on both platforms.
- Groups can be made on both platforms, though the number of group members varies for both platforms. Telegram can add more people to the group (up to 200,000)
Dissimilarities- (it can work as an advantage as well)
- In WhatsApp, anyone can send a message to you but in Telegram, you have to add or accept contacts before messaging. It prevents strangers from sending you unwanted messages.
- Telegram supports more language as compared to WhatsApp.
- WhatsApp requires a SIM to log in whereas Telegram doesn’t require a SIM to log in.
- Users can send any kind of file through Telegram. WhatsApp limits video, images & document type files which is very difficult for a good number of users.
So we can conclude that Telegram can do things similar or even better than WhatsApp.
Is Telegram secure?
We know that WhatsApp comes with end-to-end encryption but what about Telegram? Before using a new app you must know how secure it is.
End-to-end encryption ensures that only the parties involved in the communication i.e., the sender and the receiver can read the messages.
Telegram’s current boost in popularity is coming from users looking for a more secure messaging app. The company even accentuates its focus on privacy. But unlike other secure messaging apps, telegram does not have end-to-end encryption on by default. In order to activate that on Telegram, you must make your chats ‘secret’. And you need to do this one by one with each of your contacts. But the group chats are not end-to-end encrypted. Neither are messages sent to you by those who aren’t on your contacts list.
Does it make sense?
WhatsApp has group video calls, a greater user base, and end-to-end encryption everywhere. Still, it lags behind features such as limited file sharing, and cloud storage. Telegram, conversely features various bots, file sharing, platform capability, and privacy.
It’s on you whether to use WhatsApp or Telegram.
THANK YOU FOR READING: I hope you found this article helpful and if you did then do let us know in the comments down below. Do let us know, in the comments down below, which one-on-one application you use. Also, if you're interested in similar articles then here are a few recommendations for you guys. Top 8 most secure messaging apps of 2022 Most popular messaging apps of 2021 globally 8 best YouTube thumbnail maker app Top 5 video editing apps