When it comes to switching from WhatsApp due to weak user security and limited features, the first app which comes to a person’s mind is Telegram. This instant messaging app claims to be way more secure than WhatsApp and definitely offers a lot of features that are not available on the Facebook-owned messaging app.
Launched in 2013, Telegram has come a long way in terms of user base as it has already garnered 500 million+ downloads on the Google Play Store, and as per the latest stats, it has almost 400 million active users all over the globe.
As compared to WhatsApp, a lot of people are unaware of Telegram, its nature, and the features offered by the app that make it way different from WhatsApp. To let you know more about Telegram, here we will discuss what exactly Telegram is, what are its major feature and a few amazing tips and tricks related to the instant messaging app.
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What is Telegram app?
In simple words, Telegram is an instant messaging app that allows you to perform a lot more things than just instant messaging. You can use the platform to get the latest information by joining different groups. These groups can also help you in getting the latest apps for free, premium accounts, newly released movies, and shows too.
You can also get your hands on features like self-destructing messages, animated sticker packs, in-app image editor, and what not on Telegram. The app has a capacity to hold around 200,000 members in a single group which can never be done on its arch-rival WhatsApp. Moreover, the messages you send and receive on Telegram have stronger encryption as compared to that of WhatsApp.
How and where to use It?
Like any other messenger app, you can download the official Telegram messenger from the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store. After downloading the app, you can register using your phone number and create your account. The best part about the app is that to join other groups, you just need to search them on the app and straightaway joint them.
Moreover, you can chat with people using your Telegram ID instead of sharing your number all the time. You can use Telegram on your desktop or smartphone as per your convenience. To download the desktop app of Telegram for Windows, Linux, or Mac, you can simply visit the official website of Telegram and download it from there.
How to use Telegram Web?
- Open any browser of your preference in your desktop and then enter ‘telegram web’ in the search box.
- Now tap the link saying telegram web.
- Select your country code and enter the phone number.
- You will get a code on your smartphone that you have to enter on the desktop screen to make a login.
- Your Telegram account will open up in the browser and now you can use it in the same way you do on your smartphone.
How To Use Telegram App on Desktop?
- Firstly, visit the official website of Telegram and download the app for your desktop OS.
- Select the folder in which you want to keep the Telegram desktop app and tap on the Next button at the right bottom of the dialogue box.
- Now tap on the install and finish button, after that, the app will open up on your desktop.
- Click on the Start Messaging button. now you can log in using the QR code scanner or by entering your phone number.
- After entering the OTP received by you on your smartphone, your account will open up on Telegram’s desktop app and now you can use it to send and receive messages, files, and a lot more.
Telegram vs WhatsApp
If we talk about an honest comparison between Telegram and the Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp, then the former outclasses the latter in a lot of aspects including messaging features, stickers, in-app editing, and a few more to name. Let’s have a look at the most wanted features of Telegram that are missing or are in the development stage in WhatsApp.
Telegram vs WhatsApp: Themes
WhatsApp introduced the dark theme for the latest versions of Android and iOS. The older version users of the mentioned OS waited for a long time to get the dark theme in the stable version of the app. Moreover, the app doesn’t allow you to edit the shape of its message boxes or their color.
On the other hand, Telegram offers a simple way to apply dark mode as you can just tap on your username and then tap the half-moon icon available at the top right corner of the screen to toggle between the dark mode and the light mode. By visiting the chat settings, you can change the text size of messages, choose from five different chat backgrounds including day, night, classic, dark, and arctic modes and even change the color of message boxes along with rounding their corners.
Also Read WhatsApp Web – how to use it!
Telegram vs WhatsApp: Live animated stickers and self-destructing messages
WhatsApp users can use the animated live stickers released recently for the stable version. A major drawback with WhatsApp live stickers is that they convert into static stickers after a while and you have to open the chat again to see the animation. Talking about the self-destructing messages, the feature is being tested in the beta version of WhatsApp and there is still no word about the rollout of the feature for the stable version of WhatsApp.
On Telegram, you can choose from a large gallery of animated stickers that play on a loop so that you don’t need to refresh the chat every time to see the animation. Apart from that, you can also send self-destructing messages with a timer and they will vanish as soon as the timer reaches its limit.
Telegram vs Whatsapp: Group capacity and in-app editing
The in-app editor available in Whatsapp for editing photos and videos is not that powerful as it only allows you to trim videos, change filters or add text or smileys in the videos or the image. Obviously, you can add a caption to the video or image too. You can add around 256 members in a single WhatsApp Groups and not more than that.
In Telegram Messenger, you can crop the image or video, change the settings like enhance, contrast, and exposure of the video. In addition to that, you can add text animated stickers of your choice, change the quality of the file, and even add a self-destructing timer too. Telegram allows you to create channels and add around 200,000 members in a single channel which is way more than that in WhatsApp.
Conclusion
The comparison clearly shows how Telegram outclasses WhatsApp in various aspects. You can switch to the instant messaging app and ditch WhatsApp as it provides you better features and better security too. With features like self-destructing messages and a strong in-app editor, Telegram stands out of the crowd and emerges as the strongest competitor against WhatsApp.
This article will help you in getting started with Telegram and getting a bit familiar with its basic features. You can drop your views in the comments if you think we missed out on something.
