Why Telegram is Becoming the Leading IM App

Telegram is a software that’s familiar to many as it’s risen in popularity recently over similar options like WhatsApp. The software is free, works on multiple platforms, meaning both desktops and mobile, and has broad functionality. It isn’t only limited to instant messaging but also includes encrypted video (or just voice) calls, file sharing, and other features. Telegram initially launched on Apple devices in August 2013, and on Android soon after in October. You can currently access the software through all popular desktop and mobile operating systems, including Linux.

Telegram originates from Russia, and was developed by Nikolai and Pavel Durov. They are the same individuals that developed VK, formerly VKontakte. Since Pavel is the CEO, the foundation of back-to-back social applications has earned him the Russian Mark Zuckerberg nickname. Telegram is currently an LLC in America, although exact location and company data remains anonymous. It does that to preserve its workers’ privacy and protect them from unwanted influences. However, it’s also to avoid needing to hand out customer data.

Telegram has experienced a steady but consistent growth over the years only recently receiving a massive influx in two instances. In October, 2013, the app had about 100,000 daily users, and by February 2016, that number grew to 100,000,000. Currently, the number is about five times as large, with Telegram becoming much more well-known messaging platform worldwide. As we said, it experienced two significant increases in users recently, the first coming from the recent Facebook service outrage. The other came when WhatsApp, its primary competitor, changed its privacy policy to be more hostile towards users.

Why Telegram?

So, what are the advantages Telegram brings over other similar services? Well, for starters, a lot of people prefer it over others because it’s not Facebook-affiliated. WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger, arguably the three most prominent instant messaging solutions, are all under the same company. Facebook, or Meta, is notoriously aggressive when it comes to tracking users and collecting data. As such, many users have been searching for an option that doesn’t fall under Zuckerberg’s domain.

But that’s not to say Telegram is only good because it’s not Facebook. The app itself has numerous advantages that have attracted users and made it one of the most popular instant messaging apps. Let’s stick to privacy for now and mention the fact that Telegram, excluding its servers, is an entirely open source. In other words, the base components are visible to anyone, so it’d be easy to discover if the firm were malicious towards users. That goes a long way towards proving that Telegram actually cares about the privacy and the personal space of its users.

Telegram’s other advantages come in other, more technical features. For example, Telegram’s file sharing limit is one of the largest in the business, sitting at 2GB per transfer, compared to Messenger’s 25MB, WhatsApp’s 16MB, or Discord’s 8MB. It’s also entirely free of advertisements and provides full encryption for all calls and cloud-based messages. Furthermore, it split its servers over five data centers, significantly reducing the chances of service interruptions. 

Telegram also has a popular social feature, where users can find channels that match their interests. Lastly, there’s also a secret chat option, which provides client-to-client encryption and an option for the chat to self-destruct.

Conclusion

Telegram seems to be one of the most advanced messaging solutions available, both regarding technical features and privacy. It has broad functionality, both in the factors we already mentioned, and also in the things we didn’t get to. For example, Telegram also has bots you can use to enhance channels, instant view, which processes articles without loading, polls, and other features. It’s fairly likely that Telegram is the most feature-rich messaging application available, or at least among major competitors.

But perhaps you don’t care about any of the technical or social features Telegram provides, and that’s entirely fair. However, you should still care about the security, data protection, and anonymity the app offers. Today’s online tech giants seem eager to exploit their users wherever they can, so it’s great to have some reprieve. Recently, Finance Brokerage launched a Telegram channel for all our readers. So, do come and join us if you this piqued your interest!

Soon Finance brokerage will launch its own channel which is already running now as a successful pilot, wait for the next update and login here.

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