That means there's a good chance your friends and contacts are not using the app. Limited user base: While Telegram has several hundred million active monthly users, it's still significantly smaller than the 1 billion-plus active user bases on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

Most apps are much more limiting - WhatsApp is just 16 MB, for example. Only Skype comes even remotely close, limiting you to 300 MB files. This is one area where Telegram has virtually all other messaging apps beat. Large file sizes: Telegram supports file attachments up to 2 GB in size.You can set messages to auto-delete after a certain amount of time.Īnadolu Agency / Contributor/Getty Images

This is similar to what you can do in apps like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. Self-destructing messages: Secret messages can be configured to self-destruct after a set period of time, making it even more secure.You can also get end-to-end encryption in apps like WhatsApp and Signal. End-to-end encryption: When using the Secret Chat mode, communication is completely encrypted from end to end, rendering communication essentially bulletproof.Here are some pros and cons to using Telegram: But if you are looking for a highly secure messaging app that has rock-solid security and privacy, Telegram can fit the bill. If you already use another app for one-on-one and group chats, you might not find Telegram compelling enough to use it. Telegram's privacy and security is considered trustworthy in part because the service's API is open-source and available for evaluation and integration by any developer. These secret chats offer substantially more robust security, but are only accessible from the device you originated the message on. Most messages use client-to-server encryption, which is less secure than end-to-end, but allows you to access your Telegram chats from other devices, including the web.įor true end-to-end encryption, you need to use Telegram's Secret Chat feature. Telegram's signature feature is its end-to-end encryption, but it's important to be aware that not all communication within Telegram has this level of privacy. What to know about Telegram's privacy and security

Telegram was founded by Russian social media entrepreneur Pavel Durov, and the service is free to use. You can access the Telegram app on a variety of devices, like Android tablets.

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