Telegram: what it is, its features, and how to get started

What is Telegram?

Telegram is a free, cloud-based messaging app launched in 2013 by the brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov. You send messages, photos, files and voice notes in it, and make voice and video calls, like in other messaging apps.

What sets it apart is that your chats are kept in Telegram's cloud rather than on one phone, so you can use your account on your phone, your computer and your browser at the same time, with every message in sync. The app runs on Android, iPhone, Windows, macOS and Linux, and has a web version in the browser.

Besides chats, Telegram offers three tools that turned it into a complete business platform: large groups, channels and bots.

Telegram's main features

These are the advantages people mention most when they compare Telegram with other messaging apps:

• Cloud sync: your messages on all your devices at once, still there when you change phones.
• Groups of up to 200,000 members, with admin rights and tools to manage the discussion.
• Broadcast channels with an unlimited number of subscribers.
• Bots that offer complete services inside the chat: payments, bookings, notifications and support.
• Large files of up to 2 GB each.
• A username that lets people reach you without knowing your phone number.
• Secret chats with end-to-end encryption and self-destructing messages.
• Folders to organise chats, stickers, and voice and video calls.

Chats, groups, channels and bots: what is the difference?

Many people mix up the kinds of chats in Telegram, although each has a different use. Knowing the difference helps you pick the right tool, whether you are a regular user or run a business:

• A private chat: between you and one person.
• A group: a discussion between many members where everyone writes, run by admins.
• A channel: a one-way broadcast where admins post and subscribers read, with optional comments.
• A bot: an automated account that offers a service and answers at once with buttons and commands.

See also: Telegram channels for bots

How do you install Telegram and create your account?

A Telegram account is free and takes no more than two minutes. All you need is a phone number that can receive the activation code:

1. Download Telegram from Google Play on Android, from the App Store on an iPhone, or from the official site telegram.org for a computer.
2. Open the app and press «Start Messaging», then choose your country and type your phone number.
3. Type the activation code you receive by SMS, or inside Telegram on another device where you are signed in.
4. Type your name and add a photo if you like: your account is ready.
5. To use it on a computer without installing anything, open web.telegram.org and scan the QR code from your phone: Settings → Devices → Link Desktop Device.

Telegram usernames: what they are and how to use them

A username is a unique address starting with @ that lets people find and message you without knowing your phone number. It is also how you find bots and channels: every bot has a username ending with «bot».

To create a username for your account, or to find a bot or a channel:

1. Open Settings, tap «Username» and type a name of at least five characters: English letters, digits and underscores.
2. To find a bot or a channel, tap the search icon and type the exact username, such as @example_bot.
3. Or open a link such as t.me/example_bot in any browser, and Telegram opens the chat directly.
4. Always check that the name you found matches the official source letter by letter.

The privacy and security settings we recommend

Telegram gives you wide control over your privacy, but many important settings are off by default. Five minutes in «Privacy and Security» protect your account from most problems:

• «Two-Step Verification»: an extra password asked when signing in on a new device, so the SMS code alone is not enough to steal your account.
• «Phone Number»: choose «Nobody» to keep your number hidden from others.
• «Devices»: review the devices signed in to your account and end any session you do not recognise.
• «Messages» and «Groups»: decide who may message you or add you to groups.

See also: Safety with Telegram bots

Why do businesses prefer Telegram?

Telegram brings together what any business serving customers online needs: a channel to announce, a group for the community and a bot that handles requests automatically, all free and in an app the customers use every day.

That is why balance top-up services rely on it: the player asks for a deposit in the bot, the accountant approves in Telegram or in the control panel, and the channel publishes offers and gift codes.

• A free, open programming interface for building bots.
• Direct reach to customers without an extra app.
• Channels with unlimited subscribers for offers and news.
• Instant notifications on the phone and the computer at the same time.

See also: What is a Telegram bot?