I don't know but am I missing something here or is it that I'm getting older and in this stereotyped world we live in I'm supposed to stop understanding technology when I hit a certain age.
However, what is the fascination for this type of app over the traditional method of SMS? If I know my friend or relatives mobile number I can send them a text. If that friend or relative is also not interested in one of these apps, or indeed doesn't have a smartphone (yes, they do exist. My son's GF does NOT have a smartphone) then such an app is useless, whereas I can still send them (or even her) an SMS or, of course an email.
The thing I personally find whatsapp handy for is sending picture messages as it effectively renders it "free". Of course it's still coming out of your data allowance, but quite often, even if you have unlimited texts on your plan, you still pay for MMS messages.
You can also send extra bells and whistles with your SMS as well like audio and video clips, so I suppose that's what attracts a lot of the younger audience.
If you're sending a basic SMS message then of course the regular SMS messaging is perfectly fine as well.
The thing I personally find whatsapp handy for is sending picture messages as it effectively renders it "free". Of course it's still coming out of your data allowance, but quite often, even if you have unlimited texts on your plan, you still pay for MMS messages.
You can also send extra bells and whistles with your SMS as well like audio and video clips, so I suppose that's what attracts a lot of the younger audience.
If you're sending a basic SMS message then of course the regular SMS messaging is perfectly fine as well.
Horses for courses I suppose. If emails work for you then stick with emails. I personally find Whatsapp to be more 'instant' than emails. But then I still use SMS as well - my mum doesn't have an email address y'see. Or a smartphone
We talk from a perspective of inclusive messages. These type of messengers are more popular in countries where text messaging is more expensive or in situations where the conversation participants are in different countries or where you pay to receive messages.
because they use a small amount of data, it is often still cheaper to use them in countries where data is not bundled.
An example in this country. A basic Payg tariff could charge 12p an SMS message and £1 a day for data which will enable you to send hundreds of messages. You'll be able to send 8 text messages for the same cost.
Ok just noticed that you can install with the same phone number on multiple devices. Something you couldn't do with whatsapp. There is also a pc client available if you want the app on your pc desktop.
So i've now got Telegram installed on pc, my tegra note tablet and my phone.
This was the thing I really liked about Telegram when I tried it today.... think I'll be giving this a go! Whatsapp was a right royal pain in the *** not supporting multi device
Telegram only stores the data it needs to function properly — for as long as you want Telegram to function.
Ordinary Messages
Telegram is a cloud service. We store messages, photos, videos and documents from your ordinary chats on our servers, so that you can access your data from any of your devices anytime. All data is stored heavily encrypted and the encryption keys in each case are stored in several other DCs in different jurisdictions. This way local engineers or physical intruders cannot get access to user data.
Secret Chats
Secret chats use end-to-end encryption. We do not store your secret chats on our servers. We also do not keep any logs for messages in secret chats. What this all means, is that there is no way for us to know who or when you message via secret chats — as soon as the messages are delivered, they're gone. And there is no way for anybody, including us, to learn what was in those messages, photos or videos. For the same reasons secret chats are not available in the cloud — you can only access those messages from the device they were sent to or from.
Contacts
Telegram uses phone numbers as unique identifiers, so that it is easy for you to switch from other messaging apps (SMS, WhatsApp, etc.) and retain your social graph. We always ask your permission before syncing your contacts.
We store your contacts in order to notify you as soon as one of your contacts signs up for Telegram and to properly display names in notifications.
3. Deleting data
Accounts
If you would like to delete your account, you can do this on the deactivation page. Deleting your account permanently removes all your messages, groups and contacts. This action must be confirmed via your Telegram account and cannot be undone.
We are still working on our apps and will provide additional migration options in future.
Messages
Everything you delete is deleted forever. Except for cats.
We never delete your funny cat pictures, we love them too much.
When you delete a message, you delete it from your message history. This means that a copy still stays on the server as part of your partner‘s message history. As soon as your partner deletes it too, it’s gone forever. Telegram is a non-commercial and we value the disk space on our servers greatly!
Self-destructing messages
Messages in Secret Chats can be ordered to self-destruct. As soon as such a message is read (2 ticks appear), the countdown starts. When the time is out, the message (photo, video) disappears from both devices participating in a secret chat.
General Questions
Q: What is Telegram? What do I do here?
Telegram is like SMS, but more powerful. You can send messages, photos, videos and documents to people who are in your phone contacts (and have Telegram). You can also create groups for up to 200 people.
Q: How is Telegram different from WhatsApp?
Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram is cloud-based and heavily encrypted. As a result, you can access your messages from several devices (including desktops!) and share an unlimited number of photos, videos and documents (doc, zip, mp3, etc). Thanks to our multi-data center infrastructure and encryption, Telegram is also faster and way more secure. On top of that, Telegram is free and will stay free — no ads, no subscription fees, forever.
Q: Who are the people behind Telegram?
Telegram is supported by Pavel and Nikolai Durov. Pavel supports Telegram financially and ideologically, while Nikolai's input is technological. To make Telegram possible, Nikolai developed a unique custom data protocol, which is open, secure and optimized for work with multiple data-centers. As a result, Telegram is the fastest and most secure mass market messaging system in the world.
While the Durov brothers were born in Russia, as were some of the key developers, Telegram is not connected to Russia – legally or physically. Telegram's HQ is in Berlin.
See also: articles about Telegram
Q: How old is Telegram?
Telegram for iPhone was launched on August 14, 2013. The alpha version of Telegram for Android was officially launched on October 20, 2013. More and more Telegram clients appear, built by independent developers using Telegram's open platform.
Q: Which devices are supported?
Telegram is currently available for iPhones (iOS 6 and above) and Androids (2.2 and up). We support tablets and smartphones alike, as well as iPods (we don't have a dedicated iPad app yet, but Telegram works well on iPads too). There are also unofficial clients, including a web version and desktop apps.
We also have an open API for developers, should you want to build your own applications for other platforms. In the meantime, get your best friends to switch back to iPhones and Androids and use desktop computers.
Q: Will you have ads? Or sell my data? Or steal my wife and enslave my children?
No.
Q: How are you going to make money out of this?
We believe in fast and secure messaging that is also 100% free.
Commercial companies frequently face the need to compromise their values for financial gain. This is why we made Telegram a non-commercial project. Telegram is not intended to bring revenue, it will never sell ads or accept outside investment. It also cannot be sold. We're not building a “user base”, we are building a messenger for the people.
Pavel Durov, who shares our vision, supplied Telegram with a generous donation through his Digital Fortress fund, so we have quite enough money for the time being. If Telegram runs out, we'll invite our users to donate or add non-essential paid options.
Q: Can I use the Telegram API?
Yes. Developers for all platforms are welcome to use our protocol, API and even source code.
Q: Why should I trust you?
Telegram is open, anyone can check our source code, protocol and API, see how everything works and make an informed decision. In fact, we welcome security experts to audit our system and would appreciate any feedback (security@telegram.org).
On top of that, Telegram is a nonprofit messenger, so commercial interests will never interfere with our mission.
See also: articles about Telegram
Q: Why not open source everything?
For the moment we are focusing on open sourcing the things that allow developers to quickly build something using our API. We started with Android and Linux, since these platforms are the most open, recently we published the iOS app code as well. We will be releasing more code eventually.
Q: Can I translate Telegram?
For the moment we are working on a feature that will allow you to translate Telegram to your language. Stay tuned for updates. For now Telegram is available in English, Spanish and Arabic..
Telegram Basics
Q: Does Telegram have interfaces in languages other than English?
Yes. The official iPhone and Android apps feature Spanish and Arabic. We will be adding other languages as the demand rises.
Q: Who can I write to?
You can write to people, who are in your phone contacts and have Telegram.
Q: How do I know, who in my contacts has Telegram?
Your contacts, who have Telegram, are shown at the top of your Contacts. They also have pictures.
Q: How do I invite my friends?
iPhone: The basic invitations are simple SMS messages. They will be charged as standard outgoing SMS by your carrier (unless sent via iMessage). Naturally, you have other options to bring your friends here. Try sending them a download link via any other messaging service: email, Facebook, WhatsApp, an actual telegram — you name it. The link: http:/telegram.org/dl
Android: Go to Contacts — Invite Friends. Then choose an application via which you would like to send out invitations.
Q: What do the green ticks mean?
One tick — message sent (and is on our server, waiting for your friend to open Telegram), notification sent (your friend is notified, if he receives notifications).
Two ticks — message read (your friend opened Telegram and opened the conversation that had the message).
Q: How do I create a group?
iPhone: Start a new message (tap the icon in the top-right corner in Messages). Then ‘New Group’.
Android: Tap the … icon in the top-right corner. Then ‘New Group’.
Q: Why do you have two Android apps?
We ran a contest for Android developers, and two guys reached the finals. The N-edition won — it is now the official app for Android and is just called Telegram. The S-edition scored second and became an unofficial client.
The two developers had the same task and were offered identical design templates. Both versions are being developed, but there are no significant differences in functionality so far, except for some minor distinctions.
Security
If you are an advanced user, you may find our FAQ for the Technically Inclined useful as well.
Q: How secure is Telegram?
Telegram is more secure than mass market messengers like WhatsApp and Line. We are based on the MTProto protocol (see description and advanced FAQ), built employing time-tested algorithms to make security compatible with high speed delivery and reliability. We are continuously working with the community to improve the security of our protocol and clients.
Q: What if I’m even more paranoid than your regular user?
We've got you covered. Telegram’s special secret chats use end-to-end encryption, leave no trace on our servers, support self-destructing messages and don’t allow forwarding. About the only thing secret chats don’t have is cloud storage — they can only be accessed on their devices of origin.
Q: Get technical already!
Ok, you asked for it. We support two layers of secure encryption (server-client and client-client). Our encryption is based on 256-bit symmetric AES encryption, RSA 2048 encryption and Diffie–Hellman secure key exchange. You can find more info in the Advanced FAQ.
Q: Do I need to trust Telegram for this to be secure?
When it comes to secret chats, you don‘t — just make sure that the visualized key of your secret chat matches the one in your friend’s secret chat settings. More about this below.
Q: What if my hacker friend says they could decipher Telegram messages?
Anyone who claims that Telegram messages can be deciphered is welcome to prove that claim in our competition and win $200,000. You can check out the Contest FAQ to learn more.
Comments on Telegram's security outside the scope of the contest are welcome at security@telegram.org
Q: Do you have a Privacy Policy?
Sure. Check this out.
Q: Can Telegram protect me against everything?
Well, when it comes to data transfer and secure communication. But please remember that we cannot protect you from your own mother — or any other people that get physical access to your phone.
If you have serious reasons to worry about your personal security, we strongly recommend using only Secret Chats with a self-destruct timer for sensitive information.
Secret Chats
Q: How are secret chats different?
Secret chats are meant for people who really want secure messaging. All messages in secret chats use end-to-end encryption. This means only you and the recipient can read those messages — nobody can decipher or intercept them, including us here at Telegram. Messages cannot be forwarded from secret chats. You can also order your messages to self-destruct in a set amount of time after they have been read by the recipient. The message will then disappear from both your and your friend's devices.
One last difference between secret and ordinary chats in Telegram is that secret chats are not stored in our cloud. This means you can only access messages in a secret chat on their device of origin.
Q: How do I start a secret chat?
Start a new message (tap the icon in the top-right corner in Messages). Then ‘New secret chat’.
Remember that secret chats are device-specific. If you start a secret chat with a friend on one of your devices, this chat will only be available on that device. If you log out, you will also loose all your secret chats. You can create as many different chats with the same contact as you like.
Q: How do self-destructing messages work?
The Self-Destruct Timer in available for Secret Сhats. To set the timer, go to Secret Chat Info (tap the small picture in the top-right corner of the chat screen), then Set Self-Destruct Timer to a desired time limit. The timer is applied to a message the moment it is displayed on the recipient's screen (two green ticks). As soon as the time runs out, the message disappears from both devices and leaves no trace.
Please note that the timer only applies to messages that are sent after the timer was set. It has no effect on earlier messages.
Q: What‘s this ’Encryption Key' thing?
When a secret chat is created, the participating devices exchange encryption keys using the so called Diffie-Hellman key exchange. After the secure end-to-end connection has been established, we generate a picture that visualizes the encryption key for your chat. You can then compare this image with the one your friend has — if the two images are the same, you can be sure that the secret chat is secure and no man-in-the-middle attack can possibly succeed.
Q: Why not just make all chats ‘secret’?
The important thing to remember is that all Telegram messages are always securely encrypted. The difference between messages in Secret Chats and ordinary Telegram messages is in the encryption type: client-client in case of Secret Chats, client-server/server-client for ordinary chats. This enables your ordinary Telegram messages to be both secure and available in the cloud so that you can access them from any of your devices — which is very useful at times.
Other Features
Q: How can I use emoticons in Telegram on my iPhone?
We support emoji emoticons. Simply enable the emoji keyboard in your iDevice‘s Settings (General – Keyboards – Add New Keyboard… – Emoji). Then switch to that keyboard whenever you’re out of words.
Q: Can I make calls or leave recorded messages in Telegram?
Not at the moment. However, we like the idea of fast and secure voice messages and calls. Stay tuned for updates.
Q: Can I hide my ‘online’ status?
Not at the moment. We don’t have an invisible mode yet. But we may add it in the future.
Q: What happens if I change my phone number?
Each new phone number is a new Telegram account. So if you change your phone number, you won't be able to access your messages until you relogin. We may add some features later that would let you use multiple numbers, but for now it is not possible.
Q: How do I log out?
iPhone: Go to Settings, then Edit, then Log out.
Android: Go to Settings, then Log out.
Remember, that you can use Telegram on multiple devices. If you log out, you don't lose your messages.
Q: Can I delete my account?
If you would like to delete your account, you can do this on the deactivation page. Deleting your account permanently removes all your messages, groups and contacts. This action must be confirmed via your Telegram account and cannot be undone.
We are still working on our apps and will provide additional migration options in future.
Q: What happens if I delete my account?
As was just mentioned above, all your data will be flushed from our system: all messages, groups and contacts associated with your account will be deleted. That said, your contacts will still be able to chat in the groups that you have created and they will still have their copy of the messages you sent them. So if you want to send messages that can vanish without a trace, try using our self-destruct timer instead.
Termination of a Telegram account is irreversible. If you sign up again, you will appear as a new user and will not get your history or contacts back. People, who have your phone number in their contacts, will be notified. The new user will be a separate conversation in their messages list and their conversation history with this new user will be empty.
99.99% of people who are using whatsapp don't care about snooping (just look at what's posted on facebook if you don't believe me) and probably some even welcome the Facebook purchase. Whatsapp has taken years to get to where they are, I've got over 200 people on my contacts list, from Asia, OZ, NZ, Africa, Europe and north america (nobody in south america yet). Believe me, it will be next to virtually impossible to get everyone to move.
Somebody mentioned about whatsapp not being multi-platform. Not sure what they are talking about, its available on 7 different mobile platforms. Don't you know that nobody messages from PC any more ?
99.99% of people who are using whatsapp don't care about snooping (just look at what's posted on facebook if you don't believe me) and probably some even welcome the Facebook purchase. Whatsapp has taken years to get to where they are, I've got over 200 people on my contacts list, from Asia, OZ, NZ, Africa, Europe and north america (nobody in south america yet). Believe me, it will be next to virtually impossible to get everyone to move.
Somebody mentioned about whatsapp not being multi-platform. Not sure what they are talking about, its available on 7 different mobile platforms. Don't you know that nobody messages from PC any more ?
People aren't saying whatsapp is not multi platform, what they are saying, is that you cannot install and have one account running on multiple devices at the same time. That is true for whatsapp and it it's a selling point (well not a selling point as such since telegram is free) but that will appeal to people. Plus the ability to send 1gb files and the privacy aspect. It may not be for everyone, Don't forget it is also free. Not everyone likes/can/want to pay for apps.
Also everybody does not NEED to move. If Telegram is able to attract a decent enough sized user base then I think they will feel they have done well. According to another tweet, they have managed to acquire 4m users in the past 18 hours. Twitter is also full of people posting rapidly about ditching whatsapp and joining Telegram.
People aren't saying whatsapp is not multi platform, what they are saying, is that you cannot install and have one account running on multiple devices at the same time. That is true for whatsapp and it it's a selling point (well not a selling point as such since telegram is free) but that will appeal to people.
Spot on - I see this as a MASSIVE benefit. I constantly got annoyed at whatsapp reliance on a single device. I use a tablet, phone, multiple PCs. I like messages to come to me, not have to switch to a different device.
Telegram let's me do that (as does email, facebook messenger, twitter etc)
WhatsApp DOES NOT
Huge failing and probably the SINGLE reason I can't get on with whatsapp
I don't know but am I missing something here or is it that I'm getting older and in this stereotyped world we live in I'm supposed to stop understanding technology when I hit a certain age.
However, what is the fascination for this type of app over the traditional method of SMS? If I know my friend or relatives mobile number I can send them a text. If that friend or relative is also not interested in one of these apps, or indeed doesn't have a smartphone (yes, they do exist. My son's GF does NOT have a smartphone) then such an app is useless, whereas I can still send them (or even her) an SMS or, of course an email.
On some new Smartphones, what I'd have normally sent as an SMS previously, is now converted to MMS and then chargeable (around 40p a pop!) - such as an SMS going over 160 characters; using emoticons not on the basic android selection (but not obviously different to the standard ones); sending the same message to multiple contacts. On some phones, these attract charges as MMS that you wouldn't have worried about with whatsapp.
I've been sent a few messages in the last hour or so on whatsapp from my sister, and I think they're either a scam or at least suspicious...
"Saturday morning whatsapp will become chargeable. If you have at least 10 contacts send them this message. In this way we will see that you are an avid user and your log will become blue and will remain free. (As discussed in the paper today. Whatsapp will cost 0.01e per message. Send this message to 10 people. When you do the light will turn blue otherwise whatsapp activate billing.."
followed shortly after by this message, from a vinegary guy...
"Message from Jim Balsamic (CEO of Whatsapp) we have had an over usage of user names on Whatsapp Messenger. We are requesting all users to forward this message to their entire contact list. If you do not forward this message, we will take it as your account as invalid and it will be deleted in the next 48 hours. Please DO NOT ignore this message or whatsapp will no longer recognise your activation. If you wish to reactivate your account after it has been deleted, a charge of 25.00 will be added to your monthly bill. We are also aware of the issue involving the pictures updates not showing. We are working diligently at fixing this problem and it will be up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation from the team Whatsapp is going to cost us money soon. The only way that it will stay free is if you are a frequent user i.e. you have at least 10 people you are chatting with. To become a frequent user send this message to 10 people who receive it (2 ticks) and your whatsapp logo will change colour. send this to people to activate the new whatsapp"
On some new Smartphones, what I'd have normally sent as an SMS previously, is now converted to MMS and then chargeable (around 40p a pop!) - such as an SMS going over 160 characters; using emoticons not on the basic android selection (but not obviously different to the standard ones); sending the same message to multiple contacts. On some phones, these attract charges as MMS that you wouldn't have worried about with whatsapp.
I've been sent a few messages in the last hour or so on whatsapp from my sister, and I think they're either a scam or at least suspicious...
"Saturday morning whatsapp will become chargeable. If you have at least 10 contacts send them this message. In this way we will see that you are an avid user and your log will become blue and will remain free. (As discussed in the paper today. Whatsapp will cost 0.01e per message. Send this message to 10 people. When you do the light will turn blue otherwise whatsapp activate billing.."
followed shortly after by this message, from a vinegary guy...
"Message from Jim Balsamic (CEO of Whatsapp) we have had an over usage of user names on Whatsapp Messenger. We are requesting all users to forward this message to their entire contact list. If you do not forward this message, we will take it as your account as invalid and it will be deleted in the next 48 hours. Please DO NOT ignore this message or whatsapp will no longer recognise your activation. If you wish to reactivate your account after it has been deleted, a charge of 25.00 will be added to your monthly bill. We are also aware of the issue involving the pictures updates not showing. We are working diligently at fixing this problem and it will be up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation from the team Whatsapp is going to cost us money soon. The only way that it will stay free is if you are a frequent user i.e. you have at least 10 people you are chatting with. To become a frequent user send this message to 10 people who receive it (2 ticks) and your whatsapp logo will change colour. send this to people to activate the new whatsapp"
Well the positive news stories regarding Telegram's rise, still coming in. That means plenty of publicity being generation across the web. It's now in at number 4 the Itunes chart behind 3 flappy bird clones. Flappy birds???
Comments
The thing I personally find whatsapp handy for is sending picture messages as it effectively renders it "free". Of course it's still coming out of your data allowance, but quite often, even if you have unlimited texts on your plan, you still pay for MMS messages.
You can also send extra bells and whistles with your SMS as well like audio and video clips, so I suppose that's what attracts a lot of the younger audience.
If you're sending a basic SMS message then of course the regular SMS messaging is perfectly fine as well.
I suppose I can see the point but.....
Exactly as I said! So, I don't know.
Funnily enough, I think SMS should maybe go free, C/W and advert line.
Whattsapp, Telegram etc is just repacking of old stuff that gets adopted by a new young audience.
Bring back AIM !
because they use a small amount of data, it is often still cheaper to use them in countries where data is not bundled.
An example in this country. A basic Payg tariff could charge 12p an SMS message and £1 a day for data which will enable you to send hundreds of messages. You'll be able to send 8 text messages for the same cost.
This was the thing I really liked about Telegram when I tried it today.... think I'll be giving this a go! Whatsapp was a right royal pain in the *** not supporting multi device
This is the FAQ
https://telegram.org/faq
Somebody mentioned about whatsapp not being multi-platform. Not sure what they are talking about, its available on 7 different mobile platforms. Don't you know that nobody messages from PC any more ?
People aren't saying whatsapp is not multi platform, what they are saying, is that you cannot install and have one account running on multiple devices at the same time. That is true for whatsapp and it it's a selling point (well not a selling point as such since telegram is free) but that will appeal to people. Plus the ability to send 1gb files and the privacy aspect. It may not be for everyone, Don't forget it is also free. Not everyone likes/can/want to pay for apps.
Also everybody does not NEED to move. If Telegram is able to attract a decent enough sized user base then I think they will feel they have done well. According to another tweet, they have managed to acquire 4m users in the past 18 hours. Twitter is also full of people posting rapidly about ditching whatsapp and joining Telegram.
This may or may not be accurate but the servers have definitely been slow yesterday and today too.
Spot on - I see this as a MASSIVE benefit. I constantly got annoyed at whatsapp reliance on a single device. I use a tablet, phone, multiple PCs. I like messages to come to me, not have to switch to a different device.
Telegram let's me do that (as does email, facebook messenger, twitter etc)
WhatsApp DOES NOT
Huge failing and probably the SINGLE reason I can't get on with whatsapp
On some new Smartphones, what I'd have normally sent as an SMS previously, is now converted to MMS and then chargeable (around 40p a pop!) - such as an SMS going over 160 characters; using emoticons not on the basic android selection (but not obviously different to the standard ones); sending the same message to multiple contacts. On some phones, these attract charges as MMS that you wouldn't have worried about with whatsapp.
I've been sent a few messages in the last hour or so on whatsapp from my sister, and I think they're either a scam or at least suspicious...
"Saturday morning whatsapp will become chargeable. If you have at least 10 contacts send them this message. In this way we will see that you are an avid user and your log will become blue and will remain free. (As discussed in the paper today. Whatsapp will cost 0.01e per message. Send this message to 10 people. When you do the light will turn blue otherwise whatsapp activate billing.."
followed shortly after by this message, from a vinegary guy...
"Message from Jim Balsamic (CEO of Whatsapp) we have had an over usage of user names on Whatsapp Messenger. We are requesting all users to forward this message to their entire contact list. If you do not forward this message, we will take it as your account as invalid and it will be deleted in the next 48 hours. Please DO NOT ignore this message or whatsapp will no longer recognise your activation. If you wish to reactivate your account after it has been deleted, a charge of 25.00 will be added to your monthly bill. We are also aware of the issue involving the pictures updates not showing. We are working diligently at fixing this problem and it will be up and running as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation from the team Whatsapp is going to cost us money soon. The only way that it will stay free is if you are a frequent user i.e. you have at least 10 people you are chatting with. To become a frequent user send this message to 10 people who receive it (2 ticks) and your whatsapp logo will change colour. send this to people to activate the new whatsapp"
I bet loads of people fall for that:D
Well the positive news stories regarding Telegram's rise, still coming in. That means plenty of publicity being generation across the web. It's now in at number 4 the Itunes chart behind 3 flappy bird clones. Flappy birds???