Telegram messenger; The difference is clear.

Telegram github link

Introduction

Image source

Many years before social media came into being, hardly will you find someone’s face you intimately know on the internet. The faces we see are those of celebrities on TV. Today, we have the opportunity to see even our House pets and Rodents (Dogs, Cats, Rats and so on) on the internet. Funny enough, I've seen Monkeys taking a selfie. I wonder who would help them upload it on the internet. Lol.

This has become easy with the several apps and device we use to chat and stay in touch with our friends and loved ones. As they say, variety is the spice of life. Different types of application are in the market for people to choose which one they prefer. Since social media has taken over everything, people use different apps to stay in this circle.

Facebook is one of the social media platforms that has gone viral. We also have the likes of Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp and so on. Tones of people are sending and receiving instant messages on all sort of social messaging platform daily. However, when we talk of apps that takes users privacy seriously, we would be referring to no other than Telegram messenger.

There are a lot more that Telegram offers. I started using this messenger a few years ago with little knowledge of what it can offer. I only chat with friends and make use of some minor features. I became more conversant with using the app lately and realized I’ve been missing a lot all this while. In case you’ve been like me, this is the time to start enjoying everything Telegram has to offer.

What is telegram messenger?

Telegram is a simple, fast, and secure messaging app with over 200million active users. It can only work over the internet. When I say "can only work" I mean it must be connected to the internet before you can use it. It is free, and anyone can use it without paying a dime. There are many messaging apps, and I believe they are all capable of sending and receiving messages. If that is the case, why is Telegram messenger different?

Security and privacy

Image source

Every messenger apps take the security and privacy of their users seriously but differently. Telegram messenger is known with anonymity. All users information is intact, and all activities are encrypted. Before any information passed between two users can be understood, the codes would need deciphering. Moreover, this makes it difficult for hackers to tamper with users data and activities. Telegram messenger protects users data and privacy from snoopy third parties. The Telegram team takes up this as their top priority.

Recover deleted data/chat

Image source

Sometimes we make mistakes by deleting some vital data on our device. It has happened to me several times. With Telegram messenger, users can recover deleted chats within 5 seconds of deletion. If there isn't any attempt of recovery at the end of 5 seconds, the data would be no more retrievable.

Self-destructive messages

Image source

Sometimes, we might not want some chats to be left on the recipient's device. I've sometimes instructed some of my friends to delete some messages I sent once they've seen it. What if they didn't delete the message? Of course, I wouldn't know and what I'm trying to keep might be exposed. Unless the message is self-destructive, you can't be sure of it being deleted. With Telegram messenger, you can send a self-destructive message by Setting the timer. You can choose how long the message should last on the recipients' device. It's advisable always to send such a message when the recipient is online.

No Ads

Image source

Many people dislike Ads on any app or site. Telegram messenger doesn't support this. Before one to two button is clicked in some platforms, several Ads has already popped up. It affects users experience. With Telegram messenger, you can keep chatting without any Ads popping up to disturb your activities. Also, there is no limit to the size of your media and chat. You don't need to worry about the disc space on your device. Telegram takes up zero space on your device because there is cloud support and cache management option that support this. However, with every special experience Telegram gives its users, there is no subscription.

Free Open API and protocol

Image source

Telegram messenger is an open source project on github. The Bot API allows the connection of Bot to Telegram system.

We welcome all developers to use our API and source code to create applications on our platform. There are several things we require from all developers for the moment.

• Obtain your api_id for your application.
• Please do not use the name Telegram for your app — or make sure your users understand that it is unofficial.
• Kindly do not use our standard logo (the white paper plane in a blue circle) as your app's logo.
• Please study our security guidelines and take good care of your users' data and privacy.
• Please remember to publish your code too to comply with the licenses.
• API, Protocol documentation

Telegram API manuals: https://core.telegram.org/api

MTproto protocol manuals: https://core.telegram.org/mtproto

You can create your app using the Telegram database Library. It is a tool made for anyone (developers) to help them build their Telegram App. All Telegram features are supported by TDlib which makes the development of Telegram app easy on any platform. The code is made open to anyone who is willing to use it to his advantage.

Create both groups and channel

Image source

Wow! This is fantastic. You can create groups and channels on Telegram messenger. Well, I would say creating groups isn't a big deal, because almost all similar messaging apps do the same. What about channels? Yes, I saw that on facebook but is it the same with what we have on Telegram messenger? Capital No. As the admin of a channel on Telegram, you have the power to restrict all other members from posting any content. It allows you to manage the channel without any frustration from other members. No comment, no reaction.

All the members need to do is follow what is going on in the channel. Most times, the Telegram channel is used for business purpose. I'm a member of some crypto and forex group where members only need to stay connected and follow what the admin drops in the channel.

Telegram Passport

Image source

The Telegram Passport is another compelling reason Telegram messenger is different from others. It is a unified authorization method for service that requires personal identification. The Telegram passport allows you to upload your documents. All these documents are then stored in the Telegram cloud using end to end encryption. From there you can share your documents with anyone.

Recent updates

Telegram added more to users satisfaction a few weeks ago by introducing some features in the new version 5.4.0.

Auto playing videos, Automatic downloads, and multiple accounts are the new implementation on Telegram. With these updates, small videos will begin to play without sound on your device when you receive it. You can set up automatic downloads depending on the size of a file, media type, and chat type. Also, you can switch between low, medium and high presets for mobile roaming and wifi. However, there is another recent implementation. Users can now log out and log in on Telegram.

My thought about Telegrams security and privacy.

In my own opinion, I think the security and privacy of users is essential. It is what everyone cares about — giving hackers a tough time to tamper with users data is incredible. It's something the Telegram team succeeded in implementing. Apart from this, the Telegram team never give users data out to a third party. They so much believe in holding onto the objectives behind the creation of Telegram. I respect that.

However, with the high security and privacy possessed by Telegram messenger,
It has gain notoriety as the terrorists messaging app of choice. Since Telegram has provided a platform that caters 100% for users privacy, terrorists have chosen the messenger over every other messaging apps to carry out their evil plan.

Why am I saying this? Some countries have banned the use of Telegram messenger because they believe it aids the terrorists. It has become difficult to trace them, and they are causing more harm to the community. I hope the Telegram teams wouldn't be adamant on releasing the data of any terrorist found guilty. In all, the Telegram messenger is unique in its way. The way we use the tool to out benefit is what matters.

Conclusion

I've been able to explain Telegram messenger and why I think it's different. With just five years of creation, Telegram messenger is known all over the world with hundreds of millions of users. That's sounds amazing. In the next episode of this article, I will explain the features of the Telegram messenger. I believe I've been able to convince you why Telegram is different from other similar apps out there.

Thanks for reading.

Image source

This is @ckole (the laughing gas)

Source

• All image sources are cited

• My github link