Telegram is #2 in Top 10 Business Messaging platforms

Telegram
Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security. It’s super-fast, simple, secure and free. Telegram seamlessly syncs across all of your devices and can be used on desktops, tablets and phones alike. You can send an unlimited amount of messages, photos, videos and files of any type (.doc, .zip, .pdf, etc.). Telegram groups have up to 200 people and you can send broadcasts to up to 100 contacts at a time. Be sure to check our website for a list of Telegram apps for all platforms.

Positions in ratings


#2 in Top 10 Business Messaging platforms

#4 in Top 14 Video Calling apps

Alternatives


The best alternatives to Telegram are: Signal, WhatsApp, Discord



Latest news about Telegram


2022. Telegram is now offering a Premium subscription



Telegram is introducing a Premium subscription to leverage its significant growth. Priced at $5 per month, Telegram Premium offers a range of additional features alongside the existing free functionalities. Subscribers can now enjoy the ability to upload larger files, with a size limit of up to 4GB, as well as accelerated file downloads. Furthermore, the subscription doubles various limits within the app, such as the ability to follow up to 1,000 channels, create 20 chat folders with 200 chats each, pin 10 chats, save 10 favorite stickers, and add a fourth account to the app. Premium users also gain access to exclusive stickers, including those with full-screen animations, unique reaction emojis, premium badges, and voice-to-text conversation capabilities.




2021. Telegram added group video chat and screen-sharing



Telegram has introduced a new feature that allows users to engage in video chats with up to 30 people. This functionality is integrated into the Voice Chat feature of the app. When initiating a voice chat room, you will now notice a camera icon, which, when tapped, enables your video feed. Similar to other video conferencing applications like Zoom and Google Meet, Telegram allows you to expand the video to fullscreen and pin a specific participant to the center of the call. This ensures that the focus remains on the pinned individual even when others join the chat. Furthermore, Telegram now supports screen sharing. While on a video call, you have the flexibility to switch between your camera feed and the content displayed on your screen or even show both simultaneously.


2019. Telegram now allows to kill chat history



Telegram has introduced a new feature that enables users to delete messages in one-to-one and/or group private chats retrospectively, extending beyond their own inbox. With this feature, users have the ability to selectively delete their own messages as well as messages sent by others in the chat. To delete a message from both ends, users simply need to tap on the message, choose the 'delete' option, and then they are presented with two choices: 'delete for [the name of the other person in the chat or 'everyone']' or 'delete for me'. Opting for the former option removes the message across all devices, while the latter option only removes it from the user's own inbox. This feature grants users greater control over their conversations and ensures privacy and discretion when needed.


2018. Telegram’s new widget lets businesses connect with users



Messaging app Telegram has introduced a new web login widget feature. This functionality enables website owners, particularly business owners, to establish a direct connection with Telegram users through a Telegram bot integrated into their site. By combining the bot with the web plugin, businesses can leverage this system to send reminders, sales confirmations, updates, and other relevant information directly to customers via chat. It's worth noting that Facebook launched a similar plugin last year, enabling businesses to connect with users through Messenger. Additionally, Facebook is developing business-focused applications that allow companies to tap into its vast monthly userbase of 1.5 billion, with upcoming payment features on the horizon as well.


2017. Telegram adds unsend feature



The popular messaging app Telegram has introduced a new feature called "unsend," allowing users to retrieve or delete messages within a two-day timeframe after sending them. In a similar move, the secure messenger Signal also recently incorporated an ephemeral messaging feature back in October, primarily focusing on maintaining tidiness rather than emphasizing privacy. Telegram's unsend functionality is applicable to both one-to-one and group messaging scenarios but must be utilized within the 48-hour window. The intention behind this feature is to provide users with a way to address "morning after messaging regret" by enabling them to erase content they wish they had never expressed.


2016. Telegram released Bot Platform 2.0



The bot platform of the messaging platform Telegram has announced a significant 2.0 update, marking its largest update since its launch last year. This update introduces the capability for developers to create bots that can send various types of content supported on Telegram, including documents, MP3s, videos, stickers, animations, and contacts. It also includes support for location-based services and allows for deep integration with other services based on users' phone numbers. Furthermore, the update incorporates inline keyboards that can be customized to align with a specific bot's messages. This feature enables users to simply tap on predefined buttons to interact with the bot, eliminating the need to type out specific instructions. To showcase these new features, Telegram has developed four sample bots: @music, which allows users to search for and share classical music; @youtube, designed for searching and sharing YouTube videos; @foursquare, aimed at discovering nearby restaurants and sharing addresses with friends; and @sticker, a bot that assists in finding stickers using emoji as the starting point for a sticker search.


2015. Telegram launched public chats - Channels



Secure messenger Telegram has introduced a new feature that holds great utility for businesses—Channels. This feature serves as a powerful tool for broadcasting messages to large audiences, surpassing the capabilities of the old Broadcast lists in every aspect. Channels can accommodate an unlimited number of members and offer the option to be public, complete with a permanent URL. Furthermore, each post in a channel is equipped with its own view counter, encompassing views from forwarded copies as well. Notably, new members joining a channel can access the entire message history from day one. Channels are now accessible through Telegram's iOS and Android apps.


2015. Telegram now lets developers create smart chat-bots



Popular messenger Telegram has introduced a new Bot platform, enabling third-party developers to create AI-like software-operated Telegram accounts known as Bots. These Bots can possess various functionalities, such as an image bot integrated with the Bing Image search API or a support bot capable of providing step-by-step issue resolution. Bots can even offer customized keyboards, eliminating the need for users to type manually. The process of building these bots is remarkably swift, with new Bot developers requiring only a few hours. They simply generate a key through @BotFather and utilize a straightforward https API to manage the bot's operations. Telegram Bots also have the potential to become viral as any forwarded message includes a link to its original sender. Consequently, when a bot's message is forwarded to an individual or group, it functions similarly to a retweet, inherently facilitating viral growth. Additionally, all bots are equipped with an "Add To Group" and a "Share" button, further enhancing their accessibility and potential reach.


2014. Telegram messenger is attracting business teams



The messaging app Telegram, renowned for its emphasis on secure and encrypted communication, is targeting a distinct business-oriented niche, setting it apart from its competitor, WhatsApp. According to its creator, Pavel Durov, an increasing number of small teams are transitioning from email to Telegram for collaboration purposes. Telegram offers similar functionality to solve various tasks, but with enhanced security measures and significantly faster performance. One potential factor contributing to Telegram's growing popularity, as highlighted by Durov, is the ability for users to synchronize their mobile messages with Telegram's desktop and tablet applications—an advantage not available on WhatsApp, which predominantly caters to consumers in emerging markets. Consequently, Telegram provides a more streamlined experience for essential business functions, such as document and file sharing. With over 50 million monthly active users and a staggering one billion daily messages sent, Telegram continues to expand its user base.