News of the latest WhatsApp privacy update caused a big uproar globally. The new update means that the app will share some information with Facebook for marketing purposes. The goal of this sharing is to provide you with better targeted advertising. It’s not something new—the policy has been in place for a few years; we just didn’t know about it.
The difference now is that WhatsApp users must accept the change or begin to lose functionality.
At the same time, WhatsApp announced that the update would allow it to serve advertising to users on the channel. Consumers may have to put up with advertising on yet another channel.
The hype drove many users to look for an alternative, and Telegram was a natural choice.
Privacy update or not, this was something that most people saw coming. Telegram has been growing in popularity over the last few years. In the second and third quarter of 2020, it ranked as one of the top 10 most popular downloads, growing by 160 million users.
The app’s popularity remained steady in 2021. In April, it was among the top 10 most downloaded applications. Telegram is taking the instant messaging world by storm.
Why?
In this article, we’ll explain the top 15 reasons for you to use Telegram.
No Storage Limit
This cloud-based service currently allows users to store all their messages, photos, and media files. As long as the file is 2GB or under in size, you may store it in the cloud. Aside from that, there are no limits to the amount of storage you may use.
Log in with one device or from several different ones, and you’ll see a complete history of your messages and data. Forget about tedious backup and restoring data—Telegram does that all for you.
Whether you’re always on your phone for business or need to send an odd message, this function is useful.
Create a Splash With Supergroups
Whatsapp allows you to add up to 256 members to your groups. That’s okay for a personal account but can be restrictive for a business account. With Telegram, you can add up to 200,000 members if you like.
Omnichannel Support
Telegram will work with the major operating systems and all browsers. You can use it on devices using the following operating software:
- iOS
- Mac OS
- Windows
- Android
That’s pretty impressive for what started as a relatively small project.
Various Communication Options
40% of Brits make voice calls online, and 71% use social media for instant messaging. Telegram provides such consumers access to a wide range of communication methods.
Users may:
- Make a voice or video call
- Send multimedia messages
- Link several accounts to one device
- Send money
- Create group chats
- Use secret chats
The Secret Chats Feature
Secret chats may be helpful for companies that require heightened security while messaging. Telegram encrypts these messages from end to end and employs additional security features.
The restrictions make it impossible to take a screenshot or forward messages to users outside the chat with secret chats. Messages are also deleted and irrecoverable after a set period. Finally, they’re only accessible on the original device and are separate from the general Telegram cloud messages.
Money Talk
The Money Talk feature provides a hassle-free way for users to transfer up to $200,000. This feature may prove helpful for those in remote locations with a lack of access to the traditional financial system.
A bot completes the transfers, speeding up the process. Telegram has also offered $200,000 to anyone who can hack their bot. So far, no one’s been able to claim the prize.
Media Compression Features Allow Faster Upload and Downloads
When sending an image or a video, you may send the file as is or compress it to speed things up.
Usernames Rather Than Numbers for Contacts
One reason that Telegram has become so popular is that you don’t have to have someone’s contact number to add them as your contact. If you know their username, you simply need to add that.
This feature may prove useful for increased security. It’s also useful for business owners who use their personal phones for business purposes and want to keep the two separate.
You May Create a Channel
Channels resemble groups, but there’s no limit on the number of members. As the channel creator, you’re in complete control over:
- Who may post on the channel
- What they may post
- Who may see the posts
You may use the channel to:
- Advertise your business
- Engage with your clients
- Create a new stream of income
- Highlight your creative content
Multiple Devices and Drafts
You’re not limited to one device when you log in. You may open Telegram in your browser and run it on your phone at the same time. All messages sync to the cloud and so will update automatically.
This may come in handy when you need to switch out your device because the battery is dead or the content is difficult to see. Business owners may also assign team members to monitor the Telegram account.
They may reply to clients from different devices within the company quickly and easily. Other team members will also be able to see the chat updates instantly.
Bot-Friendly
Telegram supports simple bots to create stickers, gifs, and images. Users may also link in a chatbot to answer simple client queries at any time of the night or day.
No Charge for Messaging
All you need is an internet connection for the app to work. There are no charges for messages or calls, no matter how active you are. Naturally, you will need to monitor data usage if you’re on a metered connection, but the app doesn’t use a lot of data.
Excellent for Branding
There are thousands of fun stickers to use to enhance your messages and group posts. The designs are good and can attract attention to your brand. Companies may use these stickers to connect with younger audiences and create better brand awareness.
You May Enable Additional Security Measures
One downside of Telegram is that it doesn’t encrypt all messages by default. You may and should, however, enable the encryption of messages in your privacy settings. Telegram users may also enable two-factor authentication to ensure better security.
Telegram Seems to Respect User’s Privacy
There was a bot scandal in 2020 wherein several fake nude photos of users were posted. The images were drawn from social media and looked reasonably convincing. To be fair, data breaches have occurred several times on other social media channels.
Facebook has a far more chequered past in this regard and aggregates and sells user data. Considering that Facebook owns WhatsApp, it’s difficult not to wonder if the social media giant may misuse data it gathers in the future.
Final Notes
How does Telegram add up as a social media channel? The app may have been slow to take off at first, but it appears that we’re in a meteoric growth phase right now. The controversy surrounding WhatApp’s updated privacy policy shone a spotlight on Telegram as an alternative.
To be fair, the app was gaining popularity with more privacy-conscious consumers long before all of the furor about WhatsApp in 2021.
Author’s bio
Milica Strugar is a prolific article writer, an industrious researcher, tech enthusiast, and passionate about utilising every piece of modern technology at her disposal to find the answers she seeks. She loves otters so much she could spend a good hour looking at random otter videos on Instagram.
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