Telegram vs WhatsApp: The battle to keep your chats super private
Even though WhatsApp has more than 1.3 billion users worldwide, the features offered by Telegram like secret chat, self-destructing messages, encrypted backup ensure more secured chats.
TECH Updated: Feb 03, 2020 21:30 IST
Instant messaging apps WhatsApp and Telegram, which are considered to be arch rivals, are constantly working on updates to enhance user experience. However, when it comes to security and privacy Telegram seems to be ahead of the Facebook-owned app.
Even though WhatsApp has more than 1.3 billion users worldwide, the features offered by Telegram like secret chat, self-destructing messages, encrypted backup ensure more secured chats.
Apart from security features, Telegram is also ahead of WhatsApp in terms of other features like Dark Mode and larger group capacity.
Also read: WhatsApp stops working on these phones
WhatsApp is working on its Dark Mode feature since it is limited to the beta version on Android. But as of now the brand has not released an official date for rolling it out to end users.
In terms of groups, the maximum number of participants that can be added on WhatsApp is 256 while for Telegram the number goes up to 5000.
The maximum size of a video file that can be shared on WhatsApp is 90 seconds or 16 megabytes, while on Telegram the user can send a file with a size up to 1.5 GB.
Take a look at the chat privacy features that are exclusively available on Telegram:
-Telegram offers a feature wherein the user can set a timer on the message to automatically destroy itself after a particular time period. The timer for automatically destroying the message can be set between 1 second to 1 week.
Also read: Jeff Bezos must use my app and not WhatsApp, says Telegram founder
-There is a secret chat feature on Telegram in which the brand claims that the chats exchanged in this feature leave no trace on the company’s server. Messages cannot be forwarded from a conversation that takes place in this mode. Further, if any of the participants in a secret chat takes a screenshot of the chat window, both of them will be notified about the same.
-In terms of backup, Telegram stores it on its own encrypted cloud while WhatsApp takes backup on iCloud or Google Drive, which is not encrypted.
A Comparative Analysis between Telegram App and WhatsApp
This comparison is especially for those instant messaging loyalists who are looking out for alternatives ever since WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook.
Among many other instant messaging apps available in the market, is a cross-platform messaging app called Telegram – it’s USP (Unique Selling Proposition) being ‘privacy’ ! Telegram’s tagline itself says “Taking back our right to privacy”. Currently, Telegram is the no. 1 social networking app on the App Store in 46 countries…way ahead of the likes of Facebook, Viber and even WhatsApp!
Telegram App – The Origin
The app’s HQ is in Berlin and was launched in August 2013 for iPhone and October for Android.
Supported by Pavel and Nikolai Durov, the company’s FAQ page shows that Pavel is involved more towards the financial side of developing Telegram and Nikolai handles the technical aspect of it.
Telegram App & WhatsApp – At First The Similarities
Telegram app, at a first glance, resembles a scaled down version of WhatsApp! You may even call it a clone of WhatsApp. Just like with WhatsApp –
- You need to have their numbers to contact them
- Once chats are sent out, double ticks inform you whether they have received the message
- You can enliven your conversations with smileys, share pictures, audio clips and videos
- Check out user profiles
- Create groups and do pretty much do all that you can on WhatsApp.
- Quite like WhatsApp, Telegram claims that it will remain 100 percent free and with no ads.
So How Is Telegram app different from WhatsApp –
The service claims that it is different from WhatsApp in several ways:
- Telegram app is heavily encrypted and is cloud-based.
- The service will let you access your messages from multiple devices, including desktop.
- Telegram is marketed as an app that is way more secure than WhatsApp,
- The service uses multi-data infrastructure and encryption.
- Though Telegram app officially has only an Android and an iOS app out, it also has an API, which developers have used to release several unofficial Telegram apps for multiple platforms like Windows Phone, Windows, Mac and Linux. (psst…Telegram app has drawn inspiration from Snapchat too. )
- Secret Chats – Telegram app has a self destructing messaging feature called Secret Chats. While you can chat normally with your friends, you will be able to send in self destructing messages on Secret Chats too.
When you exchange messages this way, Telegram assures that nothing gets logged onto its servers. You can program your messages and attachments to self destruct in seconds, days or weeks, from both ends. Essentially this will leave no trace of the message ever having existed. - You can send files like images, documents, audio clips and more to not just your contacts but groups of up to 200 people.
Because of its close resemblance to WhatsApp’s simple interface and its ‘Privacy’ USP, Telegram app has been seen adding users to the tune of 4.95 million a day!
During the takeover weekend, when WhatsApp’s services blew up, Telegram app added millions of users and even faced some downtime. Telegram said that it has since been adding servers to its service to combat the traffic.
