Telegram (software)

Telegram is a way to talk to people.

You can send notes and pictures. You can also make video calls. It works on many different phones.

Two brothers started it in 2013. They wanted to keep chats safe. You can use a phone number to join.

Some chats can even disappear. You can pick a time for them to go away. This helps keep your notes private.

Many people around the world use it. India has the most users. Over one billion people use it every month.

It is a very big tool for talking.

Telegram is a way to send messages and talk to others.

It is a social media service that works on many devices. You can use it on phones or computers. It launched in 2013. Two brothers named Pavel and Nikolai Durov started it.

Nikolai made the MTProto protocol. This is the set of rules that makes the app work. Pavel provided the money to build it.

Users can join with a phone number. You can send text, large files, and videos. You can also join groups with many people. Some groups can have 200,000 members. Channels let one person send updates to many followers.

Telegram helps keep chats private. It uses end-to-end encryption for video and voice calls. This means only the callers can hear the talk. You can also start a Secret Chat. These chats stay only on your device. You can even set messages to self-destruct. This means they disappear after a set time. Many people use Telegram. Over one billion people use it every month. India has the most users.

Telegram is a huge social media and messaging service used by people all over the world.

It allows users to send quick text messages and share many types of files. You can send photos, videos, and even very large files up to 2 GB. People use it to hold private voice calls or video calls with friends. It also has features for public livestreams and large groups. Because it is cloud-based, your messages sync across many different devices automatically.

This means you can start typing a message on a phone and finish it on a laptop.

Many different tools make the app work for its many users. To start, you sign up using a phone number or a special digital token. Once you are in, you can use channels to follow one-way updates from many people.

You can also join groups that hold as many as 200,000 members. These groups can be split into different topics to keep things organized. For extra privacy, you can start a Secret Chat. These special chats stay only on your specific device and use extra security. You can even set messages to self-destruct, which means they disappear after a certain time.

Two brothers named Pavel and Nikolai Durov founded Telegram in 2013.

Before this, the pair started a Russian social network called VK. They left VK in 2014 because of pressure from the government. Nikolai was the one who created the MTProto protocol. This protocol is the set of rules that makes the messenger work. Pavel helped by providing the money and the tools needed to build it. The company has moved its headquarters several times over the years. It was in Berlin, Germany, before moving to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2017.

Telegram has grown very quickly since it first launched. It first appeared for iOS users on 14 August 2013. The Android version followed on 20 October 2013. In 2014, the app reached 35 million monthly users. By 2016, it had 100 million monthly users. The service became even more popular in 2021 when it was the most downloaded app in the world. As of March 2025, Pavel Durov announced that the service has more than 1 billion monthly active users. India is currently the country with the most people using the app.

Using Telegram is a lot like using other apps you might know, like WhatsApp or KakaoTalk. In fact, you can even move your old chat history from those apps into Telegram. It works on almost any device, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers. Just like sending an email or a text, you can use it to stay in touch with family. However, it adds extra layers like stickers and animated reactions to make talking more fun. Whether you are using it for school work or just to chat, it is a tool built for connecting people globally.

Telegram is a cloud-based, cross-platform instant messaging and social media service.

It allows users to exchange text messages, share various media files, and hold private or group voice and video calls. The service also supports public livestreams and large-scale broadcasting. Because it uses cloud storage, messages sync automatically across different devices. This allows a user to start a message on a smartphone and finish it on a laptop. Telegram is available on many platforms, including Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers.

The service functions through a specialized set of rules called the MTProto protocol.

This protocol serves as the foundation for how the messenger operates. Most communications are stored in the cloud to allow for easy access across devices. However, Telegram offers a specific feature called "Secret Chats" for extra privacy. These chats use end-to-end encryption, which means only the participating devices can read the messages. Secret Chats are restricted to specific clients like Android, iOS, and macOS. They also feature perfect forward secrecy, which means the encryption keys change after they have been used 100 times or after one week has passed.

Telegram offers several distinct ways for users to interact. Private chats allow for one-on-one communication where messages can be edited for up to 48 hours. Users can also set messages to self-destruct, causing them to disappear after a set time. Groups are larger multi-user chats that can hold up to 200,000 members. These groups can be organized into specific topics to act as subgroups.

For broadcasting, Telegram provides channels. Channels act as one-way feeds where owners post content to an unlimited number of subscribers. While followers cannot post in a channel, they can react to or comment on posts if the admins allow it.

The history of Telegram began in 2013 with brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov. Before creating Telegram, they founded the Russian social network VK. The brothers left VK in 2014 due to government pressure. Nikolai Durov developed the MTProto protocol that powers the app. Pavel Durov provided the necessary financial support and infrastructure through his Digital Fortress fund. The team has moved several times to protect its staff and user data. They were based in Berlin, Germany, in 2014 before moving to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in 2017. The company is currently registered in the British Virgin Islands and as an LLC in Dubai.

Telegram has experienced massive growth since its launch on iOS in August 2013.

By October 2013, the app had 100,000 daily active users. In 2014, the service reached 35 million monthly users. The app saw a significant surge in popularity in October 2014 when South Korean citizens switched to Telegram due to government surveillance plans. By 2021, Telegram was the most downloaded app worldwide. As of March 2025, Pavel Durov announced that the platform surpassed 1 billion monthly active users. India currently represents the largest market for the service.

There are many specific tools within the app to enhance the user experience. Users can send files up to 2 GB, or up to 4 GB for those with a Premium subscription. The app includes various social features like stickers, which can be static, animated, or video. Users can also use "reactions" to respond to messages with animated emojis. For organization, chats can be sorted into custom folders like "Work" or "Family." Telegram even allows for data portability, meaning users can import their chat history from other apps like WhatsApp or KakaoTalk.

Telegram's approach to data and legal requests is a significant part of its identity. The company uses a complex structure of companies and data centers to protect user data from government subpoenas. Telegram states that it has disclosed zero bytes of user messages to third parties, including governments. However, Pavel Durov noted that the company did disclose data for 6,992 legal requests from India and 203 requests from Brazil between January and September 2024. Users can monitor these legal activities through a dedicated transparency bot provided by the service.