Telegram: what it is and how it works

There will be those who are reading this article and have already used Telegram once, others who use it often, and those who have not tried it yet.

This post is for all of them, where we want you to know, not only what it is and what it can be used for, but also other aspects such as its differences with WhatsApp, functions, options, tricks, etc.

In other words, the best opportunity to find out everything that this application dedicated to messaging can offer us is so that we can consider installing and using it, either as the main one or, as many users do, having it as a secondary one.

The truth is that of all the apps that have dared to confront WhatsApp, this has been the one that ranks best and has endured the best, although it is still far away.

Everything you need to know about Telegram and Telegram Web:

• What is and what is Telegram for?
• What things can be done on Telegram?
• What is the difference between WhatsApp and Telegram?
• How to enter Telegram

What is and what is Telegram for?

Telegram is an instant messaging application available to install on our smartphones, regardless of whether it is Android or iOS, as well as having versions for macOS, Linux
or Windows.

In addition to all this, we can also work with the web version without having to download or install anything at all.

It is an app created by the brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, officially launched on October 20, 2013. In this case, a personalized, open, and optimized data protocol was used to be able to work with a multitude of connections at the same time.

The truth is that it looks a lot like WhatsApp, but with a distinctive design and certain options that are exclusive to Telegram.

What things can be done?

This is a messaging app that has multiple functions and that can be used to carry out some of its own exclusive tasks of this software, as well as others similar to WhatsApp.

Some of the main ones that we have at our disposal are:

• Send messages, photos, videos, and files of any kind.
• Create groups of up to 200,000 people.
• Voice calls and video calls with end-to-end encryption.
• It lets us create bots using the Telegram API, something we’ll talk about later.
• It allows you to use an animated GIF browser, photo editor, and open sticker platform.
• Data can be stored in the cloud.
• There are secret chats.
• Self-destructing messages can be sent, as well as photos and videos with the same capability.
• Find friends from the area to talk to.
• Exchange contacts with the People Nearby option.

What is the difference between WhatsApp and Telegram?

The main difference is that Telegram is a messaging app that is constantly synced to the cloud, something WhatsApp cannot. Thanks to this, our Telegram can be accessed from different places and at the same time without depending on other devices.

In addition, an unlimited number of photos, videos, and files (doc, zip, mp3, etc.) up to 2 GB each can be shared.

The Telegram API and its code are open, so developers can create their own Telegram applications.

Another substantial difference is the bots, which are a series of third-party applications that run within Telegram and that do not need to be installed, since they are integrated into the app, making them use it as if it were a person with whom we interact.

This control is exercised through messages determined by commands or specific instructions so that they carry out the required actions.

Telegram groups also differ from WhatsApp groups in the number of occupants. While the app owned by Facebook limits the number of people for each one to 1,024, there is a maximum of 200,000 users.

How to enter 

Telegram is an application that is currently available for many devices, as we have already seen, although it is normal that, at least if it is the first time, we start on our smartphone, regardless of whether it is Android or an iPhone since there is a version in the Google Play Store and in the App Store.

Once we have it installed on our mobile device, we only have to do the following:

• We open the application and it will immediately ask us for the phone number.
• We confirm it and then we will receive an SMS message with the confirmation code.
• We wait for the synchronization of said code (if it does not occur, we put it) and if there is a previous backup, then everything we have will be recovered.It is not like WhatsApp, whose copy is made in Google Drive on Android and iCloud on iPhone, but is on the Telegram servers, associated with our mobile number.

  Once inside, it is always advisable to hide our mobile number. In Telegram, you can create an alias, which can be used to give to someone who wants to communicate with us, in case we don’t have the confidence that they have our phone number.

  • We enter the Telegram Settings.
  • We go to Privacy and security.
  • Click where it says Phone number and choose Nobody in Who can see my number and in Who can find me by my number, we advise you to mark My Contacts .