Telegram is simply a coagulated chat app, but it's not perfect. Here are immoderate considerations to deliberation astir earlier utilizing Telegram for your messages.
There are a assortment of reasons to usage Telegram, from its convenient multi-device sync to its nosy stickers and different chat features. And while Telegram has greatly accrued its fame successful caller years, location are immoderate downsides of nan app to consider, too.
Let's look astatine immoderate of nan imaginable reasons you mightiness want to measurement distant from Telegram. Not each of them will use to everyone, but it's bully to cognize nan weaknesses successful each app you trust on.
1. Telegram Chats Aren't End-to-End Encrypted by Default
If you're not excessively acquainted pinch Telegram, you mightiness presume that each your chats are protected pinch end-to-end encryption by default, for illustration they are connected WhatsApp and Signal. But this isn't nan case.
Telegram encrypts your messages arsenic they recreation betwixt your instrumentality and nan Telegram server. However, these messages beryllium connected nan server truthful you tin entree them from aggregate devices. A breach of Telegram's servers could frankincense consequence successful your messages being exposed.
The work offers end-to-end encryption successful its concealed chats, but you person to commencement these manually. If you hide to commencement one, aliases personification other originates a non-secret chat pinch you, it doesn't bask nan aforesaid privateness protections.
By default, Telegram collects basal information astir nan contacts connected your phone. The institution says it does this to notify you erstwhile personification you cognize signs up for Telegram and to show their sanction successful nan service. When personification you cognize joins Telegram, you'll spot nan sanction you person saved for nan contact, not their Telegram surface name.
While Telegram only stores nan first and past names and telephone numbers of your contacts, this tin still beryllium a spot jarring for an app that's focused connected privacy. Getting a notification each clip a friend joins nan app is simply a pain, though you tin thankfully move this off.
Telegram besides uses telephone numbers to fig retired which of your contacts cognize nan astir Telegram users, arsenic nan Telegram Privacy Policy states:
Our automatic algorithms tin besides usage anonymized sets of telephone numbers to cipher nan approximate number of imaginable contacts an unregistered telephone number whitethorn person connected Telegram. When you unfastened nan "Invite friends" interface, we show nan resulting statistic adjacent to your contacts to springiness you an thought of who could use astir from joining Telegram.
3. Telegram Has Limited Support
Hopefully, you won't ever person a problem pinch Telegram that requires you to interaction nan support team. Telegram offers constricted support; nan main options are reaching retired connected X (formerly Twitter), visiting nan Telegram Support form, aliases going to Settings > Ask a Question successful nan app. This is staffed by volunteers, truthful while you whitethorn get an reply to your query, there's nary guarantee. If you can't get an reply by reaching out, you'll person to dream it's successful nan FAQ.
If you person deeper problems pinch nan app, getting ahold of personification who really useful astatine nan institution could beryllium tough. This isn't a immense sound against Telegram, but it could beryllium a interest for some.
4. Your Friends Might Not Use It
A batch of nan imaginable reasons to debar Telegram are related to usability, privacy, and security. But there's different applicable logic that's easy to overlook: if your friends aren't connected Telegram, there's not overmuch constituent successful utilizing it.
You mightiness beryllium capable to person a fewer friends to make an relationship connected Telegram to make a group chat pinch them, but that only goes truthful far. Most group won't want to fuss downloading a secondary messaging app conscionable to talk to you erstwhile WhatsApp, iMessage, SMS, aliases immoderate other they already usage useful good for their needs.
Telegram still has immoderate worth if you usage it alone; cheque retired the champion Telegram channels to join to spot how. But immoderate messenger is simply a batch amended erstwhile you tin talk to astir of your friends successful 1 place.
5. Ads and a Subscription Plan
Apps for illustration Telegram person to make money somehow, particularly arsenic they standard to service hundreds of millions of users. Most of nan time, apps present monetization by showing ads, and Telegram is nary exception.
In precocious 2021 and early 2022, Telegram started rolling retired ads successful its app. These ads do not look successful one-on-one messages aliases group chats. Instead, they are constricted to nationalist channels pinch much than 1,000 followers, and only look successful definite regions. See the differences betwixt Telegram groups and channels if you aren't familiar.
While these ads are non-intrusive and privacy-conscious, they're still annoying to spot successful what was erstwhile a wholly free app.
In June 2022, Telegram introduced Telegram Premium, an optional subscription work that gives you other goodies. These see doubling nan record size upload limit, providing unsocial stickers, letting you create much folders to shape your chats, and removing ads.
At $5/month, Telegram Premium isn't worthy it for astir people. But it's annoying that nan app locks immoderate useful features down a paywall, particularly compared to different messaging apps that don't see ads aliases subscriptions.
6. Miscellaneous Telegram Concerns
We've looked astatine immoderate of nan awesome reasons you mightiness want to measurement distant from Telegram. There are a fewer different insignificant considerations to support successful mind, including:
- While this is up to individual preference, immoderate group kick that Telegram's interface isn't visually pleasing. Telegram supports civilization themes, though, which should reside immoderate problems here.
- You tin only motion up pinch a mobile telephone number; there's nary action to motion up pinch conscionable an email address, aliases thing else. This mightiness beryllium a roadblock for you.
It's Up to You Whether to Use Telegram
This isn't a database of reasons to person you to instantly extremity utilizing Telegram. Rather, it's a group of considerations you should support successful mind erstwhile you take to usage nan service. Some of these points mightiness beryllium non-issues for you, aliases you tin correct them pinch nan correct settings.
If you take to time off Telegram, make judge you instrumentality pinch a unafraid messaging app.