Telegram for Android.
The only downfall being that your friends, family, or co-workers might not be currently using Telegram is not really important. Since it is free, just invite them to use it with you. The features are great, and we think it beats Facebook Messenger in that area. Plus, it is much more secure too.
If you are like many people today, you use a messenger of some sort, such as Facebook Messenger, Yahoo, the list goes on. Telegram is an Android app with a goal of bringing security back into messengers while remaining fast as well. The app is designed to be easy to use and allows the user to send and receive various types of files, such as .doc, .pdf, .zip, and more.
To make this messenger app even better, it is cross-platform compatible too. That means you can sync it with your Android tablet or even your computer to send unlimited messages, videos, or photos to your contacts. It allows to create groups of up to 1,000 people, but you can also create channels for broadcasting messages to an unlimited amount of people, which is great if you have thousands (or millions) of subscribers. Although all this is great to hear, we think the best news is that Telegram is completely free.
Design and layout
The app’s layout was made to be familiar and easy to use. It features minimal design, but in an elegant way. It sort of reminded us of Facebook Messenger, but with more features and faster. You have your contact list, chat window, emojis, and more. What we found the best was that it was easy to learn.
Security
When it comes to security with mass messenger services, there has always been a large risk. Telegram is determined to change this by making mass messengers more secure and allowing users to worry less about their private information and conversations. To do this, Telegram encrypts all of your messages and data using strong algorithms that have been tested over and over.
Speed
Speed is another area Telegram focuses on, and often more noticeable by the average user. Within the modern society, people are always in a hurry, and that includes messaging, that is why Telegram is dedicated to being the fastest messenger app available. It provides speed by using a distributed infrastructure, using various data centers worldwide to allow users to connect using the server closest to them.
Cloud storage
Because Telegram is able to sync across all of your platforms, you can access your data securely any time. The Telegram Cloud service is included for free and stores your message history so you never lose it again.
Sharing and group chats
Telegram is great for business meetings or large group chats, as you can quickly form a group or chat with up to 1,000 users and share documents, photos, or videos.
Reliability
Telegram’s speed and security would mean nothing if users were not able to rely on the service and its features. Because it sends out messages using the lowest amount of bytes possible, it can work with the weakest connections too.
Price
As if it was not impressive enough, Telegram comes at a price you cannot beat – it is free. We were a little shocked to hear there was not at least a $0.99 charge with all the features it offered, including unlimited messaging and file sharing, storage, and cross-platform syncing.
Pros
+ Free to use
+ Secure and fast
+ Allows cross-platform syncing
Cons
– Not everyone is using it yet
Telegram is a nice app, but it’s background is quite suspicious (google “durov”, if you don’t know what I’m talking about), and I don’t like the business model. That’s why I prefer Threema, which you can use without GCM, btw.