A Telegram user can chat with other people in a group chat (including voice chat). Telegram messages are synced across multiple devices so that a user can login on different devices and still see all their messages. Users can also create and subscribe to ‘channels’ where they can access information shared publicly by other users. They can make or access bots (automated programmes) to do things like play games, set reminders or provide a weather forecast.
People can pay for ‘Telegram Premium’ to download bigger files and not see any adverts. They can also buy ‘Telegram Stars’, an in-app currency which can be used to pay for things like playing a game, or to send as a gift to another user.
Users can share disappearing content, including voice and video messages. They can delete a direct message or entire chat history with another person so that it completely disappears for both sender and receiver, with no trace there was ever a message at all. They can also send ‘Secret Chat Messages’ using end-to-end encryption. This means the message can only be read by the sender and the person who received it, no one in between, including Telegram. Users can set a passcode lock for the app too.
Telegram has no parental controls but does have some safety settings. A user can control who can see their profile photo, bio, phone number or when they were last online. They can also block other people and control who can call them, add them to group chats or include a link to their account in a message to someone else. They can also use the ‘People Nearby’ setting to connect with people nearby, and prevent their own profile from being listed to others using this feature.
