Telegram is an instant messaging application which to date is also widely used in Italy, and which has recently reached one billion users who have downloaded it. It is a real chat, which can be used to communicate remotely, with various interesting functions. The messaging app is free and can be downloaded via iOS, Android, Windows devices, and can be used both via smartphones and tablets, from mobile phones, and via a computer, via desktop. This application allows you to communicate remotely, but not only.
In fact, it is also possible to send documents, photos, videos, audios and other files. For this reason the application Telegram it is also often used in the workplace and professionally, for sending documents, like a normal email. It also allows you to join groups with more people inside, and there are different usage settings.
Let's see in this article what it is, how it works and what the main settings are among which you can choose, what bots are and how you can use the app even from a computer.
Index of Topics
Telegram: the free instant messaging app
Telegram is an instant messaging app: this means that it can be used to communicate in real time with people who are even distant from each other, or leave messages that can be read later, very similar to an email.
In addition to being used daily by many users, the instant messaging app they are also used in professional and working environments, above all for the possibility of sending documents to single users or groups. It has existed for several years, however in recent times its use has increased also thanks to a internal cloud that allows you to store documents, files and images without weighing down the smartphone.
One of Telegram's main features is its speed, as well as the ability to send any type of media or file in an unlimited way, regardless of size. The chat is also a totally free application, being an Open Source app. Many choose to use this application for the security it offers, compared to competing applications.
In fact, this tool does not use user data for promotional purposes, and pays particular attention to the privacy of its users, guaranteeing the possibility of deleting messages at any time and archiving them in a special cloud. This application can be used from different devices, i.e. smartphones, tablets and computers, even alternately.
There are the groups allowing multiple users to talk together in the same chat. Telegram groups can be private o public and can contain up to 200.000 members. They are managed by one or more administrators who can moderate the chat. THE Telegram channels instead let you have a unlimited audience and the only ones authorized to post messages in the chat are the administrators, other users can only read the messages sent by them. Channels can also be public or private. However, it is possible to allow users who follow a channel to be able to interact with posted messages, only if your administrator has enabled it Discussion feature in the channel settings.
Technology
Telegram uses a technology based on end-to-end encryption, that is, which guarantees that the information and messages are readable only for the users involved, and remain unreadable also for the app's servers themselves.
This means that if a certain document is uploaded via computer using the desktop mode, it can be subsequently retrieved by accessing the mobile application, without this document burdening the memory of the computer or smartphone.
This technology guarantees a almost unlimited memory, so there are no limits on the size of the files and documents that can be sent via chat, and there are no limits on the size of the images.
Telegram app installation
Mobile installation
To install the free instant messaging application Telegram, it is possible access the internal store of your smartphone, but not only. This application can be downloaded from:
- The Android store;
- The iOS store;
- Windows, through Telegram Web;
- Linux;
- MacOS.
In any case, you need to access the specific store, based on the smartphone, tablet or computer you want to use. To download Telegram on Android you need to launch the Google Play Store and search for the application. Just one click is enough to install it.
The same also applies if you are using an iPhone or an iPad, so you can go directly to the Apple Stores, search for the application and download it quickly. As far as Windows is concerned, the application can also be used via a web platform, that is, it is possible access it without having to install any component.
Installation without phone number
The app can also be installed without the need for a telephone number. In fact, when downloading the application, it is not required to indicate your telephone number. In this case, the use of the application is linked to the creation of an account, to which a telephone number must necessarily be connected. In this case, for those who do not want to use their own number, there is the possibility of using and activating a new SIM, using an old telephone number, or using one of the online services which allow you to get hold of a temporary telephone number.
Installation on PC
telegram desktop is the official Telegram client on PC. To use this free tool, simply go to your browser, search for the application in the search engine and access it directly online. As seen before, it is possible to use the platform from a computer without losing any of the information previously sent or received from mobile. However, it is also possible, but not mandatory, to download the app for your computer if you are using Windows.
In order to start using instant messaging chat, you need to access the application by linking it to your phone number. After a few steps, useful for entering some data and personal information, you can start the application, choosing whether or not to activate direct notifications.
Telegram: how it works
Telegram works in a very similar way to one of the already known instant messaging chats, such as WhatsApp. However lets send messages and documents on single chats, but not only that, it also allows you to create groups and channels.
Groups allow you to have chats where there are more people, with a maximum of 200 users. Within a group there is no real hierarchy, that is, everyone can decide to invite new users and change some characteristics of the group itself. There is also the possibility of supergroups, which allows you to grow a group beyond 200 members up to the maximum of 100.000. In this case you have to choose some administrators for the management.
I channels instead have no limits based on the number of users who can enter, can be private and public. It is a communication tool for which only those who make the channel available can proceed to write in the chats and send files, as this mode is designed to be used as if it were a newsletter, or a direct channel of communication from one subject to others.
This feature is very interesting and widely used both by companies and some public administrations, because it allows you to send news, information and updates in real time to a large number of users. For this reason it allows those interested to join public channels, or to make a request to join a private channel.
Via the app it is also possible perform other actions, Such as:
- call and video call another user;
- open a secret chat;
- save contacts to store them in the app;
- receive or not notifications from groups and channels;
- Leave groups and channels;
- Start a live;
- Use a bot.
In any case, the user can autonomously choose how to use the application, what is the purpose of its use and with which chats, groups or channels to interact.
What are Telegram bots
I Telegram bots are external applications that can be used within the chat. These bots can perform various actions and offer various services, i.e. send commands, perform specific functions, search for channels.
Bots can be compared to virtual users who have been programmed by parties outside Telegram to be used for various functions. It can be said that a bot is an artificial intelligence through and through, and can be directed by the user to perform certain actions. The user can then give some specific commands to these bots, to perform functions such as:
- Monitor shipments via couriers from Telegram;
- Learn a language or chat in a language other than your own:
- Search for images and gifs;
- Search for specific offers and rates;
- Entertain users through games or puzzles;
- Provide information on specific topics;
- Look for the best products for sale online.
I bots are absolutely safe, and can be used by everyone using special commands, or be installed on your smartphone. In any case, it is the user who authorizes these programs to act, so it is not possible to come across bots that carry out actions without the user's consent.
How to add contacts
If you want to add contacts, you can search for your friends on the main screen of the application and start chatting. To do this you will have to click on thepencil icon bottom right.
On the page that appears you will see a name list and you will be able to locate the person you want to contact and click on it to start the conversation screen.
Secret Chat
La secret Telegram chat is managed with the end-to-end encryption, the content of the conversation is visible only to the two users, it cannot be forwarded to external contacts e it cannot be intercepted even by Telegram same. Secret chat messages are not stored in the app's cloud service, but remain only on the writer's devices.
start a secret chat you will have to click on a contact's profile, click on three dots vertically at the top right and select Start a secret chat.
Difference between channels and groups
The application allows you to interact with other users in two very interesting ways. It deals with:
- Of the channels;
- Of the groups.
I Telegram channels they are real channels for the transmission of news, data, information, messages, etc. Each channel can have an unlimited number of members and can be managed both privately and publicly. You have to think of a channel as a kind of tool that allows you to share information with users who decide to follow the channel. There communication in the channels is unidirectional: Only the creator has the possibility to write in the chat, while the members can only receive a notification of the message from the moment of accessing the channel. To access the public channels you need to search for your favorite channel through the search box placed in the upper right corner of the main screen of the app. For the private channels, on the other hand, entry is allowed only if you have an invitation link or by direct addition by the channel creator.
I Telegram groups they are another communication channel for exchanging direct messages between participants. Groups can be both private and public and have the ability to contain up to 200 members. The characteristic that distinguishes groups from channels is that in the former la communication è bidirectional, each user can interact with the others. Each member of the group has the possibility to invite new people and change the basic settings (eg name, image assigned to the group, etc) as well as being able to send messages in the chat.
Larger groups have the option of turning into a Telegram supergroup. This is a larger group that can count up to a maximum of 100.000 members. In this case there is also the possibility of identifying more than one administrator for the management of the messages published in the chat. The organization of the group is certainly better as the entry of new members is only allowed to specific members designated to do so.
Usage ideas
Telegram can be used by anyone, and for very different purposes. The app can be a valid information tool, if you decide to follow the channels dedicated to news. Many accredited online news organizations publish their news through this tool.
For example, in 2022 it is possible to follow the official channel of Repubblica, or Il Fatto Quotidiano, but also international bodies such as The New York Times. What you need to do in order to use this application to stay up to date on the latest news is to search online for your favorite newspaper or information journal, locate the corresponding Telegram channel and request access through your app. Turning on notifications is also possible view real-time information as it is communicated.
Another frequent use of Telegram is related to search for the best offers on the market of a certain sector. In fact, there are several channels, bots or groups dedicated to sharing specific offers on products used daily.
An example is the offers on technology products, for which there are many channels that contain discount codes, Amazon offers, offers at a good price for different sales sectors. Also in this case it is necessary to inquire, even through a simple Google search, to find the main channels.
In the same way they exist channels and groups dedicated to books, e-books, films, TV series and entertainment products, for which it is possible to receive advice, reviews, useful information for those who want to buy a particular product.
Finally, in the last period it has become an instant messaging chat widely used by professional workers and businesses, who choose to communicate with their customers, users or collaborators through this tool, which is very useful for sending documents securely and collaborating in groups.
