WhatsApp is used more than Telegram, but due to its mass adoption, its hard to image there are other messaging apps that are better than the Facebook owned app. You can install Telegram for free and use it in parallel with WhatsApp. You can see who in your circle of friends already uses the Messenger. And you can also uninstall Telegram without a trace; your account will delete itself after six months of inactivity if you decide it is not for you after all.
Telegram on several devices in parallel and without a phone number
WhatsApp’s biggest drawback is that you can only use it on a single smartphone. Via WhatsApp Web, it can be run on tablets or PCs, but it is still dependent on WhatsApp on your smartphone. If your phone runs out of battery, reception or data volume, you are no longer accessible via WhatsApp.
With Telegram, I do not know of any limitation on how many devices you can register in parallel. Here’s how to set it up.
- Open web.telegram.org on any PC (or download the app from Play or App Store).
- Type in your cell phone number.
- Enter the confirmation code from the SMS or from another Telegram instance.
- Start chatting right away.
Since the code is first sent to your existing Telegram registration and only in an emergency by SMS, you can theoretically use a disposable number. As long as you have access to at least one logged-in device, you can continue to use Telegram even without a valid phone number.
Use Telegram with two phone numbers
Telegram has integrated account management, which is especially practical for dual-SIM smartphones. If you use the service privately for friends, and on a different number for business or Telegram groups, you can manage both numbers in the same app. The account change is as simple as in Gmail. You just open the menu, tap on your profile picture, tap on Add account, and type in the second mobile number.
WhatsApp vs. Telegram: Group Chats
| TELEGRAM | ||
|---|---|---|
| Max. Group size | 256 | 100,000 |
| Delete group | Only empty groups | Immediately possible |
| Admin levels | 1 | 1, more for Supergroups |
| Admin default | Creator is Admin | Everyone is an admin |
| Answers with quotation | Yes | Yes |
| Mention with @name | Yes | Yes |
| Phone number becomes public in groups | Yes | No |
| Anyone can write to anyone | Yes | Only mutual contacts or common group members |
| New members see old messages | No | Yes |
| Messages can be edited | No | Yes |
| Messages can be deleted for all | Only 7 minutes after dispatch | Yes, always |
| Attach messages (e.g. subject, or rules) | No | Yes |
| Support by Bots | No | Yes |
| Group entry from outside | Via link | Via search or link |
Telegram’s group chat function is technically much more superior than WhatsApp’s. And the bigger the group, the more administration functions you have in Telegram. If you want to create a public group, you can distribute it via a hyperlink. Determine for yourself whether users are allowed to chat, or just follow and read.
Telegram makes permanent backups
One of the most annoying drawbacks of WhatsApp is its poor backups, which have to be done manually or at least triggered. Due to my work as a tech editor, I often have to change my smartphone after only a few days or weeks. So to make sure WhatsApp chats didn’t start from scratch, I have to manually back them up before switching over to the new phone. At some point, these backups became several hundred MB in size and thus the process became tedious. This is completely omitted with Telegram.
Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram is cloud-based. This means that as you type, messages are synchronized across all your registered devices and with Telegram’s cloud storage. Photos, videos and also other files (doc, zip, mp3, etc.) with up to 1.5 GB file size each are backed up.
Since there is a Saved Messages section in Telegram, I also use the service extensively as free cloud storage. For sharing your photos I still recommend Google Photos, because Telegram Photos also reduces images to 1280 pixels width when uploading them before sending. If you send photos in Telegram as a file, they will be uploaded in the original resolution.
Suitably for the infinite storage space, Telegram also offers a global search. You can even search through old conversations and find even the very old pictures and files. My personal tip is to provide each file upload with a relevant description so that you can find it easily later.
Other features
In Telegram you will find many features that are not available in WhatsApp, including…
- Secret chats, whose messages delete themselves
- (Personalized) stickers
- GIF search
- Global search for new groups
- Video News
- Find people around and just chat it up
- Surveys for groups
- Schedule messages or send messages without sound
