Telegram is currently in hot water. The French authorities have arrested its co-founder and CEO Pavel Durov in connection with an investigation and on the sideline, the Indian authorities have also initiated a different investigation for aiding criminal activities like gambling and extortion.
If found guilty, Telegram could face a ban, resulting in a widespread migration of its entire user base to other platforms.
But which platforms should people migrate to if Telegram shuts shop? That’s what we are about to find out with our list of the best Telegram alternative apps.
But finding an exact replica of Durov’s Telegram isn’t an easy task considering the exclusive perks the platform provides to its members. Its focus on user privacy allows businesses and communities to share information freely with people without fearing moderation teams snooping and blocking access. Telegram makes it easy to broadcast information to a huge group. The cloud-based architecture also allows the app to make the chats readily available on several devices at once.
While Telegram’s popularity isn’t easy to mask, there are a handful of alternatives that you can fall back on to stay in touch with your communities and undertake secure messaging as well as media sharing. WhatsApp is the biggest name here with an emphasis on user privacy while expanding its feature set monthly, recently adding Meta AI to the mix to enhance the chat experience. You also have native messaging apps like iMessage and Google Message that offer a limited yet functional experience.
Beyond the usual choices, we also have a couple of feature-rich and privacy-centric messenger apps that are worth trying if Telegram faces the axe.
Hence, without wasting a moment further, check out some of the best Telegram alternatives you can find on the app markets today.
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Top messaging apps like Telegram to try out
Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows
One of Telegram’s oldest rivals comes from the house of Meta and serves as a highly potent alternative. WhatsApp’s popularity is off the charts globally and its ease of access makes it desirable for people of all age groups. With strict data privacy policies and end-to-end encryption enabled by default, your chats are secured under an additional layer of security that most other messengers fail to provide.
Similar to Telegram, you can share files that weigh up to 2GB, send stickers to express yourself better and conduct video calls. WhatsApp groups allow for easy sharing of web links, polls, multimedia files and a lot more, regardless of the device you are using. You can react with emojis and even switch on disappearing messages for sensitive information. The Communities feature collates various groups of the same nature under one roof and Channels help users stay updated on certain topics. You even get Instagram-style Stories to keep your contacts updated.
The recent update added Meta AI as a chatbot that generates answers and creates stickers/images within a chat.
WhatsApp is free to download and use.
Google Messages
Platforms: Android, Web
If communicating is the core criterion, Google Messages is possibly the easiest way to do so. The only caveat? You need to have an Android phone and so do all of your dear contacts (unless they are on iPhones running iOS 18, in which case they will have RCS enabled in the Messages app).
The app comes pre-installed with all Android phones and offers basic SMS messaging by default. However, once RCS is enabled, you get to send emojis, reactions, photos, videos and files to other contacts who also have RCS enabled on their Android phones. The file size is capped at 100MB but you can still share weblinks and small documents relying on internet connectivity.
iMessage
Platforms: iOS, iPadOS, macOS
For people deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem, iMessage is your one-stop solution for all messaging needs. From multimedia files to weblinks and everything else that you need for a feature-rich chatting experience, iMessage is the most stable and secure platform.
While it might not be as versatile as Telegram, it has enough to let you converse easily with a group, share interactive stickers, engage with unique effects and a lot more. You can even use FaceTime integration to do video calls with those contacts. Photos and videos shared over iMessage don’t lose out on quality, which is usually the case with other messengers.
Microsoft Teams
Platforms: Windows, Web, Android and iOS
Teams might not be the most ideal alternative to Telegram but for communicating with a large group, it’s almost unbeatable. Although Microsoft Teams is preferred by corporate networks to help keep their employees connected, the benefits of hosting meetings and sharing files are huge.
You get to send media files, text and web links over Teams, which makes it easy for people who share a lot of files. The encryption technology ensures that your chats are not read by anyone, not even your organisation. The seamless video-calling capability along with the special enhancement tools is a luxury that most users can’t live without!
Facebook Messenger
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web
Facebook Messenger is often considered a great alternative to Telegram. It lets you create a group with multiple members and share information as well as media files easily. You can broadcast via posts or livestream videos to quickly share updates or engage with the audiences.
However, groups on Facebook Messenger cannot be monetised and the group chat aspect can get quite messy. Moreover, you need to have your contacts be a part of the Facebook network, which is something not everyone is keen to be citing the data privacy concerns.
Hence, as long as you stick to being a small group with simpler communication needs, Facebook Groups works well.
Instagram DM
Platforms: Android, iOS, Web
For those who love to share Instagram Reels, there’s no messaging service better than Instagram DM. It lacks a lot of features that you usually find on Telegram but at its core, it is a solid messaging service.
Beyond Reels, you can chat with your contacts, share stickers and GIFs, react with emojis and even conduct group video calls. The Vanish mode allows certain texts and media files to be viewable only once and unavailable for screenshots. All your responses to Instagram Stories are also shared via the Instagram DM chatboxes. The inbox themes are a fun way to spruce up the mood.
The only drawback to Instagram DM is that you and your contacts need to be on Instagram.
Snapchat
Platforms: Android, iOS
Snapchat offers a different flavour of messaging that focuses solely on sharing media. While you can engage in a text-based conversation that prioritises privacy, Snapchat encourages you to share more photos and videos with your contacts. The concept of Stories makes it more engaging for people to share their moments from the day and create streaks. You can even use it to do video and audio calls in groups and solo.
Similar to Telegram, there’s a growing community of creators who like to share exclusive content with their followers. While channels are not locked by a paywall, it solely depends upon the creator and the follower to allow the exchange of media files.
X (Formerly Twitter)
Platforms: Web, Android, iOS, Windows, macOS
Although X is currently the leading microblogging platform for millions of users across the world, its Direct Messaging feature ends up offering a viable alternative to Telegram. Similar to most other names mentioned here, you can send text messages, and share media files and X posts. X also allows users to make voice and video calls with recipients but no exchange of files is allowed.
Beyond conventional messaging, you can post on your feed and communicate with people via comments. For Premium subscribers, X offers its Grok AI chatbot that claims to offer solutions to various complex queries.
Signal
Platforms: iOS, Android
Signal is considered one of the most secure messaging apps that you can try as an alternative to Telegram. Signal prioritises privacy over everything else.
The service relies on end-to-end encryption to protect text messages, calls and videos – just like WhatsApp. With features like group chats, disappearing messages and file sharing, Signal offers enough features to make the job of communication easy and fun.
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(Hero and Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Adem AY via Unsplash)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
WhatsApp is the best alternative to the Telegram app.
WhatsApp is best for private messaging like Telegram with end-to-end encryption.
