TELEGRAM: THE BEST MESSAGING APP OR JUST A HYPE? PART2

Repository

https://github.com/DrKLO/Telegram

INTRODUCTION

In the first part, I did an introduction on WhatsApp and Telegram and talked about four major talking points. In case you missed it or want to have a relook click this link

SECURITY AND ENCRYPTION

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With the recent data breaches and theft, people have become more concern about how secure and private their information is. They don't want their data to be accessed by a third party, in which most cases are used for the wrong reasons.

WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption to encrypt user data, this means a third party cannot access your messages or files. Telegram implements end-to-end encryption for only secret chat.

Telegram and its owners have come under attack in Russia and several countries because it has refused to release its security infrastructure to governments. In recent years, there have been moving their operational base from one country to another.

When it comes to security reliability, I trust Telegram more than Facebook. Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg have been involved in really embarrassing scandals on how Facebook handles user data.

CHATTING / CONVERSATION EXPERIENCE

Chatting is designed to be an addictive feature, and the more you can keep your users glued to their phone, the more successful your messenger is said to be.

(i) Bots: Telegram allows users to have bots. These bots have different uses. For example, when you join a group, you can have a bot welcome the person. WhatsApp has no bot service.

(ii) Last Seen Exceptions: "Last seen" means the last time you came online. There are people you don't want to be monitoring your activities on chat messenger. Telegram allows you to have a selective list of people you want to see your "last seen" and those you don't want.

On WhatsApp, you cannot implement last seen exceptions. You can only switch "last seen" ON or OFF for everyone. When you switch it OFF, you cannot see "last seen" for others and others cannot see your own.

(iii) Edit Messages: On Telegram, when you send a message and you discovered that you made a mistake, you can edit the message even after sending it. Meanwhile, on WhatsApp, you cannot make such correction, you can only resend a corrected version of the message.

(iv) Sending Files: Both applications allow you to send almost all types of files but WhatsApp limits you on the file size. Telegram allows you can send files of up to 1.5 GB. this is a much sought after feature because, in this modern day, files like video and music have become larger. And social media is about communicating and sharing with friends and family.

(v) Username feature: This is an important component of the privacy feature on Telegram. If you are in a group chat on WhatsApp, your contact details (phone number) is automatically revealed to other users in the group. This puts you at risk because you might not know all members of the group.

Telegram solves this by using the username in group chats. Other members of the group can only see your username. If you meet someone in a group chat and decide to take the communication private, your privacy is still guaranteed till you decide to give your phone number. This helps in maintaining privacy and discreetness.

VOICE / VIDEO CALLS

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On the issue of Voice and Video calls, Whatsapp takes the lead by a far margin. The voice and video call quality are great. Group video calls are also an interesting feature on WhatsApp call. Three or more persons can link up and talk to each other simultaneously and in real time.

Before now, the quality of calls was poor, but over time I have observed an improvement. Currently, only Voice call is available on Telegram.

DATA CONSUMPTION AND STATUS UPDATE

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For people like me in third world countries, data consumption is something we consider when using an application. We do not have the privileges of cheap data and free WiFi in open spaces like is enjoyed in the developed countries.

When I started using WhatsApp, it consumed very little data. There were no video or voice calls. I could chat a whole month and use not more than 50 MB. Recently, with the introduction of WhatsApp status, I see my WhatsApp data usage skyrocket to as high as 1 GB a month. The status feature which is made up of write-ups, pictures and videos. It is very tempting because you get to scroll through tens or hundreds of write-ups, pictures and videos with almost no end in sight depending on your number of contacts. Most time I have to apply self-control so as to limit my data consumption.

The inclusion of status update has had its own advantages, it brings a closer connection between friends and contacts. It helps to spread our pictures, videos and messages to a broader audience.

For users like myself, Telegram does not consume data as much as WhatsApp because of the absence of things like a status update. Status update is what consumes my data the most.

CONCLUSION

Both applications come with their pros and cons. For me, I use both applications for a different reason. One has a feature which the other doesn't have and I can't do without it.

Telegram is not a hype, it is a chat messenger that deserves all the accolades it is getting. In most cases, Telegram implements new features before WhatsApp copies it and implement in their messenger.

Resources

https://telegram.org/
https://www.whatsapp.com/

Series Backlinks

• TELEGRAM: THE BEST MESSAGING APP OR JUST A HYPE? PART1