Telegram - 2026 Pricing, Features, Reviews & Alternatives

Reviewers appreciate Telegram's real-time chat capabilities for its speed and efficiency in communication. They highlight the ability to send instant messages, share media, and create large group chats. Users report that Telegram's encryption ensures privacy and security. They find the cross-device synchronization and lack of ads particularly valuable. They also mention the fun elements like stickers and emojis, and the ability to see when someone is typing or has read a message. Of the 614 Telegram users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Real-Time Chat, 97% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Users value Telegram's secure data storage, emphasizing its end-to-end encryption and cloud storage features. They appreciate that messages and files are safely stored and accessible from any device, even if the original device is lost. Reviewers mention the ability to store large amounts of data securely, and the option to use passcodes and fingerprint locks for added security. They feel confident in Telegram's privacy measures and the absence of data leaks. Of the 244 Telegram users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Secure Data Storage, 95% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Reviewers highlight Telegram's robust file sharing capabilities, noting the ability to share large files up to 2GB without compression. They appreciate the support for various file formats and the ease of forwarding documents to other apps or emails. Users find the unlimited cloud storage helpful for accessing files from any device. They also mention the seamless integration with group chats and the ability to pin important content for easy reference. Of the 616 Telegram users who gave detailed accounts of their use of File Sharing, 95% rated this feature as important or highly important.

See related user reviews

Highly relevant

“The support for large groups, channels, bots, and file sharing adds a lot of flexibility and makes the app suitable for many different purposes.”

Sven S.

Prokurist

“I use TELEGRAM for years, I have all my information of chats in there, several Backups of some important files and a big HD quality of my best and lovely photos, I can share or check anytime I wish, it's always on my hand with easy and great quality, also I have access to several communities to share knowledge with others with the same interest.”

Mirko P.

CEO

“It allows me to share and receive large files, keep my activity private and also offers cloud sync.”

Aditya S.

Test Engineer

Highly relevant

“i can not share documents with facebook insta”

OB

Osama B.

student

Users report that Telegram's alerts and notifications are customizable and effective for staying updated. They appreciate the ability to set different notifications for group chats and personal messages, and to mute notifications when needed. Reviewers find the instant alerts helpful for real-time communication and staying informed about important messages. They also mention the integration with wearable devices and the option to use custom notification sounds. Of the 579 Telegram users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Alerts/Notifications, 92% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Reviewers indicate that Telegram's discussion and forum capabilities are valuable for large group interactions. They appreciate the ability to create groups with up to 200,000 members and the ease of managing these groups. Users highlight the capability of viewing previous messages even after joining a group, and the ability to create polls and pin important messages. They find the forums useful for sharing ideas and coordinating work within teams. Of the 304 Telegram users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Discussions/Forums, 88% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Users appreciate Telegram's audio call feature for its clarity and security. They highlight the end-to-end encryption and the ability to make calls over data without incurring extra charges. Reviewers find the audio quality good even with low internet connectivity and value the option to switch to video calls easily. They also mention the convenience of making international calls and the integration with desktop devices for seamless communication. Of the 376 Telegram users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Audio Calls, 84% rated this feature as important or highly important.