Telegram (software)

Telegram
Developer(s)Telegram FZ-LLC
Initial release14 August 2013 (2013-08-14)
Stable release(s) [±]
Android11.9.0[1] Edit this on Wikidata / 26 March 2025 (26 March 2025)
iOS, iPadOS11.9[2] Edit this on Wikidata / 26 March 2025 (26 March 2025)
Windows, macOS, Linux
(Telegram Desktop)
5.13.0[3] Edit this on Wikidata / 26 March 2025 (26 March 2025)
macOS11.8.2[4] Edit this on Wikidata / 26 March 2025 (26 March 2025)
Repository
Written inDesktop: C++, C, Java, Python
Android: Java
iOS: Swift
PlatformAndroid, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Web platform
Available in66 (officially 12) languages[5][6]
List of languages
Chinese (Beta), English, Russian, Persian, Turkish, Italian, Arabic, Ukrainian, Kazakh, Uzbek, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch, French, Japanese (Beta), Korean, Indonesian, Malay, Belarusian, Catalan, Polish, Finnish, Hebrew
TypeInstant messaging
LicenseGNU GPLv3 only with OpenSSL linking exception (clients),[7] proprietary (server)[8]
Websitetelegram.org
Telegram Messenger Inc.
FoundedMarch 2013 (2013-03)
HeadquartersTortola, British Virgin Islands
(legal domicile)[9]
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
(operational center)
Area servedWorldwide
Founder(s)
CEOPavel Durov
IndustrySoftware
URLtelegram.org

Telegram, also known as Telegram Messenger, is a cloud-based, cross-platform, social media and instant messaging (IM) service. It was originally launched for iOS on 14 August 2013 and Android on 20 October 2013. It allows users to exchange messages, share media and files, and hold private and group voice or video calls as well as public livestreams. It is available for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, and web browsers. Telegram offers end-to-end encryption in voice and video calls,[10] and optionally in private chats if both participants use a mobile device.

Telegram also has social networking features, allowing users to post stories, create large public groups with up to 200,000 members, or share one-way updates to unlimited audiences in so-called channels.[11]

Telegram was founded in 2013 by Nikolai and Pavel Durov.[12][13] Its servers are distributed worldwide with several data centers, while the headquarters are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.[14][15] Telegram is the most popular instant messaging application in parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa.[16][17] It was the most downloaded app worldwide in January 2021,[18][19] with 1 billion downloads globally as of late August 2021. As of 2024, registration to Telegram requires either a phone number or one of a limited number of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) issued in December 2022.[20]

As of March 2025, Telegram has more than 1 billion monthly active users,[21] with India as the country with the most users.[22]

  1. ^ "Telegram". Google Play. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  2. ^ "Telegram Messenger". App Store. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Releases v5.13.0". Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  4. ^ "Telegram for macOS". Retrieved 27 March 2025.
  5. ^ "Translations". Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Q: Can I translate Telegram?". Telegram Messenger LLP. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  7. ^ "List of Telegram applications". 6 February 2014. Archived from the original on 22 May 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference faq-why-not-open-souce was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Members ordered by country code". RIPE Network Coordination Centre.
  10. ^ "Telegram introduces end-to-end encrypted video calls". The Next Web. 14 August 2020. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 29 March 2021.
  11. ^ Peters, Jay (16 February 2023). "Meta is copying Telegram channels in Instagram". The Verge. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  12. ^ EWDN (30 August 2013). "Russia's Zuckerberg launches Telegram, a new instant messenger service". Reuters. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Meet Telegram, A Secure Messaging App From The Founders Of VK, Russia's Largest Social Network". TechCrunch. 28 October 2013. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  14. ^ "'Nobody can block it': how the Telegram app fuels global protest". The Guardian. 7 November 2020. Archived from the original on 7 November 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  15. ^ "The Evolution of Telegram". Telegram. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Most Popular Messaging Apps: Top Messaging Apps 2021". respond.io. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  17. ^ Cheh, Samantha (11 August 2017). "Cambodia: Govt officials favor Telegram to protect communications". Tech Wire Asia. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Durov Telegram". Telegram. 8 February 2021. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  19. ^ "Telegram Tops The List Of Most Downloaded Apps In The World For January 2021: Report". Mashable India. 9 February 2021.
  20. ^ Shakir, Umar (7 December 2022). "Now Telegram users don't need a phone number — they can buy a fake one with crypto". The Verge. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  21. ^ "Du Rove's Channel". www.t.me. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  22. ^ Singh, Manish (30 August 2021). "Telegram surpasses 1 billion downloads". TechCrunch. Retrieved 17 October 2023.

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