Can Telegram Replace WhatsApp?

Does the word ‘Telegram‘ incite curiosity in an age where gadgets are given unabashed freedom to assault our privacy? No old world charm being revisited here. Telegram is WhatsApp's biggest opponent, fast replacing it for many who love to guard their privacy.

Interestingly the creators have offered a US$ 200,000 reward to anyone who can break its system for encrypting messages. Yes that’s how assured they are of their privacy ‘gameplan’, which is being touted as being their biggest USP.

The app, when tried under Android and iOS, is way lighter and faster in sending and receiving messages, even going so far as to permit you to create group chats with up to 200 people within each group. With video shares up to 1GB and messages being stocked in the cloud, the app gives you quick access through any device.

The most remarkable feature on the app is the option to create ‘Secret Chats’. After a certain time, you can ‘self destruct’ these chats making it impossible to forward message content. So any peeping toms out there might find themselves truly helpless in their quest for verifiable gossip.

The app is completely non-intrusive in the way it abstains from hosting advertisements, and this is one practice they vow to keep intact. The interface seems similar similar to WhatApp so the shift will not seem like a major change. Subscribing to an open source API, Telegram can be used with and included in other apps as well.

But, critics who are avid users of both have weighed pros and cons online already. Not to downplay its strengths, but there are many things Telegram lacks in comparison to WhatsApp. In some mobiles the app makes uploading pictures difficult and in the case of videos, error messages are a routine interruption right at the beginning or the middle of uploading. No multiple selection of pictures for Telegram users which is a major irritant for our picture obsessed generation.

The Online and offline statuses of people too cannot be deciphered. So no more playing detective to your crush or ex. There is also no option for video or audio chatting, which definitely works in WhatsApp's favour. So while I may be impressed with its story of guts and glory in shattering the mayhem surrounding WhatsApp, I think users and their priorities will best decide the better app.