Telegram is a cloud-based, cross-platform, globally-accessible IM (Instant Messaging) app. It was developed by Russian brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov (even though the app was temporarily banned in Russia and is not affiliated with any company or government). The app first featured on Android and IOS devices in late 2013 and currently has around close to 600 million monthly users.
Telegram’s uniqueness lies in its open-source API and a strong emphasis on privacy and encryption. There are plenty of unofficial clients that use the official Telegram web and app interface. The app also allows users to use the same account across multiple devices (through SMS verification) and multiple accounts on a single device.
How Does Telegram Work?
Telegram’s core functionality is similar to those of other messaging apps: it allows you to message other Telegram users, call contacts, create group chats, send stickers and files, and make video calls. That said, Telegram does have a few features that distinguishes it from rival apps.
As mentioned, Telegram places a lot of emphasis on privacy and security. As such, the app uses end-to-end encryption, thereby stopping anyone outside a two-way conversation – be it hackers, a company, or the government –from seeing the contents of the chat.
However, Telegram only uses the encryption feature in calls and ‘secret chats.’ Regular chats, meanwhile, are only encrypted from server to client.
End-to-end encryption is not extended to regular chats because of Telegram’s increased cloud usage. Essentially, the app stores all its users’ messages, pictures, and files on a secure server. This allows users to access these files from any device, making Telegram compatible with a greater number of platforms than WhatsApp.
Another security feature that improves usability is usernames. This means that, instead of giving out your phone number to people, you can simply share your username with them. This gives you more control over your private information as well as how people can reach out to you.
Telegram Features
- End-to-end encrypted voice and video calls (the encryption is confirmed with a set of emojis on the calling screen)
- Secret Chats (not only are Secret Chats end-to-end encrypted but the logs and contents of these chats are not stored in the Telegram servers and can only be accessed through the devices used by the chat participants).
- Sync cloud experience (you can use Telegram on any device)
- Cloud support (the contents and messages can all be stored on the cloud. Moreover, with Telegram’s cache-management options, you can even reduce the app size on your devices)
- Message cancellation option (not only can you un-send messages without the recipient being notified, but you can even program a self-destruction feature into any message)
- Open-source, reproducible app technology (which allows users to check the codes and develop improved versions of the app)
- No limit on attachment size or type (you can send any type of file as an attachment, as long as the size of each individual file is no more than 2 GB)
- Group chat customization (not only can you add up to 200,000 members to a group chat, but you also get access to features like polls and the option to display the entire chat history to new users)
- User interface customization (customizable elements include colors, size, background, and display options)
- Stickers (in either image or animated formats which can be created in groups; these stickers come with permanent links and can be accessed by any Telegram user)
Service Reliability
Telegram is Canada’s fifth most downloaded app, trailing only behind WhatsApp, Snapchat, Messenger, and Discord. Individuals rely on Telegram to stay connected to family and friends, while organizations depend on it for conducting their business. If Telegram goes down, it could lead to unfinished conversations, loss of critical information, and missed opportunities.
As such, Telegram’s service reliability is essential for ensuring that the app works seamlessly and without any problems. Although Telegram is generally quite fast and smooth, it is, unfortunately, not immune to crashes and outages. On this page, we collect all the data about Telegram-related problems, and help you understand if there is a significant outage in your city, region, or province.
Outages map and statistics
The Telegram Outage Map is a tool that lets users see where other Canadian users are reporting issues with the popular instant messaging app. The map is divided into provinces and cities, making it easy to pinpoint the affected areas. Since the map is updated in real-time, the data it displays is never outdated or obsolete.
The Outage Map is useful for understanding where Telegram is experiencing problems. It can be used to troubleshoot issues or to see if there are widespread outages in a particular area. The Outage Map is an essential resource for anyone who uses Telegram in Canada.
The second chart compares the number of reports received today with the number of outage reports received on the same day last week. The blue line represents the number of outage reports received today, while the gray line represents the number of messages received last week.
You can check this report to see if your area or surrounding ones are experiencing problems with Telegram and compare the week-on-week difference in outage instances.
The fact that the chart shows the exact hour helps customers understand exactly when the Telegram outage started.
The third chart shows the number of reports received each day since the beginning of the current year. This data informs users about the number of issues that Telegram has had so far this year. If there is a significant year-on-year increase in Telegram crashes or outages, it could be indicative of an operational problem within the company.
The data for this chart is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. However, it provides a good general idea of how often the app has been down so far this year.
Most common problems reported in the last 48 hours
The table below shows Telegram users’ most frequent problems reported in the last 48 hours.
Are you currently experiencing problems with Telegram? Share your thoughts, tips, and frustrations with others using the form below.
