Telegram just checks on every box when it comes to a modern messaging app: it’s available across multiple platforms, offers end-to-end encryption, supports stickers and media files, and allows group chats and channels that can have hundreds of thousands of people on it ha (if you have so many friends).
Part of the appeal of the app is that it’s so easy to install and use, if you’ve used a messaging app before, you can use Telegram, but there are so many features and options built into the software that you may not have found . all of them. This is where these tips come in.
Tidy up after yourself
You may not want years and years of conversations to accumulate in the Telegram app, especially for chats that have very little sentimental value. The automatic deletion feature of the app will clear messages once they reach a certain age, making your conversations less cluttered and adding an extra level of digital privacy.
To turn on the auto-delete feature in a conversation, tap the bar at the top of the chat, then select the three dots and Enable automatic deletion (and you’re iOS) o Automatic deletion (If you’re on Android.) You can choose a specific duration from the list provided by the app, or set your own with the custom option: The longest automatic delete setting is one year.
Set custom notification sounds
You can add your own audio snippets as custom notification sounds to Telegram, which can then be applied to any conversation you want. From a conversation, tap the top bar and then choose Mute (iOS) o Notifications (Android) and select Customize: Audio files and voice messages of less than five seconds and up to 300 KB in size are currently supported.
Change your default reaction
You may have noticed that you can double-tap any chat message to apply a default reaction, which is a thumbs up, unless you’ve changed it. To choose a different default reaction, go to the main settings screen of the app, then choose Adhesives and emoji i Fast reaction (a iOS) o Chat settings i Fast reaction (for Android.)
To access more feedback emoji in addition to the default quick reaction, you can tap and hold a message (iOS) or tap it (Android). In group chats and channels, it depends on the administrators whether reactions are available and which reactions can be used, so the pop-up menu may look different depending on the Telegram conversation you’re in.
Get an instant translation
If you’re chatting with someone in Telegram in another language, you can get translations of their messages within the app. On the settings page, you have to choose Language and then turn the Show translation button activates the switch, so that whenever a message arrives that is not written in the default language of the device, you will have a translation button.
Send secret messages
By default, Telegram chats are encrypted but not end-to-end (see differences here). For more secure chats, and to avoid leaving any digital traces behind, you can switch to a secret chat mode with certain people on your contact list. This secret chat is only held on one device and exists as a separate conversation with the user.
From Contacts (in the iOS navigation bar, in the Android apps menu), tap a user to open their conversation list. Tap the top bar to see its profile, then the three dots, and then Start secret chat. These chats may also have self-destruct timers on the messages; use the timer icon in the chat bar (iOS) or in chat options (Android) to set it up.
Share your location with others
Telegram can help you when meeting with friends and family and keep track of them: If you tap the paper clip icon in the chat input box in any conversation, you can choose Location so that other people know where you are. You can also continuously share your live location with other people within the same chat window for up to eight hours.
Avoid spoilers in Telegram
No one likes spoilers, whether it’s sports results or movie-ending twists, and Telegram includes a feature that lets you hide messages until the recipient is ready to read them. This is especially useful in group chats, where you may have a situation where some people are aware of what is being talked about while other chat participants may not be.
To add a spoiler layer, type a message without sending it, then select the text you want to hide. In the menu that appears, choose Spoiler as a format (on iOS, you must first select the format button). The selected part of the message will be darkened when others see it, and they can tap the blurred block to see the text below.
Use unlimited cloud storage
As a Telegram user, you get an unlimited amount of free cloud storage to share files with others on your contact list; the only limitation is that no file can be larger than 2 GB in size. To select a phone file in a Telegram conversation, tap the clip icon next to the chat input box, then select File sail.
Save important messages
Telegram includes a saved messaging feature that you can use for messages that you really want to keep, perhaps an important address or a family image. Saving a message couldn’t be much easier: From one of your chats, tap and hold a specific message to select it, then choose Come in i Saved messages.
The Saved Messages folder is fixed at the top of the contact list and can be searched in full if you delve into it; you can store as much here as you want. Each item has a button next to it that allows you to jump to its original location, and your saved messages are synced across all devices on which you have Telegram installed.
Customize your mute settings
For those busy group chats, muting is a vital way to keep your sanity, and Telegram gives you a lot of control over how long the silence lasts. In a conversation, tap the top bar, then select Mute (iOS) o Notifications (Android): then you can select Mute for to choose one of the options shown, and iPhone users will be able to choose a specific end date if needed.
