Telegram Desktop

Telegram Desktop is the official application for a cloud-based messaging service. Since this tool has been designed for a very general public in mind, it is extremely easy to use, even for those with basic computing skills.

It shows a list of your contacts on the left side, while the contents of your chats are available on a larger right-side pane. There are four interface styles to choose from as well.

The real benefit does not come from the application itself, but from the services that support it. In this respect, Telegram is recognized as one of the most stable services of its kind. Besides, it works quite well when the quality of your Internet connection is poor.

Telegram offers the basic services of text messaging, file sharing and voice calls. It is good that you can create groups of more than 200 people. Besides, it allows connecting to channels, which cover a varied range of subjects and may be public or private. In terms of file sharing, you will be glad to hear that supports sending files heavier than 1 GB and that media files can be automatically compressed.

As to security, Telegram is considered one of the most reliable services. It offers end-to-end encryption of your messages and calls. What is more, you can even send self-destruct messages that leave no evidence of your exchange.

I have been experimenting lately with Telegram bots, an option you should not take for granted as they can help you do multiple things, such as converting speech into text or reversely, downloading songs, learning a new language and translating your messages automatically.

Unlike other similar services, Telegram does not require using a mobile number. Likewise, there are many ways to access it, which include web clients and apps. And not only that, their API is open for everyone willing to create their own client.

All in all, Telegram Desktop is a great option for communicating with your friends as well as many other tasks. Unfortunately, its user base is not as large as that of the competition, so it is not always possible to use to communicate with the intended person, unless you tell them to create a Telegram account. It is also a limitation that it does not support video calls. Finally, it is good to hear that there is a commitment to keep the service free forever.