Telegram turns 10: Top features that changed instant messaging

As someone who has been using Telegram for more years than most people, I can confidently say that the app is one of the most influential instant messaging platforms out there right now. In a world where most smartphone text conversations take place on tools like iMessage or WhatsApp, the fact that Telegram sticks out when you speak of ‘feature-packed messaging apps’ says enough.

Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov today announced the 10-year anniversary of Telegram. Once a small platform, Telegram quickly grew to popularity, and is now functioning strong with over 800 million monthly active users as of July 2023. On the occasion of the app completing a decade of service, here are 10 Telegram features that changed how we look at and use instant messaging.

10 iconic Telegram features that made other messaging apps feel outdated

1. Bots

Telegram was the first messaging platform to introduce bots, which were essentially smaller programs that could function independent of human interaction. These bots could bring important links and files to users in groups quickly, as well as help new users in a group with everything including the rules of the chatroom. Telegram’s Bots also became a great way for businesses to interact with customers, as bots could take over the conversation in your absence and ask users to patiently wait or send key information meanwhile.

2. Animated stickers

Most apps had been using stickers, which were essentially larger emojis. However, just like emojis, stickers too were, well, lifeless. That changed when Telegram introduced animated, interactive stickers in January 2015. The feature would allow stickers to play a short animation when sent, and repeat the same when tapped on later on. An instant hit, multiple apps including WhatsApp would go on to copy the feature in the years to come.

3. Chat folders

One of the elements Telegram has had an emphasis on from its early years is chat organisation. Telegram lets you add multiple chats into neat folders that massively help clear the clutter if you had multiple conversations. This feature allowed users to maintain all personal chats in one folder, work-related conversations in another, sport-related groups in yet another, and so on. The feature remains a signature Telegram addition even today, as even apps like WhatsApp still lack the feature.

4. Message reactions

Telegram was one of the first apps to introduce message reactions. These were instant, text-free responses that allowed users to quickly react to messages, showing emotions like happy, sad, or funny, among others. The feature also allowed the sender of the message to see all collective reactions to a message in one spot, in the form of a tiny counter next to the message. Today, the feature is also seen in many other messaging platforms.

5. Secret chats and self-destructing messages

Telegram’s emphasis on privacy-oriented features was what attracted a lot of users to the platform over the years, especially during the WhatsApp Privacy Policy controversy of 2021. Spearheading Telegram’s privacy efforts are key features like secret chats, or chats that were not only encrypted but also locked on a single device, allowing it to be accessed only from that device.

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Self-destructing messages, on the other hand, allowed messages to expire and no longer remain readable after a set amount of time. The latter has today picked up popularity in multiple other platforms, including WhatsApp and even Instagram.

6. Large file sharing

At a time when file sharing via messaging tools was limited to very small sizes, users had no convenient way to send large files from their phones when on the move. Telegram swooped in with the ability to send large files of up to 2GB in size in 2022. Later, Telegram would go on to further increase the limit to 4GB for its paid, Premium tier users. Telegram remains the only mainstream messaging tool even today to allow sharing of large file sizes, allowing users to quickly share large videos, a batch of documents, and more.

7. Voice chat

While apps like Telegram and WhatsApp featured the ability to make voice and video calls from the app in 2020, Telegram introduced a new alternative that would change how large groups interacted. This was the voice chat feature. Groups on Telegram could now initiate a private chatroom at the press of a button, and all members could join in and leave whenever they wanted. The feature became popular among social and work-related circles, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, allowing for smooth communication without the hassle of making and taking multiple calls.

8. Multiple profile pictures

One of Telegram’s features to not have been copied by any other mainstream app even today also happens to be one of its least known features – multiple profile pictures. This feature allows Telegram users to set more than one profile pictures, letting their profile showcase more than one picture of themselves. While a fun addition, the feature does allow users to show multiple looks or interests of themselves, should they choose to.

9. Themes and customisation

Telegram also remains one of the few apps that offer a deeper level of customisation of the app itself, beyond dark mode and chat wallpapers. Dive into Telegram’s settings and you will find multiple ways to set the look of your messaging app. This includes accent colours, the number of lines you can see in message previews on the homescreen, swipe gestures and even the degree of curvature of message bubbles! You can even change the Telegram icon on your homescreen, with Premium Users getting a few more options.

10. Live location with proximity alert

While live location is a feature most users would associate with WhatsApp, the ability to send real-time location data in chats was actually first introduced by Telegram, days before WhatsApp would introduce the feature. While the feature does the same job on both applications, Telegram also has the ability to set proximity alerts for its live locations. This allowed two users sharing live locations to be alerted of being close to each other, handy when you’re looking for your friend in a crowded concert or a new city.

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Telegram also packs multiple other features including custom wallpapers for every chat, a power-saving mode, and even an account self-destruct feature that will permanently delete your account if unused for a set amount of time. Durov also announced in his latest Telegram post celebrating the 10-year anniversary that Telegram would also add more new features, beginning with Telegram Stories, which is set to roll out to all users soon.