Telegram is a popular messenger created by Pavel Durov in 2013. The first launch was carried out in August. Since then, the app’s audience has grown to 100 million people. The scandalous and loudest messenger of recent years can now be used on different platforms. Let's find out what Telegram is and how to use it in more detail.
History of creation
The idea of ​​creating a messenger with protection from viewing correspondence by third parties came to Pavel Durov back in 2011. Having cooperated with his brother, he developed the first version of the messenger and showed it in 2013.
In October of the same year, the official version for Android was presented and the official website of the program was opened. Since November, clients of the program for other operating systems began to appear. By the end of the year, Telegram totaled more than 1 million users.
In the summer of 2014, the first official version of the messenger for the iOS platform appeared. At the same time, a version for computers and a web client are being released. Because of this, the service audience is growing sharply.
In 2016, the owner of the messenger said that the number of users of the program reached 100 million. The number of daily messages is 15 billion, which is a record number for its segment of mobile instant messengers. Over the past few years, large companies tried to buy the project several times, and the creator was many times subjected to threats and prohibitions from the authorities. However, all this does not interfere with the existence of the messenger for 6 years and active development in the future.
Now you know what a Telegram is. And how to use it - we will tell you below. Let's take a closer look at the clients for each of the supported platforms.
For mobile devices
The largest messenger audience exists precisely within the framework of mobile platforms. The client of the program can be installed on devices with the operating system Android, iOS, Windows Phone. In all cases, the functionality and interface of the application are almost identical to each other, and the procedure for downloading / installing is approximately the same. Let’s figure out how to use the “Telegram” on the phone. The first thing you need to install it.
To do this, connect the mobile device (smartphone or tablet) to the Internet and follow these steps:
- Go to the Play Market app store for Android, the App Store for iOS and the Microsoft Store for Windows Phone.
- In the search bar of any store, enter the name in Russian or English.
- Go to the page with the application from the search results.
- Click the Download or Install button.
- Wait until the program is installed and run it.
registration
Now launch the application from the menu or desktop. Next, you need to register a personal account. Before using Telegram on your phone, enter your mobile number.
An SMS message with a confirmation code will come to the phone. Enter it in the appropriate field in the application. All is ready! You can use the messenger.
On the left side is a menu button through which you can get to the settings, a list of channels, friends and so on. On the main screen of the application, click the search button in the form of an icon with a magnifying glass and enter the name of your friend under whom he is registered in the messenger. After that, click on it to start a dialogue.
In correspondence with people you can use:
- text messages;
- voice messages;
- Photo and video;
- stickers and emoticons.
In addition to the usual dialogues with one person, here you have the opportunity to create mass chats, channels and bots. Initially, the application will be in English. You ask how to use the "Telegram" in the phone in Russian? It's simple: go to Settings from the side menu, in the Language field, select "Russian". Changes will be applied automatically.
How to create a chat or channel?
Creating chats and channels is available on all platforms. Chat is a conference for several people to communicate. At the moment, the number of people can reach hundreds or more. To create such a conference, do the following:
- Go to the menu.
- Click the "New Group" button.
- Select future participants from the list.
To create a channel, follow the instructions:
- Go to the menu through the side button at the top.
- Select Create Channel.
- Enter a name and description for the future channel.
- Choose the type of channel - public or private.
- Enter the link where you can go to the channel.
Unlike groups and chats, people on the channel will not be able to communicate. This community is an analogue of the public from Vkontakte: users can subscribe and receive notifications of new posts.
How to use Telegram on a computer?
There are two use cases on the computer: full client and web version. In the first case, the program is installed on your hard drive, and in the second you must go to the site in a browser and log in. Through the web version you are limited in a functional set, while through a full-fledged program you can use all the features, even change the appearance of the interface. We will figure out how to use Telegram on a computer in both ways.
For the web version, open the https://web.telegram.org/#/login link in the browser and log in. To do this, enter the country and your phone number. A message with an authorization code will appear in the application on the phone. Through the version on the site you can chat with friends and create groups.
Installation
To install a full version of the software, go to https://tlgrm.ru/apps and select the version for your operating system. Before downloading, you will immediately see information about the features of the PC version. So you can find out what a Telegram is and how to use it on a computer. There are no secret chats in the PC version, but the rest of the functionality is in place. After downloading the installer, install the software and log in from your account. The procedure is exactly the same as in the case of the web version of the messenger. Before using the “Telegram” in Russian, set this language in the Settings. The official version supports Russian translation.
Why are bots needed?
A separate point is to note the bots in Telegram, since no other similar project has such a “chip”. They open up new opportunities and the application of the messenger in practice. We’ll figure out how to use the bot in Telegram.
A bot is a program that performs certain actions at the request of the user. In many ways, they resemble bots from obsolete ICQ. Using commands or menus, you can ask him to perform an action. Basically, all bots are thematic: help drivers, search for authors of books, entertaining, music selections and so on. At the same time, they are completely safe and are not used to crack user profiles. To join the smart assistant, just find him in the search, go to the chat and press Start or register a similar command (/ start). After that, a prompt will appear with all the commands and capabilities of this assistant. Now you know how to use the bot in Telegram. There are a lot of such assistants in the messenger, so be sure to try working with bots on various topics!
Total
We figured out what Telegram is and how to use it. This messenger today is the most promising, functional and, most importantly for many users, safe among all competitors. Despite all its capabilities, the program manages to be simple and understandable for each user.