There are WhatsApp users, and there are Telegram users. In some instances, you find users who are on both platforms. If you’re reading this article, it’s probably because you are using the WhatsApp application and are considering migrating to Telegram. You’re most likely wondering, “Is Telegram better than WhatsApp?” While these apps are different, they do have a lot of similarities. This can make it confusing when trying to decide whether to migrate or not.
Before you migrate from the green messaging app to the blue one, you need to understand the similarities and differences between Telegram and WhatsApp. Understanding their peculiar features will help you decide whether to migrate to the blue app, stick to the green app, or use both messaging apps side by side.
Will Telegram Replace WhatsApp?
While these two apps share quite a lot of similarities, there are other factors to consider before deciding whether you can replace one with the other. For example, if your friends are not on Telegram, you obviously need to keep using WhatsApp. After all, the whole point of a messaging app is to send messages to and share special moments with your friends and loved ones.
Even if your friends are already on Telegram, there are still other things to consider. Let us take a look at some of them.
This article will also show you how to switch from WhatsApp to Telegram without much stress and shed some light on the differences you should expect after making this transition. It can be confusing trying to adapt to the new app after getting used to the WhatsApp application.
When Switching from WhatsApp to Telegram, Take What You Can
When answering the question “How is Telegram different from WhatsApp?”, you should realize there are things that you cannot migrate between the apps. You can move some data over to Telegram, but not everything. In the end, you have to let go of some features peculiar to WhatsApp and embrace the ones unique to Telegram.
1. Contacts
The most important thing when it comes to using the Telegram application is your contacts. Fortunately, you don’t need to worry about this because Telegram and WhatsApp automatically synchronize with the contacts on your smartphone. This means you don’t need to do much work on your end. All you have to do is follow each step displayed by the setup wizard and then grant the necessary permissions to the app.
While WhatsApp and Telegram synchronize with your mobile contacts, you have to remember that not all your contacts are using Telegram. In essence, you cannot send messages to them using the blue app. There’s not much you can do about this. However, you can send them an invitation asking them to join you on the blue messaging platform.
Note: Not all your contacts will be willing to switch to Telegram. In such a case, you just have to maintain both apps on your phone and chat with them using WhatsApp. If you’re wondering whether it’s possible to have the two apps running concurrently on your phone, the answer is “Yes.”
2. Stickers
Just like WhatsApp, Telegram also has stickers. Unfortunately, there’s no magic feature that allows you to bring WhatsApp stickers over to Telegram. If you have some favorite stickers that you use on WhatsApp, you can check to see if they are available on Telegram. However, in most cases, you should prepare your mind that you may not find them. You have to ready yourself to switch to a different set of stickers on the blue messaging app.
The good news is that Telegram has a vast collection of exciting stickers for its users. You can enjoy these and save yourself the stress of trying to get the exact stickers you used on WhatsApp. The sticker packages on the blue app are many and varied.
3. Chats
While there’s no straightforward way to transfer your old chats from WhatsApp to Telegram, all hope is not lost. If your WhatsApp chats are important to you, you can use the TLImporter tool to migrate them. This is an unofficial tool that allows you to import your conversations from WhatsApp into Telegram.
TLImporter is a PC application that makes it technically possible to import your chat as a text document into Telegram. Using this tool is not as simple as pressing a button. Also, the imported file won’t look like a normal chat. However, if you desperately need to move your WhatsApp chats to Telegram, then this tool is as near to perfect as you can get.
How Is Telegram Different from WhatsApp?
After you have successfully installed and configured Telegram, what is the next step? As soon as you start using the app, you’ll notice that while it has some similarities to WhatsApp, it also has its peculiarities. Here are the differences you’ll notice while using this app.
1. It has support for multiple devices
Let us start with the biggest difference. While WhatsApp only allows you to use the application on one device at a time, Telegram does the exact opposite. The blue app is cross-device and cross-platform, allowing you to use the same account across several devices at the same time. This means you can connect to the same account on your tablet, smartphone, and PC simultaneously and can respond to messages from any of them.
In addition, these devices can connect independently to Telegram – that is, you can use Telegram’s desktop version without needing to turn on your smartphone’s connection. As you know, things are quite different with WhatsApp.
2. There is no need for backups
You get to save more storage space because there’s no need to go through the tedious backup process like with WhatsApp.
Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram uses a cloud-based approach and does not use a user-to-user connection technique. In other words, your conversations and shared media are all stored in Telegram’s cloud, which eliminates the need for you to save them or back them up yourself. You can switch to a new mobile device, and your messages will be restored automatically after successfully reconnecting your account.
Telegram’s backup technique is quite different from that of WhatsApp. The green app requires you to back up recent conversations either to your SD card or to your Google Drive before switching to a new phone. Without doing this, you will lose your messages and be unable to restore them on the new mobile device. This difference becomes especially important when you’re switching to a different operating system; you can easily use your Telegram account on iOS and Android without problems. However, this is difficult with WhatsApp as it’s more complicated to migrate your existing conversations from iOS to Android and vice versa.
3. It’s possible to hide your number
Even after several updates and version releases, one thing has remained constant with WhatsApp: accounts are closely linked to phone numbers. Therefore, when you’re chatting with someone, either privately or in a group, other users can see your phone number because there’s no option to hide it. This is different for Telegram.
While Telegram accounts are also linked to phone numbers, you have the option to hide them for both private and group chats. All you have to do is go to the app’s privacy settings and choose who can see your mobile number. The blue app also has a username feature, which you can use to add other users even if you don’t have their phone numbers. So if you don’t want people to have your phone number after you’ve hidden it, you can simply give them your username.
4. Video calls are not available
So far, we’ve been talking about the great aspects of Telegram. Now let’s talk about one of its downsides: the app currently doesn’t have the video call feature. That’s right! You can’t make video calls on the blue app, whether person-to-person or group ones. However, you can still make voice calls and send video and audio clips.
If you love seeing the face of the person you’re talking to, this is one feature you may have to do without. However, if you miss it, you can use WhatsApp for making video calls, or you can search for and use other video call apps. There are lots of apps out there for video calls besides WhatsApp.
5. There are lots of stickers available, and you don’t need to visit Google Play to get them
Another noticeable difference is how stickers are accessed. While you may have to go to Google Play to get good stickers for WhatsApp, when using the blue app, you can download them in the Telegram application. Just go to the sticker section and download them from the application itself, much like on Facebook Messenger. No extra apps are needed.
If you want to add some spice to your chats, you can also create your own sticker pack. It’s not complicated, and you can make one in a few simple steps. The added advantage of creating your own stickers on Telegram is that you don’t need to post them on Google Play to share them with other users.
6. There are no transfer limits, but the sender is visible
On WhatsApp, the transfer of normal messages is limited to 5 recipients, while viral messages are limited to one at a time. This is a move to reduce spam. However, on Telegram, there are no limits! You can message all your contacts if you want to (although you’ll be blocked if the messages are too large).
The ways these messages are displayed on both apps are also different. For example, WhatsApp gives anonymity to the originator of the message. However, on Telegram, you can see the original author’s name on the post. If the author has configured it in their privacy settings, their name on the message will be linked to their profile.
7. You get to enjoy plenty of personalization options
There are a few customization features available on WhatsApp. However, it is an entirely different story on Telegram, where you can let your creativity fly. The blue messaging app is one of the most customizable applications available. There are options to even change the color of the entire interface. If you’ve always wanted a messaging app that you can customize to suit your artistic style using a blend of your favorite colors, you’ll definitely love Telegram.
It has five main themes to choose from, and you can customize each of them by choosing different colors. You can even create your own theme if you’re feeling extra creative. That’s right! You can select the colors you want for your messages and background. What’s more, you can even adjust the roundness of the corners of your chat bubbles.
8. There are no starred messages
While WhatsApp allows you to highlight and star favorite messages, Telegram lacks this feature. However, there is the Saved Messages feature, which gives you the option to save messages you want to preserve. Simply highlight and forward a message, and you’ll be given the option to send it to the Saved Messages section. Messages sent to this section are preserved much like starred messages on WhatsApp. You can save anything from conversations to videos and audio clips.
The great thing is that a saved message becomes instantly available on all devices that are linked to your Telegram account. You can tap on a saved message to open the original chat from where you saved it.
Don’t Just Chat – Share Large Files and Folders Too
Unlike WhatsApp, which limits the size of files users can send, Telegram allows you to send really large files. This is one huge advantage of the blue messaging app. However, there’s a limit to this too. It can take hours to upload such large files.
If you’re someone who deals with large files or loves high-quality media files, then you need a more efficient platform. FileWhopper is the answer! It is a cloud-based platform that allows you to send files and folders of any size. It also gives you access to high upload and download speeds. You can use it to transfer and back up huge amounts of data, no matter how sensitive.
What is more, FileWhopper does not require a monthly subscription fee. This sets it apart from all the other file-transfer platforms that ask you to pay weekly or monthly fees before using their service. On FileWhopper, you pay a one-time fee depending on the size of the file or folder you want to upload. There are no extra charges and no subscriptions. It also transfers your files without compressing them or reducing their quality, unlike WhatsApp, which compresses and reduces the quality of uploaded media. Also, this platform encrypts your files during the transfer process and protects them with a password to make sure no one can access them without your permission.
So, if you want to send and download huge files and folders at high speeds, FileWhopper is the tool for the job.
Conclusion
We hope this article has helped you understand what to expect after switching from WhatsApp to Telegram. Have fun as you explore this unique messaging tool that has a lot to offer.
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