Telegram is currently in hot water: French authorities have arrested the company's co-founder and CEO, Pavel Durov, as part of an investigation, while Indian authorities have opened a separate investigation into the company for aiding gambling, extortion, and other criminal activities.
If found guilty, Telegram could be banned, which could result in a widespread migration of its entire user base to other platforms.
But if Telegram is shut down, which platform should users migrate to? Find out the answer with our list of the best Telegram alternative apps.
However, finding an exact replica of Durov's Telegram is not an easy task, given the exclusive benefits the platform offers to its members. It values user privacy, allowing businesses and communities to freely share information with people without fear of being monitored by a moderation team or having their access blocked. Telegram makes it easy to broadcast information to large groups. Its cloud-based architecture allows the app to make chats available on multiple devices simultaneously.
While Telegram's popularity is not easy to hide, there are some alternatives you can rely on to stay in touch with your community and for secure messaging and media sharing. WhatsApp is the biggest name in the space, expanding its feature set every month while prioritizing user privacy and recently adding Meta AI to enhance the chat experience. There are also native messaging apps like iMessage and Google Message, which offer a limited but functional experience.
Beyond the usual options, there are a few other feature-rich, privacy-focused messenger apps worth trying if Telegram is going away.
So, without wasting any more time, let’s check out some of the best Telegram alternatives you can find in the app market today.
Popular messaging apps like Telegram that are worth trying
Platform: Android, iOS, Windows
One of the oldest rivals to Telegram comes from the Meta company and serves as a very strong alternative. WhatsApp’s popularity is extraordinary across the globe and it is preferred by people of all ages due to its accessibility. With a strict data privacy policy and end-to-end encryption enabled by default, your chats are protected under an extra layer of security that most other messengers don’t offer.
Like Telegram, you can share files up to 2GB in size, send stickers to better express yourself, and make video calls. WhatsApp groups allow you to easily share web links, polls, multimedia files, and more, regardless of the device you are using. You can also react with emojis and turn on disappearing messages for sensitive information. The Communities feature brings together different groups of the same nature, while Channels allow users to stay up to date on specific topics. Instagram-style stories are also available to keep your contacts up to date.
A recent update added Meta AI as a chatbot that generates answers and creates stickers and images within chats.
WhatsApp is free to download and use.
Google Messages
Platform: Android, Web
If communication is your main criterion, Google Messages is probably the easiest way to go. The only caveat is that you and all of your important contacts need to have Android phones (if you're using an iPhone running iOS 18, RCS needs to be enabled in the Messages app).
The app comes pre-installed on all Android phones and offers basic SMS messaging by default. However, if you enable RCS, you can send emojis, reactions, photos, videos, and files to other contacts who have RCS enabled on their Android phones. File sizes are limited to 100MB, but you can share web links and small documents, depending on your internet connection.
iMessage
Platform: iOS, iPadOS, macOS
For those who are deeply involved in the Apple ecosystem, iMessage is a one-stop solution for all your messaging needs. From multimedia files to web links, iMessage has everything you need for a feature-rich chat experience, making it the most stable and secure platform.
It may not be as feature-rich as Telegram, but it still lets you easily have group conversations, share interactive stickers, use unique effects, and much more. You can also make video calls with your contacts using FaceTime integration. Photos and videos shared in iMessage will not lose quality, as is often the case with other messengers.
Microsoft Teams
Platform: Windows, Web, Android, iOS
Teams may not be the most ideal alternative to Telegram, but it is almost unbeatable for communicating with large groups. While Microsoft Teams is preferred in corporate networks to keep employees connected, the benefits of hosting meetings and sharing files are immense.
The ability to send media files, texts, and web links via Teams is convenient for people who share a lot of files. Encryption technology ensures that chats cannot be read by anyone, even your organization. Seamless video calling capabilities and special extension tools are luxuries most users cannot live without.
Facebook Messenger
Platform: Android, iOS, Web
Facebook Messenger is often considered a great alternative to Telegram. You can create groups with multiple members and easily share information and media files. You can quickly share updates and engage with your audience by broadcasting through posts and live stream videos.
But Facebook Messenger groups can't be monetized, the group chat aspect can be pretty complicated, and it requires you to get your contacts to join your Facebook network, which isn't something everyone is keen on doing due to data privacy concerns.
So as long as you stick to smaller groups with simpler communication needs, Facebook groups can work well.
Instagram DM
Platform: Android, iOS, Web
For those who love sharing Instagram Reels, there's no better messaging service than Instagram DM. It lacks a lot of the features that Telegram usually has, but at its core it's a solid messaging service.
Apart from Reels, you can chat with your contacts, share stickers and GIFs, react with emojis, and make group video calls. Vanish mode allows you to make certain text and media files visible only once and unavailable for screenshots. All replies to your Instagram Story are also shared in the Instagram DM chatbox. Inbox themes are a fun way to liven up your mood.
The only drawback of Instagram DM is that you and your contacts need to be registered on Instagram.
Snapchat
Platform: Android, iOS
Snapchat offers a different type of messaging that focuses solely on sharing media. While you can participate in text-based conversations that prioritize privacy, Snapchat encourages you to share more photos and videos with your contacts. The story concept makes it more engaging for people to share moments of their day and create a series of posts. You can also make video and audio calls with groups and individuals.
Like Telegram, it has a growing community of creators who want to share exclusive content with their followers. Although channels are not locked behind a fee, it is up to creators and their followers to allow the exchange of media files.
X (formerly Twitter)
Platform: Web, Android, iOS, Windows, macOS
X is currently the primary microblogging platform for millions of users around the world, but its direct messaging feature makes it a viable alternative to Telegram. Like most of the other services mentioned here, you can send text messages, share media files and X posts. X also lets you make voice and video calls with recipients, but does not allow the exchange of files.
Apart from traditional messaging, you can also post on the feed and communicate with other users through comments. For premium subscribers, X offers the Grok AI chatbot which claims to provide solutions to various complex queries.
signal
Platform: iOS, Android
Signal is considered one of the most secure messaging apps that you can try as an alternative to Telegram. Signal prioritizes privacy above all else.
The service uses end-to-end encryption to protect text messages, calls, and videos, just like WhatsApp. With features like group chats, disappearing messages, and file sharing, Signal offers enough features to make communication easy and fun.
(Hero and featured image credit: Adem AY, courtesy of Unsplash)
The information in this article is accurate as of the publication date.