How to use Telegram on IOS and Android

Nowadays each smartphone will most likely have several instant messengers installed on it. It is a natural thing, as people prefer different solutions, and you might need them all to contact all your friends. Fortunately, modern Android or iOS devices are powerful enough to guarantee proper work of many such apps.

Telegram is one of the newest players on this market. It was launched in 2013 as an iPhone app, then added the Android version within several months and quickly gained worldwide popularity. It offers the same default options like instant texting, file exchange and free voice calls between its users, like all its rivals, but it is completely free of charge and does not even show any ads.

It is a cross-platform product with mobile and desktop versions suitable for each environment — you can use the service on Android smartphones, iPhone, tablets, desktop computers and laptops and even the browser, as the web version is also available. However, the primary form of Telegram is a mobile application.

To register a Telegram account, you will need the Android smartphone or iPhone and an active phone number.

If you want to try this product, here is a user guide on how to use Telegram on Android and iOS devices.

The process of installing the app and registering an account is the same on both Android and iPhone with just one difference: to activate your Telegram account on the Android phone, you will need to receive a test call (you won't need to answer it); as for iPhone, the verification code will be sent by SMS only. Make sure that you can receive calls and SMS messages.

We've made a tutorial on registering a Telegram account, please refer to it for details. The process is very simple and rather intuitive.

After you've installed the app and created an account, open Telegram to start communication.

Using Telegram on iPhone

Like already mentioned, Telegram was launched as an iPhone app initially.

You will see main sections available at the bottom of the window when you open Telegram.

First of all, go to Contacts. There is an address list retrieved from your iPhone address book. The service will check if there are other Telegram users among your contacts. If so, you'll see them in this section right away.

You can invite your friends to start using this service, too. Choose this option on the top of Contacts, and you'll see the list of your non-Telegram addressees. Select the ones you would like to invite, and they will be informed by SMS.

To start a chat, choose the contact from the list and type the text of a message into the lower field.

Note that iPhone version does not have smileys of its own to add them to your texts, though it can display smileys in the received messages.

However, you can add stickers, they are provided in the iPhone app. There are several sets of them — just click the cogwheel icon to view them and download the ones you like. Also, it is possible to create and upload your own stickers.

You can also send files via the application, just use the paperclip icon and select files saved on your iPhone to transfer them via the app.

If you want to clear the history of your conversation, you will need to do this from the Chats section.

Hold the chat and swipe it to the left, this will activate options to manage this item, like in other iPhone apps. Tap the red Delete icon, and it will offer you to choose the next step. You can either delete the chat completely or just clear its history.

In case you want to have an absolutely confidential conversation in Telegram, you can create a secret chat.

Such chats are operated under higher security levels: the option to take screenshots is disabled, messages are encrypted and can be deleted automatically (you can set the self-destruction timer for them).

Besides, these secret chats are tied to one definite mobile device only. If you communicate with your friend secretly using your iPhone or Android smartphone and then decide to switch to the tablet or the computer, this secret chat won't be available there. And when you leave it, this will erase all the data.

To start a secret chat, go to Contacts and choose the person to communicate with. Then tap the contact picture at the top-right corner of the screen and select Start Secret Chat. That person will be notified about your invitation to accept it.

Also, you can initiate this from the Chats section:

You can also communicate with several people at once by creating a group. Again, click the icon at the top-right corner of Chats in your iPhone app, and select New Group.

Add contacts to participate in that group, then give this team a name and tap Create.

The Telegram interface is neat enough in the iPhone app, and you can also add some customization to it by changing the background and the font size according to your preferences.

Go to Settings, then choose Appearance.

Note that you can choose one of the predefined backgrounds and also add your own image from the iPhone Photos folder.

Select the picture and tap Set to apply it, or Cancel to switch to a different one or return to the previous background.

Using Telegram on Android smartphones

Android version has all features, but there are certain differences in interface. However, this app version is more widely used in comparison with the iOS version, because Android-based devices take the major share of the mobile OS market.

If you want to switch to Android from iPhone and continue using this service on your new device, or you just want to work with Telegram on Android, we've created a tutorial for this.

Unlike iPhone app, the Android version of Telegram has a side menu which is launched by tapping the three-lines icon at the top-left corner. It is the main menu of the application, there are additional menus of advanced settings and a separate chat menu.

When you install the application on your Android smartphone and register an account, open Telegram and launch the main menu. The first option would be to view your contacts.

As you see, there are your contacts from the phone address book who also use Telegram, the option to invite other people by SMS is also present.

Chats are started in the Android app in the same way as on iPhone: select a person, tap the name and get into the chat area to type your text message.

Note that Android app has smileys, you can add them to your text messages to express emotions. Tap the smiley or the sticker icon for viewing available graphical means.

To send a file, tap the paperclip icon.

You can use the camera of your Android smartphone to make an instant photo and send it right away.

If you want to clear the history of your conversation in your app, go to menu at the top-right corner of the chat window:

Note that it won't be possible to restore the messages, as this action will be performed on all synchronized gadgets.

The option to create a group is provided in the main menu of your Android app:

The procedure will be absolutely the same as on iPhone: you will need to select contacts, give this group a name and save it.

In case you want to change the chat background, you will need to go to the advanced Settings menu.

Open the main menu, then go to Settings and select Chat Settings:

Move the slider to increase or reduce the font size.

Tap Chat Background to view the predefined variants available. Here you can also use your own pictures saved in the Android system Images folder or make a photo with the smartphone camera to set them as the background.

You can have the chat looking the way you like.

In fact, there are no serious functional differences between Telegram apps under Android or iOS, all options are available. The difference is in the look of the interface and some menus.

We hope that this instruction will help anyone to understand how to use Telegram on different mobile devices.