Telegram is one of the best-known messaging apps in the world. It has become famous for protecting user privacy thanks to its secret chats, notifications in the event of screenshots, and hacker-proof message encryption: a trio of features that have earned it a haul of 700 million users. Above all, it allowed it to become a real rival of WhatsApp.
If the Meta group’s app is known for scams and security flaws – despite end-to-end encryption – Telegram responds blow for blow, establishing itself as a bulwark of cybersecurity to such an extent that this armor on privacy and chat protection has turned into a real boomerang, attracting into the Russian app the worst of what can be found on the Internet: porn, pirated films and TV series, terrorists, drugs and, last but not least, the phenomenon of doxing.
Taking advantage of the protection offered by Telegram, hackers, and criminals have transformed the app into a repository of digital garbage, reversing the initial intentions to disseminate the personal data of activists and political opponents without any moderation.
In short, what was supposed to be a refuge from government control has become the primary tool with which to keep the opposition under a leash, allowing the proliferation of dangerous content that has led to intimidation and violence. This is why it is good to behave correctly on Telegram. Follow these ten tips.
Don’t Join Illegal Groups
This more straightforward and accessible miniature version of the deep web allows you to remain anonymous amidst illicit job solicitations, offers to sell hacking tools and stolen documents, and even the possibility of forging them. The problem is that the groups (or at least the vast majority) are free and accessible to anyone using the convenient search string: if you find a group that doesn’t convince you, stay away from it and report it to Telegram, which, after a very long time, will take care of it—a check.
Don’t Use “Public” Chats
We have said that Telegram is a highly protected safe, and it is true, but even within this digital bunker, there are multiple levels of protection, such as timed chats and secret messages. Start a private chat and thus activate end-to-end encryption, ensuring the other person cannot take screenshots within the conversation.
Advantage Of The Stories
The Stories format has also landed on Telegram; not using them is a mortal sin. When you view one, just one tap is enough to share, reply privately, or react, while by default, the stories of all our contacts are displayed on the homepage, although you can move the ones you are not interested into the archived ones. Then, use the application’s internal editor to add texts, drawings, stickers, captions, or mention your location. You can add more images from the gallery or use the search function to find GIFs and pictures from the web.
Don’t Send Messages Without Formatting
Between the reactions, the customizable wallpaper, and the tailored notifications, leaving everything automatic by default is another unforgivable shortcoming. But more than all this, formatting messages shows the need for more experience in using Telegram. Choose bold, italic, strikethrough, underline, and many others, and make your chats fun. Last, there is also the possibility of hiding portions of text under a dotted overlay and choosing to view it only after pressing it.
Don’t Leave Your Account History Unprotected
In any case, when you surf, it’s good to be innovative. Telegram offers an emergency lifesaver that allows you to reset everything while protecting your privacy. Set up automatic deletion of the account over one month and a year to ensure that the account cannot be damaged in the event of theft.
Don’t Abuse The Dual-Camera
To record scenes from any angle, Stories can take photos or videos with both your device’s front and rear cameras simultaneously, letting you choose which camera frames what, even while recording. Make good use of it.
Only Use The App With The Help Of Bots
Bots are one of the tools that most differentiate Telegram from WhatsApp. They are automated programs that carry out the most disparate tasks, from searching for GIFs to sending news and formatting the text differently. Search the list of commands you have available and make the most of them in your Telegram chats.
Be Sure To Have A Nickname Connected To Your Profile
Telegram allows you to enter a username that will enable friends and users to find you immediately, even if they don’t know your phone number. It can be an excellent way to keep in touch with people you want to avoid sending your contact to.
Take Advantage Of The Most Critical Messages
You can use a free storage box by taking advantage of the Saved Messages option. Are you afraid of losing photos or documents shared in chat? Forward them to this bookmarking service to save them and always have them available, even on different devices, if you use Telegram on multiple devices simultaneously.
Leave No Traces Using Stealth Mode
Are you a Premium subscriber at €5.99 per month? Then, take advantage of the possibility of watching all the Stories you want without leaving the reading confirmation by activating the Stealth mode, which deletes the views of all the Stories they have opened in the last 5 minutes and hides what they will view in the next 25 minutes.
