If you want to know how Telegram Secret Chat works, what features it offers, and everything else regarding this great feature, you are in the right place. Here, we explore Telegram Secret Chat encryption technology in comparison to other secret messaging apps and their self destruct and disappearing message features. By the end of the article, you will know how to enable the Telegram Secret Chat option and protect your private information the right way.
Before we get there, let’s examine other Telegram options. If you are interested in how Telegram compares to other instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Signal, make sure you check these articles as well. Developed by Telegram Messenger Inc. and Telegram FZ LLC, this cloud-based, cross-platform, freeware instant messaging app was launched in 2013 so four years after WhatsApp, its biggest rival.
Telegram is known for providing all its registered users with video calling and text messaging options. With Telegram, registered users can also share files, send images and videos, as well as share their location. Like Viber, Line, Signal, and other messaging apps, Telegram is downloadable to all Android and iOS devices as well as macOS and Windows desktop devices. The Telegram Secret Chat option employs end-to-end encryption while the same technology is used when making Telegram video calls.
Telegram Secret Chat – How Many People Use This App?
Back in 2019, Telegram had over 300 million active users across the globe In April of 2020, it was announced that Telegram had reached 400 million active users while in 2021, its loyal user base includes 500 million people and this represents a great 25% increase. Telegram is in the top ten most popular instant messaging apps side by side with WhatsApp (2 billion users), Facebook Messenger (1.3 billion users), and WeChat (1.2 billion users).
The Telegram Secret Chat option is used by millions while on average, the app is used by fifty-two million individuals on a daily basis. Since its launch back in 2013, the service’s user base has been growing steadily at a great rate of over 40% every year. On the Google Play and the App Store, the service’s app was the most downloaded app in the first month of 2021 with over sixty-three million downloads. In the App Sore, it is the fourth most downloaded app while in Google Play, it is the most popular app of this kind.
It is very popular in Russia, Malaysia, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, and India while the app can be downloaded in over one hundred and fifty countries. Besides the Telegram Secret Chat feature, the app has a bunch of other great features. All Telegram users can make video and voice calls, send text and voice messages, share animated stickers, as well as share images, videos, and documents (up to 2 GB per file). With Telegram, sharing your location and contacts is also possible.
Get Started on Telegram
Developed by brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, Telegram can be downloaded and installed like other secret messaging apps. It is available for free at Google Play and the App Store. Once you get the app, you will be asked to provide your phone number and to add your picture and your name. Just like WhatsApp accounts, all Telegram accounts are tied to active phone numbers. In order to use the Telegram Secret Chat or any other option, you have to provide your phone number regardless of which device you use.
To verify your phone number and complete the registration, you will be sent a one-time password via SMS. You will enter this password to finish the registration. All messages shared using Telegram are cloud-based which means you can access them across all connected devices. The transmission of these messages is encrypted with the Telegram MTProto encryption technology while all Telegram Secret Chat messages are end-to-end encrypted.
According to the service’s privacy and security policy, all data you and others users share is heavily encrypted on the Telegram server and the associated encryption keys are stored across different data centers. The service supports two different encryption layers including server-client and client-client encryption. Cloud chats including both group and private chats are server-client encrypted while Telegram Secret Chat messages are more secured thanks to an extra client-client encryption layer.
If you use the Telegram Secret Chat feature, all data you share including files, media, and of course text messages are secured the same way. Telegram’s encryption is based on 2048-bit RSA encryption, 256-bit symmetric AES encryption as well as Diffie-Hellman secure key exchange. With an extra encryption layer in place, the Telegram Secret Chat feature is perfect for people who want to send end-to-end encrypted messages.
When messages are end-to-encrypted, only the sender and the recipient of those messages can decipher and access them. When using the Telegram Secret Chat option, your message cannot be forwarded and when you delete those messages on your device, they will be also deleted on the recipient’s device. With the Telegram Secret Chat feature, you can also send self -destruct files, videos, photos, and messages.
As suggested, self destruct messages, self destruct files, videos, and images can be only accessed one by the recipient. Once self destruct messages have been opened or read, they disappear from both devices, your and the recipient’s device. It is also worth mentioning that Telegram Secret Chat messages are not part of the service’s cloud so you can access these messages only on the device of origin. So, how do you start a Secret Chat in Telegram?
Start Telegram Secret Chat
Now, that we have covered all the basics, let’s see how to start a Telegram Secret Chat.
- Open the Telegram app and click on the profile of the person you want to send an end-to-end encrypted message
- Click on the More button and choose the Start Secret Chat option from the pop-up
- To confirm your selection, press Start
- If you use an Android device, click on the contact’s name you want to start a secret chat with
- Click on the three-dot menu and choose the Start Secret Chat option
- Confirm by clicking Start
- If you want to send self-destruct messages, press on the stopwatch icon in the text box if you use an iOS device, or click on the stopwatch icon on the top toolbar if you use an Android device