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Telegram vs. WhatsApp: The Indian government has imposed a temporary ban on Telegram this week. The ban is in effect until June 22 in light of the NEET re-examination. The government states that gangs involved in paper leaks are using the app to target candidates preparing for the exam. Additionally, Telegram offers features that allow information to reach a large number of people very quickly and with complete secrecy. These features are not available on WhatsApp, the most widely used messaging platform in India. Today, we will highlight the specific features Telegram offers that are completely absent from WhatsApp.

Username

Telegram offers users greater privacy compared to WhatsApp. On Telegram, you can connect with others using just a username, without revealing your phone number. Users highly appreciate this privacy-focused feature. In contrast, everything on WhatsApp revolves around the phone number; the app requires a phone number for everything from creating an account to connecting with others.

Scheduled and Self-Destructing Messages

Telegram allows users to schedule messages, meaning they can select a specific time in advance to send a message. This feature is not available on WhatsApp. Telegram also offers a self-destructing message option, where a custom timer can be set; the message disappears once the timer expires. WhatsApp has a similar "disappearing messages" feature.

Chat Customization

Telegram offers more options for chat customization than WhatsApp. Users can create their own themes, adjust colors, and change chat backgrounds. These features are missing from WhatsApp. The company has now introduced these features in its subscription plans, but using them requires payment.

Large Groups

Telegram allows for the creation of much larger groups compared to WhatsApp. On this app, any user can create a group with complete privacy and add up to 200,000 people. This facilitates disseminating information to a large number of people simultaneously. In contrast, WhatsApp does not support the creation of such large groups.

Message Editing

Another Telegram feature is currently sparking significant controversy: message editing. On Telegram, a group admin can edit a message without altering its original timestamp. This feature is unavailable on WhatsApp. Large groups and message editing are considered the primary reasons behind the ban imposed on Telegram. The government has ordered that the message editing feature remain disabled until June 30.