Telegram messaging app reported 400 million monthly active users worldwide as of April 2019, making it the sixth most popular chat app after Snapchat.
The chat app focused on message encryption, delivery speed, and user privacy as from 2013 when it was launched.
As of June 2020, Telegram was among the top 10 most downloaded app across all play stores, with different sources indicating that Telegram downloads are now 500 million downloads. The Telegram team is targeting to hit 1 billion users by 2022.
Today, you learn how to make an app like Telegram for free. Let’s get started.
What is a Telegram app?
A cloud-based instant messaging app focused on delivering texts, videos, and VIOP service. As of 2016, Telegram is delivering over 15 billion messages daily.
Telegram app has some cool and awesome features Some include;
- Self-destruct media in normal chats – Now, you easily click media like a photo and select the “timer’ button to set the time the media can self-delete.
- Add Animated stickers to videos & images – The high quality animated stickers bring life to pictures of which most turn into GIFs.
- Slow mode for group spam – If you are an admin, you need to slow any spammy messages as group members will restrict sending one message for every set interval.
- You can use multiple Telegram accounts – This gives you the option to have both work and personal accounts separate.
Telegram features get updated on a month-by-month basis, which gets posted on the Telegram blog. The 2019 updates emphasized more data privacy on telegram messenger by enabling the deletion of historical messages and the ability to cloak your number.
How To Make an App Like Telegram?
To make a messenger app like a telegram, you need standard features that all messaging apps have.
The user-side features of the Telegram application include:
- Text messages;
- Voice calling;
- Video calling;
- Voice and video messages;
- Sign-up;
- Export data;
- Groups;
- Channels;
- Smart search;
- Themes;
- Sharing live location;
- 2FA verification;
- Cloud storage;
- Syncing with contacts.
The admin-side features of the Telegram application include;
- Login
- Member profile
- Manage users
- Push notifications
- User privileges
- Reporting analytics
For you to make a telegram messenger app, here are the key factors to consider first:
1. End-to-end encryption
Data privacy is Telegram’s top priority to protect users’ information and conversations when using the platform.
You need to consider this factor when building your custom telegram app.
2. File type and size
It allows you to send a file up to 1.5Gigabytes across the platform. In the event you want to send large files, you are safe with the telegram app.
3. Cloud storage
Telegram is a cloud-based chat app making data storage and accessibility. Also, it helps them to track downloaded files anytime they want.
4. Multiple group creations
In Telegram, you can create two kinds of groups;
- Normal groups – You can add people from your contact list up to 200 members and bots.
- Supergroups – It can have up to 10,000 members and bots. It’s a private group.
Telegram App Development Process
1. Do market research
Who are you building the Telegram message app for? You need to understand their needs for them to consider using your messaging app.
2. Concept creation.
Why would people want to use your telegram app? What unique problem will you solve that the original Telegram app has not solved? Include the essential features that you will need to make the messaging app different from the rest but slightly similar to Telegram.
3. UX/ UI Design.
The user experience and user interface design should be friendly and straightforward for users. It should include navigation features like tabs and menus to make it easy for users to get around using the Telegram messaging app.
4. Develop the Telegram app.
First, you don’t need the app fully developed to and release it, but the messaging app must have a crucial feature set. Release your minimum viable product ( MVP) to a features limited user base to try it out, then collect feedback to improve the product.
5. Q & A test.
Ensure your telegram app works well without any bugs before releasing it to the masses. All code should be corrected during this stage.
6. Release the Telegram messenger app
The two most popular stores to release your messaging app are Google play store and Appstore. Consider starting with the Google play store because it’s the most popular with over 3 million apps and most of the global smartphone users have Android mobile phones. The operating system has 87% of the market.
Telegram App Development Team
You can’t develop a telegram messaging app alone. It will longer, and you might not be skilled in all the programs needed to create applications. Here is a list of the development team you might need;
- A project manager to co-ordinate all other team members from the concept stage of development to deploying the messaging app in the play storeTelegram to get users.
- A skilled UI/UX designer to create user-friendly interfaces with a well-structured layout.
- App developers for Android or IOS to develop the app after it has gets laid out. You can work with the Android version first.
- Q&A manager to test all the bugs and edit codes during the testing phase of the app.
- Marketing specialist to help to structure and implement a marketing strategy to help get users.
Is it expensive to build an app like Telegram?
The cost to create messenger apps like Telegram is high. If you the team you need to build the messaging app, the cost rises fast because all the experts have built valuable skills over time.
The learning curve to become an expert in any of the required fields costs a lot. The salary of an Android App developer alone is $70,000.
You will need an estimated $30,000 to build a telegram app with very basic features, making it very costly.
How to make an app like Telegram for Free
AppsGeyser’s free app creator tool will enable you to make an android app like Telegram in 5 minutes for free.
You create, download, distribute, and even monetize your app to generate passive income.
Creating a Free App like Telegram using AppsGeyser
A free Telegram messenger template by AppsGeyser does all the work of integrating the links needed to build a telegram messing app.
The messenger template support video calls as well. Here are the steps to develop a Telegram messaging app for Android;
- Choose the messaging app template.
- Customize the color schemes, and style.
- Add the background image.
- Add and edit tabs.
- Add channels, groups, and stickers.
- Edit the ‘Welcome” screen.
- Name your app and upload the icon.
- Done! Upload your app on Google Play.
The telegram android app has the essential features of messaging but customization that makes Telegram unique from other apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
In the app, you will feature animated stickers, privacy and creation of supergroups, and the ability to create multiple accounts and text functionality.
Top Frequently Asked Questions
1. Open AppsGeyser.com.
2. Choose the Messenger app template.
3. Click ‘Next’ on the first screen of the App template.
4. Follow the guidelines on the page.
5. Name your app.
6. Upload the icon.
7. Click the ‘Create’ button. Your Telegram is ready to upload on the play store.
According to Telegram, their APIs are free, but any third-party users must feature that its usage is under the Telegram ecosystem. Also, all users must follow the company terms and services.
In terms of features like Dark Mode, Supergroups, and admin advanced settings like ‘slow mode,’ Telegram is better than WhatsApp.
But if you are looking for global usage, WhatsApp has over 2 billion users compared to Telegram, which has 400 million users.