Telegram, one in the world’s most popular messaging apps, has been around for more than a decade. It was officially launched on August 14, 2013, by Nikolai and Pavel Durov, exactly the same duo behind VKontakte (VK), Russia’s largest social networking site. Since its debut, when was telegram created rapidly, due to its strong give attention to speed, privacy, and security.
The Beginning of Telegram
Telegram was given birth to out with the need for a secure communication platform that's not under government control. After facing pressure from Russian authorities over their earlier project VK, the Durov brothers created Telegram as a possible independent, cloud-based messaging service. The app was initially available for iOS, with the Android version released later that same year.
Key Milestones in Telegram’s Timeline
2013: Telegram is launched with a give attention to private messaging and encrypted communication.
2014: Telegram hits 35 million users and introduces features like secret chats and self-destructing messages.
2017: Telegram reaches 100 million monthly active users, with more than 15 billion messages sent daily.
2018: The company efforts to launch the Telegram Open Network (TON) and it is own cryptocurrency (Gram), although project was later halted because of legal challenges with all the U.S. SEC.
2021: Telegram surpasses 500 million active users and becomes one from the top 10 most downloaded apps worldwide.
2023–2024: With ongoing updates, Telegram enhances features like Stories, Mini Apps, and business tools, continuing its rise as being a competitor to WhatsApp and also other social platforms.
What Makes Telegram Unique
Telegram sticks out for several reasons:
End-to-end encryption (in secret chats)
Large group and channel capabilities (around 200,000 members)
Cloud-based sync across devices
Bots, stickers, and customization
No ads (as of its early years), with no sale of user data
As of 2025, Telegram has been doing existence for almost 12 years, growing from a niche, privacy-focused app in to a global messaging platform with billions of users. Its dedication to security, innovation, and user control will continue to attract people looking for an alternative to mainstream messaging services.