These Telegram features are simply awesome! Check out SECRET chats to screenshot alerts

Do you use Telegram? Telegram is a messaging app that can be seen as a competitor of WhatsApp. Telegram is used for sending messages, sharing pictures, stickers, and more, but it is nowhere near WhatsApp, in terms of subscribers. Having said that, Telegram is better than WhatsApp in some ways. In fact, WhatsApp has been trying to play catch-up with Telegram for many of these features. For instance, you can use Telegram on all your devices at the same time. Here we will be discussing certain features which are available in Telegram like Secret Chats, Self-destructing messages, Screenshot Alerts among others, that you will love using. Here is all you need to know about these features.

1. Secret chats: All messages in secret chats use end-to-end encryption. This means only you and the recipient can read those messages — nobody else can decipher them. On top of this, Messages cannot be forwarded from secret chats. And when you delete messages on your side of the conversation, the app on the other side of the secret chat will be ordered to delete them as well.

You can order your messages, photos, videos and files to self-destruct in a set amount of time after they have been read or opened by the recipient. The message will then disappear from both your and your friend's devices.

Also, all secret chats in Telegram are device-specific and are not part of the Telegram cloud. This means you can only access messages in a secret chat from their device of origin. If you start a secret chat with a friend on one of your devices, this chat will only be available on that device. If you log out, you will lose all your secret chats. In order to start a secret chat you will have to open the profile of the user you want to contact. Tap on ‘…’, then ‘Start Secret Chat’.

2. Self-destructing messages: This is available for all messages in secret chats and for media in private cloud chats. To set the timer, simply tap the clock icon (in the input field on iOS, top bar on Android), and then choose the desired time limit. The clock starts ticking the moment the message is displayed on the recipient's screen (gets two check marks). As soon as the time runs out, the message disappears from both devices.

3. Screenshot alerts: Telegram alerts you about screenshots taken in your Secret Chats, but it may still be possible to bypass such notifications and take screenshots silently. It is advised to share sensitive information only with people you trust, as nobody can stop a person from taking a picture of their screen with a different device or an old school camera.