My friend who works as a full-time programmer said everything you saved or you sent in Telegram are deleted very cleanly without any trace left or any archive saved on anywhere that general users don't know. He highly recommends this as a real secure way of communication. What do you think? Do you agree? I am looking for second opinion.
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Do you know about Telegram?
- Thread starter louis2008
- Start date
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.telegram.messenger
Yes, it is one of the most secure apps out there. Encrypted and files can be permanently deleted from sender and recipient.
Yes, it is one of the most secure apps out there. Encrypted and files can be permanently deleted from sender and recipient.
Any evidence or news about this? I'd like to study about it
svim
Extreme Android User
I'll suggest you look into either Signal Private Messenger or Threema instead of Telegram. Signal uses a very reputable, audited encryption protocol that's used by several other texting services, with a conditional drawback being it's based on your phone number to identify you. Threema is also a reputable and verified texting service with its solid encryption, and it isn't tied to your phone number. It uses a user i.D. you create for your account.
Telegram's encryption scheme however has questionable roots (Telegram's developers opted to 'roll-their-own' encryption protocol so it's a closed-source, proprietary protocol that hasn't been proven to be as locked down as they tout it to be.)
Signal
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thoughtcrime.securesms&hl=en_US&gl=US
Threema
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.threema.app&hl=en_US&gl=US
Of course there is a valid argument about all the text services claiming 'end-to-end' security. Yes a secured 'end-to-end' connection is more private than a typical unsecured connection but there is a very little chance all the other people you exchange text messages are actually going to be using the same text messaging service as you are. And that's a really significant point -- any connection involving encryption will start off using a brief, back and forth exchange of encryption keys to establish there is an actual, one-to-one secure connection. Encryption keys are really specific in scope so a Signal encryption key won't be compatible with a WhatsApp encryption key, nor will a Telegram encryption key be compatible with a Skype encryption key, and so on. So actual end-to-end encrypted connections are automatically established when both users are using Signal, but that can't occur when one user is using Signal and the other user is using Telegram. Both users need to be using the same text messaging app that uses a verified as secure encryption. But odds are a typical text messaging exchange will involve any number of different text messaging apps, so that end-to-end encryption claim is only a remote possibility.
Basically the Telegram app does have a full feature set and you should find it be quite adequate for text messaging, but don't fall for the marketing claims about encrypted connections. Most text messaging exchanges that we all are doing, even with 'secured' services, aren't using any kind of encryption.
Telegram's encryption scheme however has questionable roots (Telegram's developers opted to 'roll-their-own' encryption protocol so it's a closed-source, proprietary protocol that hasn't been proven to be as locked down as they tout it to be.)
Signal
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thoughtcrime.securesms&hl=en_US&gl=US
Threema
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.threema.app&hl=en_US&gl=US
Of course there is a valid argument about all the text services claiming 'end-to-end' security. Yes a secured 'end-to-end' connection is more private than a typical unsecured connection but there is a very little chance all the other people you exchange text messages are actually going to be using the same text messaging service as you are. And that's a really significant point -- any connection involving encryption will start off using a brief, back and forth exchange of encryption keys to establish there is an actual, one-to-one secure connection. Encryption keys are really specific in scope so a Signal encryption key won't be compatible with a WhatsApp encryption key, nor will a Telegram encryption key be compatible with a Skype encryption key, and so on. So actual end-to-end encrypted connections are automatically established when both users are using Signal, but that can't occur when one user is using Signal and the other user is using Telegram. Both users need to be using the same text messaging app that uses a verified as secure encryption. But odds are a typical text messaging exchange will involve any number of different text messaging apps, so that end-to-end encryption claim is only a remote possibility.
Basically the Telegram app does have a full feature set and you should find it be quite adequate for text messaging, but don't fall for the marketing claims about encrypted connections. Most text messaging exchanges that we all are doing, even with 'secured' services, aren't using any kind of encryption.
puppykickr
Android Expert
Telegram is one of the least censored apps of its type.
Don't bother with the version on Google, as it is heavily censored- not by Telegram, but by Google.
Worldwide, people are using Telegram to communicate to get around government control and censorship.
Journalists and human rights advocates can make great strides even when dealing with oppressive regimes.
There are two kinds of encryption.
The normal one sends an encrypted message to Telegram, then encrypts it again to send it to the receiver(s).
The second one, the secret chat, is completely encrypted and does not go through Telegram servers at all- only from one device to the receiving device(s).
They can be set to self destruct as well.
Telegram servers are scattered worldwide, and so a government would need to abide by the laws of multiple other nations in order to get any data that has been uploaded to Telegram.
Another great benefit is unlimited online storage.
You can upload whatever you want (max single file size of 2GB, but I guess the new limit is 4GB) and control who can see it all.
I use Telegram extensively as a messaging app and a calling app.
I store all kinds of things online with their service.
At times, I have even used the online storage to transfer mass amounts of files from one device to another.
One time in particular was to consolidate music from 3 devices onto one.
Don't bother with the version on Google, as it is heavily censored- not by Telegram, but by Google.
Worldwide, people are using Telegram to communicate to get around government control and censorship.
Journalists and human rights advocates can make great strides even when dealing with oppressive regimes.
There are two kinds of encryption.
The normal one sends an encrypted message to Telegram, then encrypts it again to send it to the receiver(s).
The second one, the secret chat, is completely encrypted and does not go through Telegram servers at all- only from one device to the receiving device(s).
They can be set to self destruct as well.
Telegram servers are scattered worldwide, and so a government would need to abide by the laws of multiple other nations in order to get any data that has been uploaded to Telegram.
Another great benefit is unlimited online storage.
You can upload whatever you want (max single file size of 2GB, but I guess the new limit is 4GB) and control who can see it all.
I use Telegram extensively as a messaging app and a calling app.
I store all kinds of things online with their service.
At times, I have even used the online storage to transfer mass amounts of files from one device to another.
One time in particular was to consolidate music from 3 devices onto one.
puppykickr
Android Expert
To avoid MSM censorship, get Telegram either from F-Droid or from Telegram.org.
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.telegram.messenger/
https://telegram.org/
https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.telegram.messenger/
https://telegram.org/
version of Google? Did you mean downloading the app through Google App Store?
How about web version (browser version) for Windows PC? Is it heavily censored?
In fact, I don't quite understand. Did Google modify the app a little bit so that it can be censored by them if downloaded from its App store? Is it allowed by Telegram?
I really didn't know that getting the same apps from different sources would make such a difference.
In fact, I am already using it which was downloaded from Google app store.
Is it still useful if I delete the apps now and download it again from the links you suggested? (I will keep my current Telegram account, I don't want to start a new account)
puppykickr
Android Expert
Yes, you can uninstall the app, and reinstall another version.
Your account will still be there, and you will need to log in.
puppykickr
Android Expert
The web version should be uncensored, but that could depend upon what browser you use.
I stay away from Google as much as I can.
Google and Apple both censor the Telegram apps available from their app stores.
Telegram is forced to accept this if the app is to be on these stores.