Expert Investor

“Real-time investing news and analysis...”

Author: Mauricio Carrillo
Senior Reporter
Mauricio Carrillo

Telegram Reaches 400 Million Users And Promises to Fix Video Calls

Cloud-based instant messaging and voice over IP service Telegram announced it had reached 400 million users this week, just a few months later after it surpassed the 300 million milestone, according to a press release published by the company.

The social media also launched a €400K, or $432K, contest for creators of education tests and made a peculiar promise: To take and fix the "secure or usable" problem in group video calls during 2020.

Telegram Growth Chart

Telegram rate of new users grow between 2014 and April 2020.

According to experts, much of the acceleration of the growth rate comes from the COVID-19 pandemic and also that Telegram often sees a surge in its user base when WhatsApp or another popular instant messaging platform faces an outage.

Regarding the current pandemic and new behaviors due to healthy and social distancing, remember than online and cloud based services are experiencing a massive surge in usage as we previously reported in ExpertInvestor with the 775% spike in Microsoft cloud demand in March.

1.5 Million New Users Every Day

Founder and CEO of Telegram Pavel Durov highlighted that "every day at least 1.5 million new users sign up for Telegram," as people remain choosing "freedom and quality" over restrictions and mediocrity" in an apparent reference against other social media engines such as WhatsApp and Messenger.

Durov says:

When we started Telegram 7 years ago, we assumed that people will always choose freedom and quality over restrictions and mediocrity. As the gap in popularity between Telegram and its older competitors narrows, we find more and more validity in that original assumption. Thank you for being smart and free!.

Founded seven years ago, Telegram is now the most downloaded social media application in over 20 countries. Its desktop version is gaining more and more popularity as the desktop app does not require the phone to be connected to the internet to work.

Telegram Launches a €400 Contest For Creators of Education Tests

As a measure to help self-isolated, socially distanced, and quarantined students around the world, Telegram has decided to enhance online education funnily and interactively by creating a database of education tests.

Today, the social media also launched a €400K crowd-sourcing initiative for education tests and content for all subjects and levels that will distribute the money among creators. The company asks for innovation, out-of-the-box thinking, and savviness, and the only condition is to respect intellectual property rights. The deadline is May 15.

Create and publish an original educational test on any subject at any difficulty level, in any language. Feel free to choose anything from basic Medieval European History in English to Mikrobiologie für Experten auf Deutsch – and add any media you require to your questions, but make sure all intellectual property rights are respected.

As a part of the plan, Telegram improved its Quiz Mode engine with the addition of QuizBot and educational features. People can now add explanations to answers, helping users learn from their mistakes, or providing them with more context.

The Fight For Secure And Usable Group Video Calls Has Begun

Another huge announcement is the Telegram decision to take into video group calls and fix what they call as the secure or usable problem. According to the company, video calls in 2020 are pretty much like messaging in 2013, with the same virtues and problems. Now, apps developers choose between secure or usable when they are creating new solutions, but not both.

Telegram promises to fix that and it "will focus on bringing you secure group video calls in 2020." It is, however, a clear move in response to the increasing popularity of video call platforms like Zoom and Houseparty.

Telegram Launches The 'Museum of Sticker History'

Finally, the social media also released a new sticker directory that they called the "Museum of Stickers History" with over 20,000 high-quality free stickers created in the past five years.

Just get there and look for your stickers via search, or go to today's trend or explore the Museum "to the first Sticker Sapiens that walked the earth."

Instagram Messenger LLP is a privately owned company, and it has no equity code.

Meet The Author
Mauricio Carrillo
Mauricio Carrillo
Senior Reporter

Mauricio is a newer member of the team and a very welcome addition. He is a financial journalist and trader with over ten years of experience in stocks, Forex, commodities, and cryptocurrencies. This experience means he has an excellent understanding of the markets and current events.

Investing News

Related Pages