Telegram APK

What is Telegram?

Telegram is a free messaging app built around the cloud. Your chats, photos and files are stored on Telegram's servers, so you can open the same conversations on your phone, tablet and computer at once, and get everything back instantly on a new phone. It's published on Google Play by Telegram FZ-LLC and has been there since September 2013, with more than a billion downloads.

It's more than one-to-one chat. Groups can hold huge numbers of members, channels let anyone broadcast to an unlimited audience, and bots add everything from reminders to mini-apps inside the chat. Many people use Telegram as much for following news channels and communities as for messaging friends.

That cloud design is also its biggest trade-off. Regular chats aren't end-to-end encrypted by default the way WhatsApp chats are, which matters if privacy is why you're choosing a messenger. It's one of several messaging apps we cover.

What's new in Telegram

The Telegram app on Google Play was last updated on October 22, 2026. Google Play shows both the version and the minimum Android version as "Varies with device," because Telegram ships different builds for different phones, and the listing has no "What's new" text for this update.

Telegram announces its feature updates on its official blog at telegram.org, usually with a long post listing every change, rather than in the Play Store notes. The developer hasn't published Play release notes for this version.

Key features

Cloud chats on every device

Log in on your phone, a tablet, the desktop app or the web, and every chat is there and in sync. Send a file from your computer and open it on your phone a second later. Losing your phone doesn't mean losing your messages.

Secret chats

For end-to-end encryption, open a contact's profile and start a secret chat. These messages stay on the device you're using, aren't stored in Telegram's cloud, can be set to self-destruct, and block forwarding.

Groups and channels

Groups suit large communities, with admin tools, topics, slow mode and polls. Channels are one-way broadcasts with unlimited subscribers, used by news outlets, creators and organizations.

Large files

Send documents, videos and archives of up to 2 GB each, or 4 GB with Telegram Premium, and they stay in the cloud for later. Many people use the Saved Messages chat as personal cloud storage.

Bots and mini apps

Bots can send reminders, translate, run polls, manage groups or host full mini apps inside a chat. Search for a bot by name to start one.

Privacy settings to check

Under Settings → Privacy and Security:

1. Phone Number: choose who can see it, including Nobody.
2. Last Seen & Online: hide when you were last online.
3. Groups & Channels: control who can add you to groups.
4. Two-Step Verification: set a password on top of the SMS code.
5. Active Sessions (under Devices): log out devices you don't recognize.

How to install Telegram APK on Android

You can install Telegram from Google Play, or use Telegram's own APK from telegram.org/android, which updates itself.

1. Choose one official source: Google Play or telegram.org. Other APK sites aren't official.
2. If you downloaded the file from APKPeer, check that the SHA-256 matches the one on this page. We link to Telegram's own sources, so there's no APKPeer file for Telegram.
3. Open the APK and allow your browser or file manager to Install unknown apps when Android asks.
4. Tap Install, open Telegram and log in with your phone number.
5. Turn off the install permission under Settings → Apps → Special app access → Install unknown apps.

The Play version and the telegram.org version are signed differently, so pick one and keep updating from the same place.

Is Telegram APK safe?

The official Telegram app is safe to install. It's published by Telegram FZ-LLC on Google Play, where it's rated Mature 17+ because public channels and groups can contain adult content. Its permissions match its features, and contacts access is optional.

The honest caveat is encryption. Only secret chats are end-to-end encrypted. Normal chats and all group chats are stored on Telegram's servers, so Telegram can technically access them, and Telegram has said it may share some user data with authorities in response to valid legal requests. For sensitive conversations, use secret chats or an app that encrypts everything by default.

Public channels and groups are also a common place for scams, fake investment offers and malware links. Don't open APK files sent by strangers, and turn on Two-Step Verification. Modified Telegram APKs from unofficial sites can read your messages. APKPeer only links to Telegram's own downloads.

Telegram vs alternatives

• WhatsApp encrypts every chat end to end by default and is what most people's contacts already use. Groups are smaller, and there are no public channels on the same scale.
• Signal is the privacy-first choice: everything is end-to-end encrypted and it collects very little metadata. It has fewer social features.
• WhatsApp Business suits businesses that sell to customers on chat, with catalogs and quick replies.

If you want chats on every device, big communities and channels, Telegram is the most capable messenger, and its desktop and web apps make it easy to use at work too. Just use secret chats for anything private.