How Long Has Telegram Existed? A Brief History in the Popular Messaging App
Telegram, one from the world’s most widely used messaging apps, 's been around for more than a decade. It was officially launched on August 14, 2013, by Nikolai and Pavel Durov, the identical duo behind VKontakte (VK), Russia’s largest online community site. Since its debut, telegram launch date rapidly, thanks to its strong focus on speed, privacy, and security.
The Beginning of Telegram
Telegram was born out in the need for a good 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 first available for iOS, with the Android version released later that same year.
Key Milestones in Telegram’s Timeline
2013: Telegram is launched with a focus on 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 attempts to launch the Telegram Open Network (TON) and it is own cryptocurrency (Gram), the project was later halted because of legal challenges with all the U.S. SEC.
2021: Telegram surpasses 500 million active users and becomes one in 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 like a competitor to WhatsApp along with other social platforms.
What Makes Telegram Unique
Telegram stands out for several reasons:
End-to-end encryption (in secret chats)
Large group and channel capabilities (up to 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 existence for up to 12 years, growing coming from a niche, privacy-focused app right into a global messaging platform with poisonous of users. Its resolve for security, innovation, and user control continues to attract people looking for an option to mainstream messaging services.