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Telegram Desktop on Windows. App screenshot: Telegram, from its Microsoft Store listing.
Telegram Desktop is the free Windows app from Telegram, available at desktop.telegram.org or the Microsoft Store. You can chat, make voice and video calls, send files up to 2 GB, and follow groups and channels from your PC.
Telegram keeps your messages in its cloud instead of on your phone. That means the PC app keeps working when your phone is off, out of battery or in another room. You only need your phone number once, to log in.
Telegram says it has over a billion active users. The desktop app runs on Windows 7 and later from Telegram’s own site, or Windows 10 and 11 through the Microsoft Store. It is free, with an optional Premium plan.
This guide covers how to install and log in, what you get for free versus Premium, what privacy you do and do not get on Windows, and tips to set it up well. Questions? Reach out to us directly.
How to Get Telegram Desktop on Windows
There are two official sources. Telegram’s own site works on Windows 7 and later and also offers a portable version that runs without installing. The Microsoft Store version needs Windows 10 or 11 and updates through the Store.
1 Go to desktop.telegram.org and click Get Telegram for Windows x64, or open the Microsoft Store listing.
2 Run the installer. It takes under a minute.
3 Open Telegram Desktop and choose to log in with a QR code, or with your phone number.
4 With the QR code, open Telegram on your phone, go to Settings, then Devices, then Add Device, and point it at the screen.
5 With your phone number, type it in and enter the code Telegram sends to your phone.
Pick the right app in the Store. The official one is Telegram Desktop by Telegram Messenger LLP. The Store also lists other Telegram apps made by other developers, such as Unigram.
What Is Telegram?
Telegram is a cloud-based messaging app founded by Pavel Durov in 2013. People use it for private chats, group chats with up to 200,000 members, public channels with no size limit, file sharing and calls.
Because your chats live in Telegram’s cloud, you can log in on as many devices as you like, all at the same time, and they all show the same history. The Windows app is a full client, not a mirror of your phone.
That cloud design has a privacy trade-off. Regular cloud chats are encrypted between your device and Telegram’s servers, but they are not end-to-end encrypted. The end-to-end option, Secret Chats, is covered further down, and it matters for Windows users.
Key Features on Windows
The screenshots come from Telegram’s own Microsoft Store listing.
Big groups and channels
Groups hold up to 200,000 members, and channels can broadcast to an unlimited audience. Many news outlets, communities and creators run their whole audience on Telegram channels.
Groups can be split into topics, each with its own chat history, so large communities stay organized.
Send files up to 2 GB
Free accounts can send files of any type up to 2 GB each, or 4 GB with Premium. Documents, videos, archives and voice messages all sync to your other devices straight away.
Your media, kept in the cloud
Every photo and file you share is stored in Telegram’s cloud, so you can clear the app’s cache to free up space on your PC without losing anything.
Voice and video calls
Make one-to-one calls, which are end-to-end encrypted, and group calls for up to 200 participants. Groups can also run voice chats that members join whenever they like.
Bots and mini apps
Bots can run polls, manage groups, deliver news and more. Many are free and can be added to any chat or group.
Privacy on Windows: No Secret Chats
Secret Chats are device-specific: Telegram’s FAQ says a secret chat only exists on the device where you started it, and you lose it if you log out. Users have asked for Secret Chats in Telegram Desktop on Telegram’s own suggestions platform since 2020, and the Windows app still does not have them. Everything you send from the Windows app is a regular cloud chat.
Cloud chats are encrypted on the way to Telegram’s servers and stored encrypted there, but Telegram holds the keys. If you need end-to-end encryption, start the Secret Chat on your phone, or use an app that encrypts every chat end to end, such as Signal.
Free vs Telegram Premium
Everything that existed before Premium launched is still free. Premium mostly doubles limits and removes ads. Telegram adjusts the price by country, so check your own price in Settings, then Telegram Premium.
On Windows, the cheapest way to subscribe is through Telegram’s @PremiumBot from the desktop app, because Telegram says bot payments avoid app store fees.
System Requirements
Tips for Using Telegram on Windows
1 Turn on two-step verification. In Settings, then Privacy and Security, add a password on top of your phone number, so nobody can take over your account with your SIM card alone.
2 Hide your phone number. In Settings, then Privacy and Security, choose who can see your number and who can add you to groups before you join public communities.
3 Organize chats into folders. Folders keep work, family and channels apart. Free accounts can create up to 10.
4 Use Saved Messages as a notebook. It is a private chat with yourself for links, notes and files, and it syncs to every device you are logged into.
5 Check your active sessions now and then. In Settings, then Devices, you can see every device logged into your account and end any you do not recognize.
Beginner’s Video
This walkthrough from Everything Tech shows how to install Telegram on Windows 11 and connect it to your account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Telegram Desktop free?
Do I need my phone to use Telegram on Windows?
Can I use Secret Chats on Windows?
Does Telegram Desktop work on Windows 7?
How many devices can I use Telegram on?
Support and Community
- Telegram Desktop, the developer’s own download page, with the portable version.
- Telegram FAQ, Telegram’s official answers on Secret Chats, groups, logins and more.
- Telegram Premium FAQ, the full list of what Premium adds.
- r/Telegram on Reddit, a user-run community for tips and help.
More Windows software guides: Signal for Windows · WhatsApp for Windows · Discord for Windows · Messenger on Windows · Snapchat for Windows
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🙂 Best messenger app right behind WhatsApp, most of my friends have whatsapp but now a lot are moving to telegram