TL;DR:
If you want cross‑platform reach, giant communities, bots/mini‑apps, and effortless big‑file sharing, Telegram is a blast. If you live entirely in Apple‑land and care most about default, cutting‑edge encryption between Apple devices, iMessage is superb. 💙💬
Where Telegram shines
- It works everywhere (not just on Apple).
Telegram runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux—and even the web—so your chats and media follow you on any device, anywhere. iMessage is great, but it’s Apple‑only. - Communities at scale (way bigger than group texts).
Telegram groups support up to 200,000 members and channels let you broadcast to unlimited subscribers—awesome for clubs, fandoms, classes, teams, and brands. iMessage group chats are fine for small circles, but they’re not built for massive communities. - Bots, mini‑apps, and payments—inside your chats.
From support bots to full‑blown mini‑apps and in‑chat payments, Telegram is an open platform that lets you automate workflows, take orders, run forms, host games—you name it. iMessage has stickers and extensions, but it doesn’t offer Telegram’s open, chat‑native automation and app platform. - Big files + cloud history = frictionless sharing.
Send files up to 2 GB for free (and 4 GB with Premium) and pick them up on any device later—no juggling links. For very large iPhone videos, Apple itself suggests sharing via iCloud Link instead of attaching directly in Messages. - Usernames = more privacy options.
On Telegram, people can reach you via @username without needing your phone number—handy when you’re joining public groups or collaborating with new contacts. - Power‑user features that keep you in flow.
- Scheduled messages (hold the send button) have been in Telegram for years—great for drops, reminders, and global teams. iMessage recently added Send Later in iOS 18, which is nice, but Telegram also pairs scheduling with channels, groups, and bots.
- Discovery at scale: Telegram now has global search across public posts—so you can find content from channels across the platform, not just your personal threads. iMessage doesn’t try to do this.
- Data portability: Telegram Desktop lets you export chats and media—super useful for archiving or moving content.
Reality check (where iMessage is stronger)
- Security by default. iMessage is end‑to‑end encrypted by default (and now upgraded with PQ3 post‑quantum protections) across supported Apple devices—serious, state‑of‑the‑art cryptography. Telegram’s default “cloud chats” are encrypted to the cloud (not end‑to‑end); for E2EE on Telegram you use Secret Chats.
- Extra verification tools. iMessage offers Contact Key Verification to help detect sophisticated impersonation attacks.
- Off‑grid advantage. With iPhone 14 or later, iMessage can work via satellite when you’re out of coverage (limited regions/features, but clutch for adventures).
- Editing/unsending rules. iMessage lets you unsend within 2 minutes and edit within 15 minutes (up to five edits)—clear and predictable time windows.
Security nuance: If end‑to‑end encryption for all chats is your #1 priority, iMessage (between Apple users) is stronger by default. On Telegram, switch to Secret Chats when you need E2EE; regular cloud chats prioritize multi‑device convenience and searchability.
Bottom line
- Choose Telegram when you want reach + flexibility: cross‑platform life, huge groups, broadcast channels, automation/bots, big‑file sharing, and cloud‑everywhere convenience.
- Choose iMessage when your world is mostly Apple devices and you want default, cutting‑edge E2EE, satellite messaging for the backcountry, and tight system integration.
If you want, I can whip up a quick “best‑of‑both” setup (privacy settings, Secret Chats basics, scheduled messages, and a starter pack of helpful Telegram bots) so you get the most out of Telegram—while keeping iMessage for your Apple‑only contacts. 🎉