Telegram Reaches 400 Million Users, Plans Video Calls to Rival Zoom
Telegram grows its monthly active user base to 400 million and announces upcoming secure video calling features. The messaging app continues to gain popularity globally despite ongoing challenges with platform piracy.
Telegram reaches a major milestone of 400 million monthly active users, showing significant growth from the 300 million users it reported last October. The messaging app currently adds about 1.5 million new users each day and ranks as the top downloaded social media application in more than 20 countries. This rapid expansion highlights the increasing global appeal of the seven-year-old service.
To compete with the rising popularity of platforms like Zoom and Houseparty, Telegram is developing a secure video calling feature for release later this year. The company also introduces a new sticker directory with over 20,000 stickers, an improved attachment menu for Android, and a new educational testing database. However, Telegram remains silent about the future of its Gram cryptocurrency wallet and TON blockchain project.
Despite its success and loyal user base drawn to features like independent desktop functionality and cloud storage, Telegram faces persistent piracy issues. Millions of users exploit the platform to distribute illegal copies of movies, music, and software. Additionally, the service operates with a notable disregard for corporate and government authorities, allowing it to serve as a crucial uncensored information refuge in heavily restricted markets like China.