Secure messaging app Telegram has announced the launch of a video calling feature for its iOS app that the company says is end-to-end encrypted, just like phone calls and text-based messages conducted over the chat platform. Calls can be started from a contact's profile page.

telegram video calls

All video calls are protected with end-to-end encryption. To confirm your connection, compare the four emoji shown on-screen for you and your chat partner – if they match, your call is 100% secured by time-tested encryption also used in Telegram's Secret Chats and Voice Calls.

The feature is an alpha version, so there's more work to do on it before it's fully robust, but it already includes support for switching from audio to video and vice versa at any time, as well as picture-in-picture mode, which means users can read and respond to other messages while they're chatting to the person on the other end of the call.

Telegram originally announced in April that it planned to introduce group video calls later this year. In its latest post, the company said group video calls will arrive in the coming months, offering users an alternative to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime, WhatsApp, and other rival video-conferencing enabled platforms.

Telegram is a free download for iPhone and iPad from the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Sasparilla Avatar
70 months ago

In what way(s) exactly is Signal more secure?
Well, you can start with the encryption. Telegram uses its own custom encryption, which security experts have panned from the beginning (since it was originally developed in Russia, I believe, with hands off, magically, by the FSB, this isn't so surprising - they moved development out of Russia, guessing because it didn't look good from a marketing optics perspective) - that's from early on. Reminds me of that crippled encryption situation the NSA had put in place way back when here in the U.S..

Signal's encryption uses open standards that have been reviewed and approved by experts in the field.

https://gizmodo.com/why-you-should-stop-using-telegram-right-now-1782557415

Here's a review of the app from a privacy focused website:

https://restoreprivacy.com/telegram-messenger/

Alot of people use it though, and social pressure is powerful even causing people to act against one's own best interests. Look at all the people using Facebooks products.


Does Signal have a desktop app? No. Not even a contender for my use.
Lucky you, Signal does have a desktop app: https://signal.org/en/download/
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
happyprozak Avatar
70 months ago

I think they mean more respect as in:
Android ultimately hands the choice of what software you can have, malicious or non-malicious, via the use of sideloading without having to phone home to Apple every 7/365 days.

Not that it matters due to the various jailbreaks to sideload ad-infinitum, but it’s more the principle really.
It does matter because the average user barely knows how to use their phone, let alone manage to jailbreak it. This is true for both Android and Apple users. While Android users can sideload, it's a poisoned chalice and the vast majority of users have no clue it's even possible.

I would guess that 99.99% of the population is better off because of the app store protectionism on both Google and Apple app stores.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
feldpos Avatar
70 months ago

Well, you can start with the encryption. Telegram uses its own custom encryption, which security experts have panned from the beginning (since it was originally developed in Russia, I believe, with hands off, magically, by the FSB, this isn't so surprising - they moved development out of Russia, guessing because it didn't look good from a marketing optics perspective) - that's from early on. Reminds me of that crippled encryption situation the NSA had put in place way back when here in the U.S..
Please stop spreading this rubbish. There's no concern about their crypto, only the fact that not /everything/ is E2E. Telegram's founded by the Durov brothers who hate Putin. They're not backdooring their system.

Regular chats == not E2E, but good enough. All of Telegram's cloud is fully encrypted and each datacenter holds the keys to decrypt the data in a different datacenter in another country. You can't raid Telegram's servers and get anything useful. These chats also offer a lot of features that other platforms like Signal do not.

Secret chats == Fully E2E, just like Signal

Telegram gives you both security and convenience depending on what you need.

You can delete the messages off the other person's device too, which isn't possible in Signal unless you set messages to expire beforehand.

Signal is slow and terrible. I've never had a video or audio call work correctly. Telegram's work great.

Everything you need to know is in their FAQ https://telegram.org/faq#security
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
miq Avatar
70 months ago
I was really upset
Seriously? Lol.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
videosoul Avatar
70 months ago

Signal does this for a long time and in a much more secure way.
In what way(s) exactly is Signal more secure?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bustycat Avatar
70 months ago
Although I am a long-time Telegram user, I was really upset by their initial statement about iOS App Store. It was later removed after Telegram version 7.0 was approved later within a half of day.

Why not on iOS?
We would like to apologize to all our iOS users for launching this feature on Android only. Apple has failed to review this update in time, even though we submitted it to the App Store several days before sending it to Google Play.

If you're on iOS and would like to try Telegram Video Calls, you'll have to wait until Apple lets you – or switch to a platform that has more respect for its users and developers, like Android.
https://web.archive.org/web/20200814165954/https://telegram.org/blog/video-calls
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone 17 models

No iPhone 18 Launch This Year, Reports Suggest

Thursday January 1, 2026 8:43 am PST by
Apple is not expected to release a standard iPhone 18 model this year, according to a growing number of reports that suggest the company is planning a significant change to its long-standing annual iPhone launch cycle. Despite the immense success of the iPhone 17 in 2025, the iPhone 18 is not expected to arrive until the spring of 2027, leaving the iPhone 17 in the lineup as the latest...
duolingo ad live activity

Duolingo Used iPhone's Dynamic Island to Display Ads, Violating Apple Design Guidelines

Friday January 2, 2026 1:36 pm PST by
Language learning app Duolingo has apparently been using the iPhone's Live Activity feature to display ads on the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island, which violates Apple's design guidelines. According to multiple reports on Reddit, the Duolingo app has been displaying an ad for a "Super offer," which is Duolingo's paid subscription option. Apple's guidelines for Live Activity state that...
Clicks Communicator Feature

'Clicks Communicator' Unveiled — Will You Carry This With Your iPhone?

Friday January 2, 2026 6:35 am PST by
The company behind the BlackBerry-like Clicks Keyboard accessory for the iPhone today unveiled a new Android 16 smartphone called the Clicks Communicator. The purpose-built device is designed to be used as a second phone alongside your iPhone, with the intended focus being communication over content consumption. It runs a custom Android launcher that offers a curated selection of messaging...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Low-Price 12.9-Inch MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Reportedly Launching Early This Year

Friday January 2, 2026 9:08 am PST by
Apple plans to introduce a 12.9-inch MacBook in spring 2026, according to TrendForce. In a press release this week, the Taiwanese research firm said this MacBook will be aimed at the entry-level to mid-range market, with "competitive pricing." TrendForce did not share any further details about this MacBook, but the information that it shared lines up with several rumors about a more...
Apple Fitness Plus hero

Apple Announces New Fitness+ Workout Programs, Strava Challenge, and More

Friday January 2, 2026 6:43 am PST by
Apple today announced a number of updates to Apple Fitness+ and activity with the Apple Watch. The key announcements include: New Year limited-edition award: Users can win the award by closing all three Activity Rings for seven days in a row in January. "Quit Quitting" Strava challenge: Available in Strava throughout January, users who log 12 workouts anytime in the month will win an ...
Low Cost A18 Pro MacBook Feature Pink

Apple's 2026 Low-Cost A18 Pro MacBook: What We Know So Far

Friday January 2, 2026 4:33 pm PST by
Apple is planning to release a low-cost MacBook in 2026, which will apparently compete with more affordable Chromebooks and Windows PCs. Apple's most affordable Mac right now is the $999 MacBook Air, and the upcoming low-cost MacBook is expected to be cheaper. Here's what we know about the low-cost MacBook so far. Size Rumors suggest the low-cost MacBook will have a display that's around 13 ...
Mac Pro Feature Blue

What's Happening With the Mac Pro?

Wednesday December 31, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple hasn't updated the Mac Pro since 2023, and according to recent rumors, there's no update coming in the near future. In fact, Apple might be finished with the Mac Pro. Bloomberg recently said that the Mac Pro is "on the back burner" and has been "largely written off" by Apple. Apple apparently views the more compact Mac Studio as the ideal high-end pro-level desktop, and it has almost...