Telegram
Messaging app with a full Linux desktop version that works on its own, without needing your phone switched on.
Our verdict
Telegram has one of the best desktop experiences of any messaging app on Linux. Unlike WhatsApp or Signal, the computer version stands on its own: your phone can be flat in a drawer and everything still works, with your whole history waiting for you.
Sending large files is the other practical advantage. Photo collections and video that email refuses go through here without fuss, which makes it useful even when you barely chat.
Be clear about the privacy claim. Only the chats you specifically start as secret chats are end to end encrypted. Ordinary conversations sit on Telegram's servers in a form the company can read, which is exactly why your history follows you between devices. If encryption is the reason you are switching, use Signal.
What's good
- The desktop app is a full client, not just a mirror of your phone
- Your entire message history is there because it is stored on Telegram's servers
- Handles very large file transfers where email would fail
- Free, with the app itself open source
What to know first
- Ordinary chats are not end-to-end encrypted, only the secret ones are
- The privacy reputation is better than the reality for everyday messages
- Group chats can be noisy and hard to manage
- Not verified on Flathub, though the package tracks the official releases
The details
- Cost
- Free
- Open source
- Yes (GPL-3.0)
- How you install it
- App store (Flatpak), App store (Snap), Built-in app store
Windows apps it can replace
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