The only thing that gave Telegram a slight boost over WhatsApp was their Channels feature. However, things are changing now as Meta launches WhatsApp Channels featureWe thought you might be wondering how the two compare to each other. So, here's a comparison post between WhatsApp channels and Telegram channels.
In this post, you'll learn about the differences between WhatsApp and Telegram channels in terms of sharing, privacy, search, notifications, and more. We also cover the similarities between the two. Let's get started.
1. Participation and interaction
Both Telegram and WhatsApp channels work in the same way. They provide a one-way channel for the channel creator, also known as the admin, to send messages to their followers or subscribers. In the one-to-many broadcast feature, recipients cannot reply to messages sent to the channel.
However, both services offer different interaction or comment options for messages. In WhatsApp channels, you can interact with six basic emojis. Currently, you cannot interact with Custom emojis.
On the other hand, Telegram offers a wide range of emojis, and the administrator can choose which emojis are allowed as reactions. Furthermore, the administrator can also link the group toTelegram channels Where discussions regarding channel updates can take place.
When a group is linked, subscribers will see a comment button below each post on the Telegram channel.
Tip: Know the difference between a Telegram channel and a WhatsApp broadcast.
2. Subscribers VS. Followers
Telegram calls participants who join a channel subscribers, while WhatsApp refers to them as followers. So you'll have X followers on WhatsApp and X subscribers on Telegram.
Tip: Get to know The difference between Telegram channels and groups.
3. Privacy of members and moderators
What makes channels different from groups is that members cannot see other participants. This applies to WhatsApp and Telegram channels. Furthermore, the administrator also cannot see the names of participants unless they are added to their contacts. Both services also allow you to see the total number of members.
Furthermore, the administrator's identity is also kept confidential in both services, meaning participants cannot know who the administrator is. Messages are received in the channel's name. However, Telegram offers a feature to add the administrator's name to messages.
Tip: Check out More than 3 ways to hide WhatsApp chats
4. Vision in application
In the Telegram app, you won't find any major indication of channels per se. If you're unaware of this feature, you'll likely never discover channels, as there's no separate tab listing channels, or at least displaying popular channels. You don't even get a separate section to view your joined channels. Subscribed channels will appear in the All Chats section of the Telegram app.
Conversely, WhatsApp has a dedicated section for channels. Tap the "Updates" tab at the bottom, and you'll be greeted by the "Status & Channels" section. Scroll down to the Channels section, and you'll see a list of the channels you've joined, followed by a section to search for channels. Tap "See All" to discover a whole new world of channels.
5. Ability to search and discover channels
To discover Telegram channels New, use the shared search icon at the top of the home screen. Type the channel name and it will appear in the search results.
When it comes to WhatsApp, as you saw above, it has a dedicated Channels section where you can discover new channels and see your joined channels. To see the search guide for WhatsApp channels, go to the "Updates" tab, then tap "See All" next to "Search Channels." Here, you'll see different categories for filtering WhatsApp channels, such as "Most Active," "Popular," and "New."
What's even more interesting is that you can filter WhatsApp channels based on countries. And, of course, the search icon lets you discover new channels.
6. Interaction counter
All Telegram channel subscribers can see how many people have viewed each channel message. You'll see an eye icon in the bottom-right corner of the message, along with the number. WhatsApp doesn't offer channel metrics except for admins. However, both apps display the number of interactions received on each message.
7. Number of officials
Telegram allows you to add additional admins to a channel. However, this feature is not available in WhatsApp channels at the time of writing.
8. Age of messages
Messages sent in Telegram channels remain in the channel until the administrator manually deletes the message. This is not the case with WhatsApp channels, where messages are automatically deleted after 30 days.
9. Notifications
WhatsApp channels are muted by default. That is, if you I joined the WhatsApp channel You won't receive their notifications because they're muted. You need to unmute the WhatsApp channel to receive their notifications manually. To do this, open the channel and tap the bell icon with the bar icon to unmute it.
On the other hand, Telegram channels are not muted by default. However, once you join a channel, you'll see a large mute button at the bottom of the channel. Furthermore, you can also send silent messages via Telegram channels. Just tap the bell icon while composing a new message in a Telegram channel.
10. Similarities between Telegram and WhatsApp channels
Aside from the differences mentioned above, there are several similarities between the channel feature in Telegram and WhatsApp. Let's check them out.
Content type
You can send texts, links, images, videos, stickers, and polls to both types of channels.
Number of channel subscribers
There is no limit to the number of people who can join a Telegram or WhatsApp channel. Both services can have an unlimited number of subscribers.
Chat history
When a user joins a WhatsApp or Telegram channel, they will see their entire message history across both services. Of course, this is limited to 30 days of messaging on WhatsApp, as WhatsApp automatically deletes messages after 30 days. Furthermore, users can view their history even while discovering channels—that is, without joining a channel if it's public.
Tip: Learn how to Print WhatsApp chat history
Types of channels
Both services offer two types of channels: private and public. Private channels are undiscoverable and require a link to join. Public channels, on the other hand, appear in search results.
Redirect message
When a message is forwarded in the same app from a Telegram or WhatsApp channel, it will include the channel name and link.
It's time to spread the word.
Those were the differences and similarities between WhatsApp channels and Telegram channels. In conclusion, Telegram channels can be useful if you want to save your message history. Conversely, WhatsApp channels offer better discoverability. Which do you prefer: WhatsApp channels versus Telegram channels? Let us know in the comments below.
