WhatsApp Channels vs Telegram Channels: Know the Differences

Mehvish Mushtaq is a computer engineer by degree. Her love for Android and gadgets led her to develop the first Android app for Kashmir. Known as Dial Kashmir, she won the prestigious Nari Shakti award from the President of India. She has been writing about technology for 6+ years and her favorite categories include how-to guides, explainers, tips and tricks for Android, iOS/iPadOS, social media, and web apps.

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WhatsApp Channels vs Telegram Channels: Key Differences

1. Engagement and Interaction

Both Telegram and WhatsApp channels work in the same way. They provide a one-way medium to the channel creator, aka admin, to send messages to their followers or subscribers. In this one-to-many broadcast feature, the recipients cannot reply to messages sent to the channel.

However, both services offer different interaction or feedback options for messages. In WhatsApp channels, you can interact with six basic emojis. Currently, you cannot interact using custom emojis.

On the other hand, Telegram offers a wide variety of emojis, and the admin can choose which emojis to allow for reactions. Furthermore, the admin can even link a group to theTelegram channelswhere discussions regarding channel updates can take place.

When a group is linked, subscribers will see a comment button under each post on the Telegram channel.

2. Subscribers vs. Followers

Telegram refers to the participants who join a channel as Subscribers, whereas WhatsApp refers to them as followers. So, you will have X followers on WhatsApp and X subscribers on Telegram.

Tip: Know thedifference between Telegram channels and groups.

3. Privacy of Members and Admin

What makes channels different from groups is that members cannot see other participants. This is true for both WhatsApp and Telegram channels. Furthermore, the admin cannot see the participants’ names unless they are added to their contact list. Both services also let you see the total number of members.

Moreover, the anonymity of the admin is also maintained in both services, i.e., participants cannot see who the admin is. The messages are received with the channel’s name. However, Telegram offers a feature that allows users to add their admin’s name to messages.

Tip: Check out3+ ways to hide WhatsApp chats

4. Visibility in the App

In the Telegram app, you will find no major mention of channels. If you don’t know about this feature, chances are you will never discover channels, as no separate tab lists channels or at least shows popular channels. You don’t even get a separate section to see your joined channels. The subscribed channels will appear in theAll Chatssection of the Telegram app.

On the contrary, WhatsApp has a dedicated section for channels. Tap on theUpdatestab at the bottom, and you will be greeted by theStatusandChannelssection. Scroll down to theChannelssection, and you will see the list of channels you have joined, followed by theFind channelssection. Tap onSee allto see a whole new world of channels.

5. Ability to Find and Discover Channels

Todiscover new Telegram channels, use the common search icon at the top of the home screen. Type the channel name, and it will appear in the search results.

WhatsApp has a dedicated Channels section to discover new channels and see your joined channels. What’s even more interesting is that you can filter WhatsApp channels by country. And, of course, the search icon will further let you discover new channels.

6. View Counter

All the subscribers of a Telegram channel can see how many people have viewed each channel message. You will see an eye icon and count at the bottom-right corner of the message. WhatsApp doesn’t offer the channel metrics feature except for admins. But both apps show the number of reactions received on each message.

7. Number of Admins

Telegram lets you add additional admins to a channel. However, this feature is unavailable in WhatsApp channels as of writing this post.

Tip:Know the rights andpowers of admin in WhatsApp groups

8. Lifetime of Messages

In both cases (WhatsApp and Telegram), messages will remain on the channel until the admin or the sender deletes them.

9. Notifications

WhatsApp channels are muted by default. If youjoin a WhatsApp channel, you will not receive its notifications because it is muted. You need to unmute a WhatsApp channel to receive its notifications manually. To do so, open the channel and tap on thebellwith a bar icon to unmute it.

On the other hand, Telegram channels aren’t muted by default. However, once you join a channel, you will see a bigMutebutton at the bottom of the channel. Moreover, you can also send silent messages via Telegram channels.

Similarities Between Telegram and WhatsApp Channels

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Last updated on 09 July, 2024

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