A Comprehensive Guide to Develop a Successful Messaging App Like Telegram

The holy trinity of social technology- internet, smartphone, and social media- has indeed made the world a global village with connectivity no longer a far-fetched myth.

One of the major fields benefitting from this idea in the world of messaging apps. From Facebook’s Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp, and more to professional apps such as Slack, chat apps are rapidly becoming a necessity in personal and professional life alike. Be it even simpler apps for gaming, users tend to look for messaging features in a mobile app.

One of the messaging apps giving Whatsapp a run for its money is Telegram. Data storage and security issues have put these mainstream messaging apps in the limelight. This fact is being cashed on by messaging apps such as Telegram that do not rely on external resources for data storage and have encrypted messaging as one of their core features.

Telegram has more than 365 million lifetime downloads since its launch worldwide. A lot of start-ups and mobile app development companies alike are looking toward building similar messaging apps as their next big break. Wondering how to build your messaging app similar to Telegram? Here’s your comprehensive guide to help you with it.

Where to get started?

The process of mobile app development, no matter the type of mobile app needs a structured flow of development from inception to execution. Here are a few steps that you can follow to get started with building your messaging app:

• Research

It is best to know about the kind of mobile app that you will be basing your messaging app on. Research about the Telegram app, its functionalities, coding, and other mechanisms. You must also read up on other similar messaging apps in the market and their functionalities to understand the competition. Also, estimate the funding that you would require to take up this mobile app development project. You might need to hire mobile app developers externally for the process.

• Plan

Once you are thorough with the Telegram app and have a rough idea about the kind of app that you would like to build, the next step is to plan.

Create a detailed checklist that includes

• Logistical requirements
• Technology stack
• Hire Mobile app developer(s) required
• Budget required to hire on demand app developers
• How and when you would raise funds for the app

Form an execution plan based on this with feasible deadlines. You can also hire on demand app developers to help you with the same. Also, map out the age and other demographics of your app users along with the platforms that you would like to launch your app on. Telegram targets multiple platforms including iOS, Android, and the Web.

• Code

As soon as you have your funding, technology stack, and developers all set, begin with the coding process. Make sure that you follow up with the mobile app development company or the team daily and meet set deadlines.

For your reference, Telegram uses a diverse technology stack owing to its multi-platform support. Here are the languages used by Telegram:

• JavaScript
• Java
• Android SDK
• Objective C
• C++
• C
• Cocoa Touch for iOS
• Cocoa for the latest OS X model
• Market

Create a detailed mobile app marketing plan for your messaging app. This will include deciding a target audience that you would like to market your app to, platforms where you would like to get the word out, and the promotional content.

• Launch

Once your app is all set, tested, and bug-free, create a launch plan. You can create a beta or alpha version for test-launching before the main launch plan. You can further scale it up based on the market response including multiple revenue models that you can further implement to earn from your app once your app is successful. These revenue models include advertising, in-app purchases, in-app payment transfer features, etc.

Must-include Features for Your Messaging App

Before you set out to create your messaging app, understand what features and functionalities Telegram offers and what works, as mentioned before. Here are a few features that a good messaging app requires:

• Secured Database
• Encrypted Messaging
• AI integration in the form of Chatbots
• Facilitating API integration with Other Social Apps
• In-app File Transfer
• Cloud Storage
• Chat Groups

Pro-tip: Apart from deriving inspiration from the app regarding features that you should include, also focus on your data storage and security system within the messaging app. Security is indeed a major concern amongst users of the messaging app. End-to-end encryption along with setting standards for data security can truly distinguish your app.

Post Launch

Creating a good messaging app like Telegram and successfully launching it in the market is not enough. An up-and-coming mobile app development company faces major competition with such a product.

Along with maintaining good quality, marketing efforts are just as necessary. Creating an app such as Telegram with its own in-house data storage system and diverse functionalities might cost you a few more bucks than an app like Whatsapp. You can balance it out with mixed revenue models in the future. Keep innovating and scaling up with newer more exciting functionalities within the app.

Gain constant feedback from your users, analyze reviews and keep updating your app based on the reviews for a successful app.