We don’t need to remind everyone that WhatsApp just became public enemy number one in the eyes of many users. Thanks to an updated terms and conditions agreement which forces users to share data with Facebook or leave the app entirely, there’s been somewhat of an exodus. Disgruntled users have begun leaving for competing apps such as Signal and Telegram and while neither has quite gained the numbers to deal with the dominance of WhatsApp, it’s still good to see people taking some kind of stand.

That’s why today, we wanted to share a few reasons we use Telegram here at Stuff. It’s a great little social media app and if the influx of users over the weekend was any indication, many folks have deleted WhatsApp and are looking to get in on Telegram instead. So we put together five cool reasons why you should make the switch to Telegram right now. Trust us, you won’t regret it.

1. The “Last Seen” feature has never been better

If you’re anything like us, the “last seen” feature often used in instant messaging apps is anything but useful. It’s annoying and more than a little intrusive, so most people just turn it off. Of course, that means you don’t get to see the “last seen” information of other users too (that’s only fair). So what about parents wanting to keep tabs on children just starting to use instant messaging apps? “Last seen” can be very important to them and having to decide which is more valuable (privacy or parenting) can be frustrating.

However, if you’re on Telegram you can customise this feature more precisely. Users can limit the “last seen” display to certain contacts while leaving it on for others. It’s a great way to strike a happy balance and especially useful for folks wanting to hide from that one DM they just don’t want to answer.

2. Lockable conversations

While you might look suspicious to your significant other locking the conversations on your instant messaging app, it’s actually not a bad idea. If anything, more security is always a solid move in a world were it’s become increasingly easier to steal or lose a phone. Considering how much private and sensitive information could be hidden within your conversations, it’s a plan to secure them separately from your phone’s standard lock screen.

If you were using WhatsApp, you would have to use a third-party app to lock your messages up tight but Telegram has that functionality built in. Just head on over to “Settings“, “Privacy and Security” and you’ll see the “Passcode Lock” option. Select that, add in the digits for your password and rest easier knowing that if someone steals your device, they’ll have to work twice as hard to access your chats.

3. Telegram Channels

Channels are one of Telegrams more unique offerings. Loads of messaging apps have groups and they’re nearly all annoying but channels are very different. Rather than being a place where users constantly message back and forth, channels almost act like subscriptions with only admins allowed to post. For example, Stuff has a channel (which you can join here) dedicated to sharing the latest articles we publish. So if you’re in that channel, you’ll be able to keep abreast of everything that’s released fresh out the oven.

Users can join or leave whenever they want to and participate in either public or private channels. Private channels obviously require an invite while public channels can be found using the search bar.

4. Uncompressed Media

Compression has become the norm for messaging apps, because sending uncompressed data can be a massive drain on resources. Sure, using WhatsApp you could convert one file type to a different file type and send it through that way, but what a hassle, right?

Telegram allows users to send any file type without compression — a small but very useful feature. There is zero quality lost and the image/video/audio will generally be in much better condition than if it was sent via other apps. To use this function, select the files you want to send, tap the usual three dots and select “send without compression”. Easy as that!