Throughout this past year, the world has seen different apps rise to become favorites during this pandemic. With people having to practice social distancing and working from home, new apps have emerged throughout the past few months. For example, Tiktok, one of the hottest apps in the market right now, is filled with millions of all sorts of videos. Once you start scrolling up your Tiktok’s news feed, you will most likely spend hours looking at different videos of all the new trends, challenges, and pranks (what’s your favorite Tiktok video?). There is also Zoom, the go-to app during Covid-19 for professional settings; whether it is school, work, or even family gatherings, Zoom has been the go-to platform for video conference calling. Since we moved virtually, there are tons of apps out there waiting to be used.

Thanks to the pandemic, people needed new ways to connect with each other while staying in. At one point during this pandemic, we have all felt bored and needed some entertainment. That being said, 2021 has brought a new instant messaging app to the block. Introducing the number one downloaded app in the world: Telegram (available on ios and android).

Telegram is the number one non-gaming app downloaded in January 2021. Most of its downloads have come from India (20%) and Indonesia (10%).

Check out some of the cool features this new app brings: 

• Telegram is being praised for its privacy features, which is an issue that its competitors (e.g., WhatsApp) have struggled with.
• Telegram is also a cloud-based platform. Having media files, conversations, and documents saved in a cloud are important to consumers. This means it can easily be transferred if a phone is lost or damaged.
• Telegram has the capacity of having groups of up to 5,000 people. That is a group message I would not want to be part of. Can you imagine the number of notifications?

What do people like most about this app?

The main point that people worldwide keep bringing up is the privacy features, as privacy is an important issue to many consumers, with other apps losing users due to reports of lack of privacy. UIC students are no different; it is most likely that the consensus around campus is that students will likely use an app if it was proven to have better privacy features.

The question now is, will Telegram become mainstream in the United States and start competing with other big instant messaging apps? IDK, but feel free to download this app and check it out yourself. 

Why use this app?

If you have any friends or family across the states and/or countries, this is the app to help you stay connected without being overcharged for overseas fees. Likewise, if you are part of any UIC clubs, this app will help your club members communicate. If you’re unaware of the amazing clubs UIC has to offer, we encourage you to check out the link below. There is a club for everyone’s taste. Don’t hesitate to browse through and find a club to join. Tip: if you don’t find one you like, create your own!

Join the club!/Find your UIC community:   https://involvement.uic.edu/student-organizations/.

• Now more than ever, life can feel lonely and bleak. UIC offers a variety of community-building cultural centers, such as:
  • African-American Cultural Center 
  • Arab American Cultural Center 
  • Asian American Resource and Cultural Center 
  • Disability Resource Center 
  • Gender & Sexuality Center 
  • Rafael Cintrón Ortiz Latino Cultural Center 
  • Women’s Leadership and Resource Center 
  • African American Academic Network 
  • Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services 
  • Native American Support Program 
  • Student Veteran Affairs Office 
  • Here’s a full list: https://www.uic.edu/life-at-uic/campus-resources/ 
• Please also visit the Center for Student Involvement to check out UIC organizations and events that help to foster a better sense of community and belonging.