The allure of ‘free’ stuff is always irresistible. Anything that promises to streamline your workflow without first draining your wallet is very alluring. However, as the age-old adage warns, when the product is free, you are the product. Such is the case with the new free Premium Telegram subscription.
Telegram Premium is now Freemium
Get this, Telegram is now running a program where it awards a premium subscription service to a small group of users in various countries for free. Yes, you will get premium Telegram at a freemium.
But there’s a catch!
To get the free Premium Telegram, a user must accept to use their own cellular plan to send a maximum of 150 texts per month to other Telegram users. Yes, in exchange for freemium premium Telegram, the social network will use your mobile phone line to send verification code to other Telegram users.
The gist of the arrangement is that Telegram is looking for ways to avoid paying SMS charges to the various cellular service carriers around the globe. Each time a user logs in afresh to the Telegram account, the company must send them a verification code via SMS.
For a social network that boasts of over 800 million users around the world. Telegram is certainly spending quite some money paying various cellular networks around the globe. This new symbiotic relationship between users and Telegram where the users get free premium Telegram subscription in exchange for using their lines to send SMS verification code will save the company a lot of money.
The Devil is in the Detail
On the surface, it might seem like a good idea, but as the end user, are you comfortable Telegram using your number to send 150 SMS each month to strangers around your country? Note, Telegram will give instructions to the recipients of these SMS not to contact the number used to send the SMS.
However, Telegram has no way of enforcing that instruction. If a user starts contacting the number, there are no serious mitigation measures by Telegram to stop them. So before you get enticed by the free premium Telegram subscription, that is something you want to keenly think about.
Top Premium Telegram Features
Premium Telegram subscribers get to enjoy the following features:
- Ad-free Experience: Enjoy using Telegram without any advertisements interrupting your messaging experience.
- Unlimited Cloud Storage: Access unlimited cloud storage for your messages, media, and files, ensuring you never run out of space.
- Larger File Upload Limit: Upload larger files, documents, and media compared to the standard version of Telegram.
- Extended Group Size: Increase the maximum group size beyond the standard limit, allowing for larger communities and discussions.
- Scheduled Messages: Schedule messages to be sent at a specific date and time, perfect for planning ahead or coordinating with different time zones.
- Themes and Customization: Access exclusive themes and customization options to personalize your Telegram interface according to your preferences.
- Priority Support: Receive priority customer support assistance for any inquiries or issues you encounter while using Telegram Plus.
- Secret Chats Enhancements: Unlock additional features and security enhancements for Secret Chats, such as self-destructing messages and the ability to lock chats with a passcode.
- Channel Management Tools: Gain access to advanced tools for managing channels, including statistics, analytics, and additional moderation features.
- Cross-Device Sync: Seamlessly sync your messages, chats, and settings across multiple devices, ensuring a consistent experience no matter where you access Telegram.
Admittedly, the above premium features are enticing, more so if you could get them for free. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a free lunch.