Telegram, WhatsApp or Solovo: which one to choose

Telegram and WhatsApp solve similar problems but feel different. One is convenient for reading channels, joining large communities and using bots. The other is the habitual place for talking to people whose numbers are already in your phone. So there is no universal winner: the choice depends on who you talk to and why.

There is a third option too. If you want to separate family and friends conversations from work chats, channels and the general stream of notifications, try Solovo. This is not a suggestion to delete the apps you are used to. Pick one conversation and see whether it feels comfortable for everyone.

Telegram and WhatsApp

Telegram suits people who switch between devices often, follow public channels and talk in large groups. Ordinary chats are stored in the cloud and sync across phones and computers. End-to-end encryption requires creating a secret chat separately; it is tied to the device you chose.

WhatsApp is more often chosen for conversations with people from your phone book. Private messages and calls are protected by end-to-end encryption by default. The service is also available on phones, computers, tablets and in a web version.

If the people you need have already gathered in one of these apps, stay there as long as it suits you. Changing messengers makes sense not for the sake of moving, but for a calmer and clearer space for a particular circle of people.

A place for the people closest to you

Solovo is built for conversations you want to come back to. You can gather family, friends or a small team here without mixing their messages with dozens of channels, work discussions and stray contacts.

Picture a separate family chat: parents send news, you share photos, someone records a voice message, and in the evening everyone hops on a quick call. Or a friends chat where you agree on a meet-up, send the route and discuss details without a parallel stream of public content.

We are not asking you to move your whole digital life into Solovo. Start with the people where the conversation itself matters more than the number of features around it.

The mobile app is free. It has no ads and no paid subscriptions, so you can try messages, calls and attachments without picking a plan.

Messaging without extra steps

In private and group chats you can send text, photos, videos and files. A message is easy to answer with a quote, and your own text can be edited. What matters can be forwarded, and an emotion expressed with a reaction or a sticker.

If typing is awkward, record a voice or round video message. Drafts keep you from losing text you have started, and a link preview shows what you have been sent before you open it.

These features matter together rather than one by one. Say you are discussing a trip: you send the tickets as a file, reply to the specific message about timing, forward the address to another participant and leave a reaction once everything is agreed.

A call straight from the chat

Solovo has audio and video calls. Up to five people can take part in a group call. During the conversation you can switch cameras, see the active speaker, raise a hand and share your screen.

For a family, it is a way to settle weekend plans quickly. For friends, to pick a place to stay or a route without sending dozens of screenshots. For a small team, to look at a mock-up, document or presentation together. If a call is already running, a group member can join it from the chat.

For family, friends and a small team

A family chat

Gather the people close to you in one group, give it a clear name and add a photo. Share news, pictures and files, and call each other when a long thread only gets in the way. Important details are easy to clarify by replying to a specific message.

A group of friends

Discuss a meet-up, a trip or a gift. An invite link brings everyone into the group, and reactions quickly show which option most people like. If someone missed the start of the conversation, the message they need can be forwarded separately.

A one-to-one conversation

Send your personal link to the person you want to talk to in Solovo. Once the contact is added you can write, exchange files and call without searching through a long list of chats.

A small team

Use a group chat for short discussions and calls. Screen sharing helps when you need to look at a document together or show a problem. If the work requires complex roles, a mandatory archive, single sign-on and integrations, check the requirements first: one convenient chat is not enough for processes like that.

How to invite your people

Solovo can show people you know from your phone book if you allow access to contacts. You can save someone's name in the app in whatever way suits you.

There is another way — a personal link. Send it through your usual channel and the person will be able to find your profile. A group gets its own invite link. If it ends up in the wrong place, the old link can be revoked and a new one issued.

For ordinary messaging every participant needs a Solovo account. It is worth planning for: it is easier to invite people into a specific chat with a clear purpose than to ask them to install one more app "just in case."

A move without moving house

You do not have to migrate every chat at once and convince dozens of people. A calm start takes three steps.

• Pick one living conversation: family, a group of friends or a small working group.
• Create a chat in Solovo and send the invite link to everyone involved.
• Agree that you discuss one clear topic there, while the familiar apps stay for the rest of your contacts for now.

After a few days it becomes clear whether it suits the group. If it does, add another conversation. If it does not, you have lost nothing and are under no obligation to continue.

Privacy and signing in

Messages and calls in Solovo are protected by encryption. Do not confuse that with end-to-end encryption of every current chat: secret chats are still in development.

The app itself can be locked with a passcode, Face ID, Touch ID or a fingerprint — the available method depends on your device. There is automatic locking after a chosen period of inactivity.

Signing in is confirmed with a code. Never forward that code to anyone and never enter it on third-party pages, however convincing the message looks. To install the app, use links from the official Solovo site or the official app stores.

What to keep in mind for now

Solovo is a young messenger, so some capabilities are still arriving and interface details may differ on iPhone, iPad, Android and in the web version. Before you start, update the app on everyone's devices.

A shared bill, joint shopping lists, mini-games and secret chats are in development. Do not pick Solovo for those features today. Judge it by what is available now: private and group chats, file sharing, voice and video messages, reactions, invitations and calls.

For complex corporate processes, check the requirements for roles, history retention, single sign-on and integrations separately. Solovo can be tried for a small team's communication, but do not automatically move a regulated work process into it.

How to start

Open the official site solovo.app and choose the version for your device. The app is available in the App Store and Google Play, and for a computer there is the web version app.solovo.ru/.

After signing up, create a private or group chat, invite one person and send the first message. Then try the thing you came for: a voice message, a file or a video call. A short test like that tells you more about a messenger than a long feature list.

Questions

Do I need to delete Telegram or WhatsApp?

No. Keep the apps you are used to and move only one conversation into Solovo. Decide about further chats after real experience.

Does everyone need a Solovo account?

For ordinary messaging, yes. Invite people straight into a specific private or group chat so the reason for signing up is clear.

Can I send photos, videos and files?

Yes. Private and group chats support photos, videos and files, as well as voice and round video messages.

Are there group video calls?

Yes. Up to five people can take part in a group call; during the conversation you can share your screen and write in the chat.

Does Solovo work on a computer?

Yes. Open the web version app.solovo.ru/. For a phone, install the app from the official store.

Are all chats end-to-end encrypted?

No, that would not be accurate yet. Messages and calls are protected by encryption, while secret chats with end-to-end protection are in development.

Start with one conversation

Choose a person or a group you would like to talk to more calmly. Sign up at solovo.app, create a chat and send an invitation. The messengers you are used to stay where they are, and the people close to you get a space of their own in Solovo.

Sources

• Official Solovo site — solovo.app
• Solovo web version — app.solovo.ru
• Solovo in the App Store — apps.apple.com/ru/app/%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D0%BE/id6761128325
• Solovo on Google Play — play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.solovo.messenger
• Telegram FAQ — telegram.org/faq
• WhatsApp help on end-to-end encryption — faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/end-to-end-encryption