Communities in Telegram and their features and functions

According to official data, in 2022 the Telegram messenger entered the Top 5 most downloaded applications in the world!

Telegram opens up a huge number of opportunities not only for personal correspondence, but also for creating news channels, interest groups, interaction with the target audience and much more. Let’s analyze it in more detail.

Channel or group in Telegram: choose the type of community

To decide which type of community is right for you, decide on the goal:

1. A group is a chat where participants can send messages, share information, emotions, invite new members, change photos and the name of the chat.
2. A channel is a one-way communication between an administrator and subscribers.

Let’s briefly compare the capabilities of the group and the channel for clarity.

We create a Telegram channel

The algorithm for creating a Telegram channel on a smartphone and in the desktop version of the application is the same. The main thing is to download the official application, and not to use the version of Telegram in the browser or on third-party resources.

1. Open the Telegram application, log in;
2. Click on the three horizontal lines on the side (menu);
3. Find there the item “Create a channel” (or “Create a group” if necessary);
4. A window will appear in front of you where you need to enter the name and description of the channel;
5. You will then need to select a channel type:

• Public — anyone can find such a channel through search, join without notifying the administrator. An invitation link to a public channel can be shared by any participant.
• Private – you can join such a channel only through the link-invitation from the administrator. Search does not give out private channels to users.

1. Save the selected community type;
2. Next, you will see a list of contacts that you can add as the first subscribers to the channel.

At your discretion, in the channel settings, you can choose a photo, adjust notifications and much more.

How to combine the possibilities of the group and the channel?

If you want to publish useful content that won’t get lost in correspondence, but at the same time – give your subscribers the opportunity to communicate and comment on your publications, there is a way out!

To do this, you will need to link the Telegram group to the channel.

In this case:

• Only you (the administrator) can post messages in the channel;
• And channel subscribers will be able to leave their comments on your messages, which will automatically be redirected to the linked group.

After linking the group to the channel, the “Comment” button will appear under the publications. The total number of comments for each publication will be displayed in the channel.

Instructions for linking a group to a channel in Telegram

• Open your Telegram channel;
• Click on the three dots in the upper right corner;
• Then find there three horizontal lines labeled “Channel Management”;
• In the window that appears, select “Discussion — Add group”;
• After that, you can create a new group or select one that has already been prepared in advance.

In the future, through the same settings, you will be able to unlink the existing group from the channel and connect another.

Search for open and closed Telegram channels

The difference between a public channel and a private one is that anyone can enter the first type of community on their own, while the second type requires an invitation.

There are some tricks that will allow you to find such invitation links.

Let’s consider separately the search for different types of communities.

Public channel

Searching for a public Telegram channel is very simple. There are three possible options:

Private channel

You can join such a community only by following the invitation link. But this does not mean that you need to find an administrator and contact him.

Most often, the owners of private channels post invitation links on thematic sites, in their social networks, under advertising.

Try to find a social network that belongs to the channel you are looking for and ask the manager to provide you with a link.

In addition, links to private channels can also be placed in the compilations we talked about above.

Such selections can be found as follows:

1. In the browser/Telegram search box, write, for example: “Khmelnytskyi Telegram channels”;
2. Go to the catalog and view the available options;
3. Click on the desired community;
4. Click “Subscribe/Join”.

It is important to remember that after adding to the closed community, you will need to wait for confirmation of the subscription from the administrator.

How to convert a channel into a group, and a group into a channel

Unfortunately, this feature is not provided by the Telegram functionality.

You can only create a new channel, and then link an existing group to it. Or create a group and link to an existing channel.

Is it possible to delete a channel in Telegram?

Only an administrator can delete a certain channel in Telegram. If several people have administrator rights, only the creator of the community can delete it.

There are several methods of removal for the smartphone and for the desktop version.

Deleting the channel from the phone:

• Open the channel and click on its name;
• Then click on the three dots “More”;
• Select “Leave channel” or “Delete channel”;

Or

1. Open Telegram and find your channel, but do not enter it;
2. Hold your finger on the channel image;
3. Select “Delete”.

Deleting the channel from the desktop version:

1. Open the channel and left-click on its name;
2. Open the settings and go to “Channel information” or “More”;
3. Click “Quit” and then “Confirm”.

Or

1. Find your Telegram channel, but don’t enter it*
2. Right-click on the photo;
3. Select “Leave channel”.

Note that such actions will permanently delete the channel with all materials not only for you, but also for all participants. If you want to save the channel, you can transfer administrator rights to another user.

Do you have any questions? Write in the comments!