The cross-platform messenger for smartphones and computers Telegram crossed the landmark mark of 1 billion installations through the Google Play store. Thus, the application has been downloaded more than a billion times by Android device owners.

The Telegram project was launched by Pavel Durov in 2013. This free messenger allows you to exchange text messages and multimedia files, organize group video calls for 1,000 viewers, conduct voice chats with millions of listeners, etc.

It is important to note that the 1 billion installations through Google Play does not reflect the total number of Telegram downloads. The fact is that the application is also available for devices based on Apple iOS, personal computers with Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems.

The messenger is very popular among Russian users. According to recently released data, Telegram generates more traffic in Russia than Facebook and WhatsApp combined – 6.8% versus just 0.5%.

And the recent global disruption of Facebook’s services caused Telegram’s audience to grow by 70 million users in just one evening.