[vinay427]

> Secret chats - the e2ee chats self-destruct between users and stay on the device where it has been initiated.

Is this supposed to be a feature? Telegram themselves claim that this inability to backup chats is at least part of why they don't enable E2EE before mentioning that it allows users choice over data storage, which seems silly in the face of apps that allow for encrypted backups of E2EE messages. [1]

Signal backups are obviously E2EE and can be moved between devices by copying an encrypted blob or directly transferring over Wi-Fi, depending on your platform.

Meanwhile, on Telegram if I reinstall the app all of these chats are gone. If I change phones and posess both devices concurrently, there's still no official way to move chat histories. E2EE feels like a crippled afterthought on Telegram considering so many of the interesting Telegram chat features (or just backups/transfers) don't seem to work with it.

[1] https://telegram.org/faq#q-why-not-just-make-all-chats-39sec...

[stereoradonc]

I use Telegram as a daily driver and I don't find any reason to be constrained about whatever you mention. I use Telegram on iPad, Windows, Android and they sync perfectly- that's why it's cloud messenger. Data migration isn't an issue at all. No one's asking you to use a non-e2ee client. But find reason and merit in those who do- try it for the convenience and then uninstall it if it doesn't serve your purpose.

[vinay427]

Right, I genuinely do understand why people use it, and don't have a problem with that decision. My point was just that the E2EE chats not being able to be backed up or transferred to a new device/install isn't a feature, and it's strange that Telegram (and possibly your comment, although perhaps I misread it) mentions that it is a potential benefit for data security when encrypted local backups exist in other apps.