The Mac build of Bettergram, a desktop version of Telegram, was launched this week. It joins the PC build of the third-party desktop client, and will soon be accompanied by mobile editions. Designed specifically for the crypto community, Bettergram boasts several modifications to Telegram including a built-in cryptocurrency price checker.
Also read: Six Alternatives to Telegram for Cryptocurrency Communities
Bettergram is Telegram With Bells On
For the past year or so, Telegram has served as the crypto community’s preferred hangout. It’s the hub through which the bulk of the ICO and trading groups flow, and a pivotal part of the cryptocurrency landscape. For all its flaws – frequent downtime; inability to temporarily disable noisy groups; limited customization – Telegram is still the best platform for group conversations. While there are alternative platforms, to date these have failed to match Telegram’s all-round versatility and network effect.
Bettergram is essentially a fork of the Telegram client. It retains the functionality of the desktop client but overcomes some of the niggles users have with Telegram, which has been slow to respond to requests for new features. In particular, users have long expressed a desire to be able to pin more chats, which Telegram caps at five. With Bettergram, up to 50 chats can be pinned and there are four tabs to help filter conversations: favorites, DMs, groups, and announcements. Uploaded images are displayed in-line, rather than as a file, as is the case with Telegram for desktop.
Bettergram Adds Built-In Cryptocurrency Prices
Perhaps the most useful feature that comes with Bettergram is the ability to view current prices for the cryptocurrency top 10. This can be accessed by clicking on the emoji button in the bottom right of a chat, which opens to reveal four tabs: prices, emoji, stickers, and GIFs. The data comes from Live Coin Watch, and while it is not customizable and is limited in scope, it’s fine for providing a quick market snapshot.
As an open source project, Bettergram’s source code can be inspected and has been independently audited. Nevertheless, users should always be careful when installing third party software, especially when storing cryptocurrency wallets and other sensitive data on the same desktop device. As a precautionary measure, some cryptocurrency holders prefer to keep their crypto on an airgapped or separate device, be it mobile or desktop, that isn’t used for social networking.
Compared to desktop software such as Chrome and Station, Bettergram’s Mac client doesn’t make excessive demands on RAM or CPU. As such, it’s a viable alternative for heavy Telegram users who desire more customization and the ability to check prices on the fly.
Have you tried Bettergram and if so what’s your impression of it? Let us know in the comments section below.
Images courtesy of Bettergram.
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