Telegram is a messaging app that is a scalable, cloud-native communication platform. It comes with a blend of speed, advanced security features, and extensibility that makes it superior to many mainstream alternatives. For Linux users in particular, Telegram offers a reliable, resource-efficient, and natively supported messaging client, which many competing platforms fail to provide.

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4 Ways to Install Telegram Messenger on Debian

One of the most prominent features of Telegram is that it imposes no significant limits on file types and formats, making it more versatile for professional use compared to its competitors, such as WhatsApp or Signal, which have more restrictive file types and formats. This guide will discuss four ways to install Telegram on Debian:

1: Through Debian Default Package Installer

For Debian-based Linux systems, most of the applications can be installed via their default app installer, as it contains repositories for nearly every application. Similarly, to install Telegram messenger on Debian, execute:

sudo apt install telegram-desktop

Installing Telegram on Debian via apt package installer

To launch Telegram via CLI, use the command below or search for it in the apps menu:

telegram-desktop

Launching Telegram on Debian installed via apt

Furthermore, the installation can be verified by listing all the apt-installed apps by executing the command below:

sudo apt list --installed

Listing apt installed apps on Debian to verify Telegram installation

2: Through Telegram Tar File

Another way to install Telegram is using its tar file, which in other words is a plug-n-play version. To download the tar file, visit Telegram’s download page:

Downloading Telegram Tar file on Debian from its official website

The next step after downloading the tar file is to extract it using the tar utility, as in the command below:

sudo tar xf tsetup.6.0.2.tar.xz

Extracting Telegram Tar file on Debian Downloaded from its official website

Next, move the extracted file to the opt directory, primarily used for manually installing software on Linux:

sudo mv Telegram /opt/telegram

Moving extracted Telegram tar file to opt directory in Debian

Now, create a symbolic link for Telegram so that it can be accessed without moving to its directory:

sudo ln -sf /opt/telegram/Telegram /usr/bin/telegram

Creating symbolic link for Telegram extracted tar file on Debian

Now run the extracted file to launch Telegram as in the command below:

telegram

Launching Telegram on Debian via its extracted tar file

3: Through Snap Package Installer

Snap is a third-party App installer that keeps apps in self-contained bundles, along with snapd, which manages these bundles. It handles installation, updates, permissions, and runs the apps in a restricted environment (sandbox). To install Telegram via Snap on Debian, execute the command below:

sudo snap install telegram-desktop

Installing Telegram on Debian via snap package installer

To launch Telegram desktop, execute the following command:

telegram-desktop

Launching Telegram on Debian installed via snap

4: Through Flatpak Package Installer

Flathub, as compared to Snap, is an open-source community-driven repository used by the Flatpak app installer. In contrast with Snap, Flathub integrates more naturally across many Linux distributions. To install Telegram via Flatpak, execute the following command:

flatpak install flathub org.telegram.desktop

Installing Telegram on Debianvia Flatpak app installer

Just like all the other methods, Telegram can be launched via both CLI and GUI methods. To launch using the terminal, use the following command:

flatpak run org.telegram.desktop

Launching Telegram on Debian installed via flatpak

Conclusion

Telegram offers a fully supported desktop application for Linux distributions, available in multiple packaging formats. There are four ways to install Telegram on Debian, including using its tar file, the Debian apt package installer, and third-party app installers such as Flatpak and Snap.