Telegram has evolved far beyond text messaging. Today the platform supports one-on-one voice and video calls, group voice chats with up to 1,000 participants, full group video calls, screen sharing, and live streaming to entire channels. Whether you are catching up with a friend, hosting a team standup, or broadcasting a webinar to thousands β Telegram has a tool for it.
This guide covers every feature, from starting a simple two-person call to managing a large live stream event.
1-on-1 Voice and Video Calls
Starting a Call with One Person
To call someone individually in Telegram:
- Open your private chat with the person
- Tap the phone icon (voice call) or video camera icon (video call) in the top-right corner
- Telegram will ring the other person β they accept or decline
Alternatively, go to their profile and tap the Call or Video button there.
Features of 1-on-1 Calls
- End-to-end encrypted β Telegram personal calls use E2EE by default. You can verify the connection is secure by comparing the four emoji shown on both screens.
- HD voice and video β Telegram uses its own protocol optimized for quality even on slower connections.
- Switch between voice and video mid-call β tap the camera icon any time to add video to an ongoing voice call.
- Noise cancellation β available in call settings on supported devices (more on this below).
- Background blur β on supported clients, you can blur your background during video calls.
Group Voice Chats: How to Start and Join
Group voice chats are persistent audio rooms attached to a Telegram group. They stay open until the admin ends them, and members can drop in and out freely.
How to Start a Group Voice Chat
You must be a group admin to start a voice chat.
- Open the group chat
- Tap the group name at the top to open the group info page
- Tap Start Voice Chat (or Voice Chat if one is already running)
- A notification is sent to all group members
- You are now live β a microphone bar appears at the bottom of the group chat
On desktop, click the three-dot menu in the group header and select Voice Chat.
How to Join an Active Voice Chat
When a voice chat is running in a group:
- A live microphone icon appears at the top of the group chat
- Tap it to join immediately
- Your microphone is muted by default β tap the mic icon to speak
You can also join from the notification that appears when an admin starts the chat.
Video in Group Calls: Enabling Camera and Grid View
Group voice chats support video β any participant can turn on their camera at any time.
Enabling Your Camera
- Join the voice chat
- Tap the camera icon in the call controls at the bottom
- Your video feed appears for all participants to see
Up to 30 video streams can be displayed simultaneously on screen, even though up to 1,000 people can be in the call. Participants without video show as profile pictures.
Grid View
By default, you see a highlighted view of the active speaker. Switch to grid view (tile layout) to see multiple video feeds at once:
- On mobile: swipe or tap the grid icon in the call controls
- On desktop: click the grid icon at the top of the call window
You can also pin a specific participant to keep their video always visible regardless of who is speaking.
Speaker and Listener Roles
Group voice chats have two roles: speakers (who can be heard) and listeners (who can only hear). This distinction matters for large calls.
How Roles Work
- By default, all group members join as listeners and must unmute themselves to speak
- Admins are always speakers and can grant or revoke speaking rights
- In large calls, admins can configure the chat so only invited speakers can unmute
Raising Your Hand
If you are a listener and want to speak:
- Tap the raise hand icon (β) in the call controls
- The admin sees your request in the participants list
- The admin can then invite you to speak, which promotes you to speaker
Lowering your hand cancels the request.
Admin Controls
Admins have full control over the group voice chat experience.
Key Admin Actions
- Mute all β instantly silences every participant. Useful when noise levels get out of hand.
- Mute individual participant β tap a participant's name, then select Mute.
- Remove participant β tap their name and select Remove from Voice Chat.
- Invite speakers β select specific participants and grant them speaking rights.
- Pin a speaker β keep a specific participant's video or audio at the top of the feed.
- Record the chat β admins can start an audio or video recording of the entire session. Participants are notified when recording starts.
- End the voice chat β the chat stays open until the admin explicitly ends it. Tapping End Voice Chat closes the room for everyone.
Managing Permissions Before the Chat
In the group settings, admins can pre-configure whether:
- All members join as listeners (recommended for large events)
- Members must be approved to speak
- The voice chat is visible to non-members (for public groups)
Screen Sharing
Telegram supports screen sharing during both 1-on-1 video calls and group voice chats.
Screen Sharing on Mobile
- Join or start a voice/video call
- Tap the screen share icon (a rectangle with an upward arrow) in the call controls
- Confirm the permission prompt from your OS
- Your screen is now visible to all participants
On iOS, you share through the broadcast extension β a system dialog lets you choose what to share. On Android, the entire screen is shared.
Screen Sharing on Desktop
- Join the voice chat or video call
- Click the screen share icon in the call controls
- A window picker appears β choose to share your entire screen or a specific application window
- Click Share to start
To stop sharing, click the screen share button again or close the sharing dialog.
Screen sharing is particularly useful for remote work presentations, technical support sessions, and collaborative review of documents.
Noise Cancellation
Telegram has a built-in AI-powered noise cancellation feature that filters out background noise during calls.
Enabling Noise Cancellation
The option is available during active calls:
- During a call, tap the three-dot menu or settings icon in the call controls
- Select Noise Cancellation
- Toggle it on
When active, Telegram's noise cancellation algorithm suppresses keyboard clicks, ambient room noise, and other background sounds β keeping your voice clear for other participants.
Noise cancellation is especially helpful in open-plan offices, coffee shops, or any noisy environment.
Live Streams in Channels
For audiences beyond 1,000 people β or when you want a broadcast-only format β Telegram offers Live Streams in channels.
What Is a Live Stream?
A Live Stream is a broadcast mode where:
- The admin streams audio/video to the channel
- Viewers can only watch and listen β they cannot speak
- The audience size is unlimited
- Viewers watch directly in the Telegram app, no external app needed
How to Start a Live Stream in a Channel
- Open your Telegram channel
- Tap the channel name to open channel info
- Tap Start Live Stream
- Choose your audio and video source
- The stream goes live β all channel subscribers receive a notification
RTMP Streaming (External Software)
For professional broadcasts using OBS, Streamlabs, or similar software:
- Start a Live Stream in your channel
- In the live stream settings, select Use External Software
- Telegram provides an RTMP URL and Stream Key
- Enter these into your streaming software (OBS β Settings β Stream β Custom RTMP)
- Start streaming in OBS β the stream appears live in your Telegram channel
This lets you use professional setups: multiple cameras, overlays, scenes, and high-quality encoding β while your audience stays inside Telegram.
Telegram Calls vs Zoom and Google Meet
How does Telegram compare to dedicated video conferencing tools?
| Feature | Telegram | Zoom | Google Meet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max participants (voice/video) | 1,000 | 1,000 (paid) | 500 (paid) |
| Live stream viewers | Unlimited | Extra add-on | YouTube integration |
| End-to-end encryption (1-on-1) | Yes | Optional | No (in transit only) |
| Screen sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Noise cancellation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| RTMP streaming | Yes (channels) | Yes (paid) | Yes (paid) |
| Requires account | Yes | No (join link) | Google account |
| In-app chat during call | Yes (group chat) | Yes | Yes |
| Cost | Free | Free (limited) | Free (limited) |
| Background blur | Yes | Yes | Yes |
When Telegram wins: your audience is already on Telegram, you want everything in one app, or you need free unlimited live streaming without paying for add-ons.
When Zoom/Meet wins: you need to invite external participants who do not have Telegram, or you need enterprise-grade admin controls and reporting.
Tips for Hosting Large Group Calls and Events
If you are organizing a webinar, community event, or large team call on Telegram, these practices make a significant difference:
Before the Event
- Set up permissions in advance β configure the voice chat so participants join as listeners and must raise their hand to speak. This prevents chaos in large calls.
- Schedule and announce β use a Telegram post in your channel to announce the time and remind subscribers 1 hour before.
- Test your setup β start the voice chat in advance to test audio, video, and screen sharing. Check that noise cancellation is working.
- Assign co-admins β for large events, have at least one other admin who can mute disruptive participants and manage the hand-raise queue.
During the Event
- Mute all at the start β begin with everyone muted and introduce speakers one at a time.
- Use the raise hand feature β remind participants how to use it for Q&A segments.
- Pin the main speaker β pin the presenter's video so everyone always sees them clearly.
- Record the session β recording is built in; use it to produce a replay for those who missed the live session.
- Monitor the chat β keep the group text chat open alongside the voice chat for questions, links, and resources.
After the Event
- End the voice chat explicitly β do not just leave; tap End Voice Chat to close the room for everyone.
- Share the recording β Telegram saves recordings to the admin's Saved Messages. Download and share them with your audience.
- Review participant feedback β use Telegram polls in your group or channel to collect post-event feedback.
Conclusion
Telegram voice chats and group video calls are a powerful, free alternative to dedicated conferencing tools β and they are built right into the app your audience already uses. From quick 1-on-1 video calls to 1,000-person group sessions and unlimited live streams, the feature set covers a wide range of communication needs.
Key takeaways:
- Group voice chats support 1,000 participants with video for up to 30 simultaneously
- Live Streams in channels are unlimited and support professional RTMP setups
- Screen sharing works on both mobile and desktop
- Noise cancellation is built in and free
- Admin controls give you full command over large events
For more Telegram guides, see our articles on Telegram groups vs channels and Telegram Premium features.
Updated: June 26, 2026