Telegram X is the new application that Telegram premiered a few weeks ago. It stands out for being an experimental version that improves animations and offers new functions. Now it has disappeared and reappeared from the Play Store, as happened in the App Store This strange move has generated many questions among users, who are wondering why such a complete and official app has been removed from the main app stores, even if only temporarily.
Telegram X and the App Store: what happened then
On February 1, both Telegram , the Telegram X They disappeared from the App Store. For many hours there was uncertainty about the reason This withdrawal was not entirely clear, but the only certainty was that neither application was available for download and use within the Apple ecosystem. Those who already had the apps installed could continue using them, but they could not be downloaded. download or update.
Not long after, both apps returned to the Apple App Store. Four days later, the reason for their removal was revealed: distribution of child pornography through some public channels and chats. Quite rightly, Apple withdrew the apps until Telegram They were able to cut their losses and both returned, once implemented new protection and filtering systems to prevent that type of content from remaining easily accessible to users.
Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, explained on social media that Apple had notified them of the existence of Inappropriate content accessible and that, until the additional protective measures were installed, the apps would remain outside the App Store. Following the backlash, Telegram further strengthened its moderation in public channels and bots, trying to balance its commitment to privacy with the obligation to comply with app store rules.
Telegram X disappears from the Play Store: what happens now?
Taking into account the precedent set by the situation in Apple Many users wondered what had happened now in Android when, overnight, Telegram X disappeared from the Play StoreAnd here a first important difference appeared: Telegram X just disappearednot the classic Telegram app. Since both are essentially the same messaging platform, it's safe to assume that if a similar case to Apple's involving illegal content were to occur again, Both apps have reportedly been removedHowever, only the experimental app went down, not the classic one.
For several hours, when trying to access the Telegram X listing on Google Play, the user encountered the error message “The requested URL could not be found on this server”In other words, the app's official page had ceased to exist in the store's view. The app became inaccessible for new installations, while those who already had it installed could continue using it normally.
Furthermore, there is another element that we can no longer find: the developer of Telegram XIts Play Store listing was also unavailable. Until now, Telegram had maintained Both teams separated on the Play Store, and the Telegram developer is still active. What all this suggests is that the app's removal came from Telegram's side, not from Telegram's. GoogleOr that Google and Telegram have internally coordinated a technical transition related to the application package and its public listing.
Hours after her disappearance, Telegram X was once again active in the Play Storeas also confirmed in other specialized media outlets. The reinstatement in the store, however, was not accompanied by official explanations, so doubts remained: was it a problem of licenses, content, package change Or was it simply a technical error on the part of Google or the developer?
Remembering the history of Telegram X
challegram it was an unofficial application of Telegram who won a contest organized by the company itself. The challenge was to create a Telegram application using a experimental libraryChallegram took first place, and its developers won €9.00 as a prize. Following this, Telegram decided to acquire the app and the development team to make them an official part of the company and leverage their experience to test new ideas and animations.
The first step was simply to revamp Challegram, adapt its design to align with Telegram's visual identity, and change the name a Telegram XFrom the beginning, he presented himself as a customer. alternative and complementary to classic Telegram: it didn't replace the main application, but rather functioned as a “laboratory” of characteristics where you can try out new features, smoother animations, more efficient battery consumption, and interface changes.
Upon its release, Telegram X was very well received by advanced users. Many highlighted that the application was faster, lighter, and with smoother transitions than the original client. Improvements were also seen in night mode, more intuitive navigation gestures, and a slightly different way of managing chats and tabs. All of this helped Telegram X win followers in a very short timeto the point that some users made it their main client instead of using the classic version.
However, they did not do more, so Telegram X was still a separate app that was grouped outside of Telegram. If you look at the Telegram X linkYou will see that the name refers to challegramAnother example: if you go to OneDrive linkYou will see that it refers to his former name of SkyDriveThis clearly showed that the app relied on a codebase. different to that of standard Telegram, which explained their differences in performance and behavior.
These are the possible causes
It is likely that since Telegram they have simply decided group all your apps under one developer and reorganize the presence of its clients in the various app stores. This establishes a clear location for all Telegram apps, which will be very beneficial for users who are looking for the official client and don't want to be confused by older or experimental versions. When the app is moved from one developer to another, the old URLs disappear and the app listings stop displaying, which on Google Play results in the "URL not found" message.
In Android, there is also a technical limitation: It is not possible to change the package name of an application once it is published. In the case of Telegram X, the package remained org.thunderdog.challegramThis is an unprofessional identifier for an already official Telegram client. The only way to change it is closing the old page and opening a new one with the new package name. This implies that users would have to reinstall the application from scratchsince Google Play would not treat it as an update of the previous app.
Some analysts have also pointed to possible licensing issuesWhile the source code for the main Telegram client is easily accessible and auditable by the community, Telegram X's source code has not been as publicly available, which could conflict with the licenses of some of the libraries used. If that were the case, the temporary withdrawal could have been used to review third-party components and ensure that everything complied with legal requirements.
On the other hand, it cannot be ruled out that something similar to what happened in the past has occurred. Apple and that some content that shouldn't have found its distribution channel in the Android version. Since it's a client that accesses the same network and same serversIt's strange that only one of the apps was affected due to content issues, but community theories include the possibility that Google identified a specific problem, or even that it was a... internal technical failure of the Play Store itself.
Hours after her disappearance, Telegram X was once again active in the Play StoreHowever, the developer's profile remained down for some time, which reinforces the hypothesis of a Internal readjustment of developer accounts, package names, and public tokensIn the absence of an official statement, we can only speculate and consider all the possibilities, although the return to the store indicates that it was not a definitive expulsion or a closure of the project.
Is Telegram X worth it? How can I download it?
If after all this your interest in try Telegram XYou can still download it as long as it's available in your region. Simply go to APK Mirror and download the APK to your mobile device, or go to the Play Store and download it (if it hasn't been taken down again or replaced by another official client). Many users resort to the APK as an alternative When the app doesn't appear in the store, it's important to always verify that the source is reliable to avoid security problems.
If you are interested in knowing What does this application offer compared to classic Telegram?Last January, we did a comparison when the application was released. We already highlighted then that version X integrated Smoother animations, better touch response, more contained battery usage and a different way of organizing chats and navigation gestures, which can be very convenient for those who chat with dozens of groups and channels.
The summary is that Telegram X is a version with better design and fluidityHowever, it falls short in some areas due to its experimental nature, lacking the advantage of several years of development that Telegram enjoys. Some features arrive earlier in the classic app, and occasionally you can find minor errors or unstable behavior Telegram X, precisely because it's used as a testing ground for major new features. In return, users enjoy these features before anyone else. new animations, display modes, and performance settings.
This whole episode of disappearance and reappearance on the Play Store and the App Store has served to highlight how The major platforms control access to apps and how even an official client can be affected by policy changes, content revisions, licensing issues, or simple technical adjustments. For the end user, the main advice is to stay alert to official Telegram communications And in the meantime, consider whether you prefer the stability of the classic client or the constant innovations of Telegram X, always downloading the application from secure sources.