Telegram's desktop app now a direct Skype competitor

Telegram have posted an update to their Windows Desktop app on GitHub which brings VOIP calling, bringing the client on par with the iOS and Android versions.

The update to version 1.1.0 brings:

• Telegram Calls are now available on desktops: secure, crystal-clear, constantly improved by artificial intelligence.
• The new Emoji, Stickers, and Saved GIFs panel becomes a separate space on the right when Telegram is running in a wide enough window.
• Manage blocked users list in your supergroups.
• Chat admins can delete messages by other members.

The app features:

• Fast: Telegram is the fastest messaging app on the market because it uses a distributed infrastructure with data centers positioned around the globe to connect users to the closest possible server.
• Secure We made it our mission to provide the best security among mass messengers. Telegram heavily encrypts all your data with time-tested algorithms.
• Cloud Storage: Telegram seamlessly syncs across all your devices, so you can always securely access your data. Your message history is stored for free in the Telegram cloud. Never lose your data again!
• Group Chat & Sharing: With Telegram, you can form large group chats of up to 200 members, send broadcasts to up to 100 contacts at a time, quickly share large videos, documents (.doc, .ppt, .zip, etc.), and send an unlimited amount of photos to your friends.
• Reliable: Built to deliver your messages in the minimum bytes possible, Telegram is the most reliable messaging system ever made. It works even on the weakest mobile connections.
• 100% free and no ads: Telegram is free and will always be free. We are not going to sell ads or introduce subscription fees.
• Privacy: We take your privacy seriously and will never give third parties access to your data.

The Telegram Desktop app recently came to the Windows Store as a Centennial app, which offers automatic updates and wouldn’t need to manually update the app every now and then. Additionally, Telegram will also now be able to tap into some of the Windows 10 APIs such as live tiles, Cortana, etc. It is not clear if that version is updated yet, but if not it should be shortly.

It is not clear when the feature is coming to Windows Phone, but there is some evidence that this could be soon.

You can get the app from the Windows Store here or the very freshest version from GitHub here.