So is Signal and at least that is secure.

And once again, if I need that kind of security I'll seek it out. Telegram is more secure than email and SMS, and more convenient for my use case.

Signal is not feature rich and harder to get people to use. It also lacks the desktop/laptop integration.

Signal has desktop apps now https://signal.org/download/

How do they compare to the telegram desktop client? Are they electron apps?

Telegram is exactly as secure as email. SSL where third party email servers can see your traffic.

Signal requires to provide a phone number (read: disclose your identity to US Government) to use it.

I'm not a US citizen. And there is such a thing as prepaid phones, at least where I'm living.

Signal is missing too many convenient features though, e.g. editing messages.

Why should one be able to edit a message after it is sent in a text-chat app?

Because one is human and one mistypes...

I'm normally on the Signal side of this argument, Telegram is trash and should not be used, but basic features like message editing are legitimate requests. I use Signal heavily and a number of times a day at least I or someone I'm chatting with corrects a previous poorly phrased or incorrectly typed messages. Because Signal has no mechanism for that, it usually involves retyping most of the message or the relevant word and adding an asterisk. I believe if Signal had built-in message editing support it would be used far more than I currently see corrections.

To be clear, I would expect Signal to allow me to see previous versions of a message and clearly indicate that it's been changed, but message editing is a valid feature that Signal should absolutely implement.

I've been retyping the offending word and adding * since I started using chat programs 20 years ago, and in every program since...I would think allowing messages to be edited after the fact would allow more problems than solving simple grammar or spelling mistakes most people can think around anyways.

I'd imagine I would have thought the same thing before I actively used a messaging tool that supports message editing (I use Slack for work)

Further, the goal of Signal is not to work well for people who are accustomed to the various quirks of text-based communications that have existed since forever, but to provide a secure, modern communication client that normies don't find difficult to use. Message editing has become a standard feature of any usable modern messaging client.

I don't think I ever used a message service that allows you to edit messages.

I thought so, too. But after using Telegram for 3 years as my main messenger: No, it really is very convenient.

Because people make (sometimes embarrassing) mistakes all the time. These circumstances can be saved if recipient hasn't read the message, and if they already have, can have a face-saving effect.

Embrace the mistakes and have a laugh!

And a desktop app that isn't Electron trash.