Basic Groups and Supergroups

Telegram offers two types of group chats: basic groups and supergroups, each designed for specific needs. Whether you’re a casual user or a community manager, understanding their differences will help you manage your Telegram groups more effectively. Here’s a comprehensive tutorial to guide you through the features, functionalities, and transitions between the two types.

What Are Telegram Groups?

Telegram groups allow multiple users to chat simultaneously in a single thread. Unlike one-on-one chats, groups can host conversations among two or more participants. However, Telegram’s group functionality goes beyond just chatting, offering two distinct group types—basic groups and supergroups.

By default, all new groups start as basic groups, but they can be upgraded to supergroups based on certain actions or requirements.

Features of Basic Groups

1. Participant Limit: Basic groups can have up to 200 members.

2. Privacy: Basic groups are always private. Only invited users can join.

3. Message Visibility: New members cannot see messages sent before they joined the group.

4. Message Links: Links to specific messages cannot be copied.

5. Message Deletion:

• Members can delete their own messages for all participants.
• Administrators can delete any message for all participants.
• Members can delete messages in “self-only” mode, making them invisible to themselves but visible to others.

6. Group Limit Exemption: Basic groups do not count toward the maximum limit of groups and channels a user can join (500 for regular users, 1,000 for Telegram Premium subscribers).

7. Boosting: Basic groups cannot be boosted.

Automatic Upgrade to Supergroup: Certain actions, such as adding more members or changing privacy settings, will convert a basic group into a supergroup. This transition is automatic and irreversible.

Features of Supergroups

1. Participant Limit: Supergroups can host up to 200,000 members.

2. Privacy Options: Supergroups can be private or public.

3. Permissions and Moderation:

• Restrict specific participant rights (e.g., block voice messages).
• Ban users by adding them to the group’s blacklist.
• Adjust permissions for all members at once.

4. Administrative Tools:

• Assign custom role names to administrators.
• Access the Recent Actions log to monitor admin activities.

5. Message Links: Links to messages can be copied for messages sent after the group became a supergroup.

6. Chat History Visibility: Admins can set whether new members can view the chat history.

7. Message Deletion:

• Administrators can delete multiple messages simultaneously and report spam.
• Members can only delete their own messages for all participants.

8. Group Limit Inclusion: Supergroups are included in the maximum group and channel count.

9. Boosting: Supergroups can be boosted for enhanced features.

How to Identify the Type of Group

Determining whether a group is a basic group or a supergroup is simple:

• Send a new message in the group.
• Click the message options (three dots or long press).
• If you see a Copy Link option, the group is a supergroup. If the option is absent, it’s a basic group.

Actions That Convert a Basic Group to a Supergroup

Several actions automatically upgrade a basic group to a supergroup:

1. Adding More Members: Exceeding 200 members converts the group.
2. Changing Privacy Settings: Switching a group to public will upgrade it, even if you later revert to private.
3. Modifying Chat History: Changing the visibility of chat history for new members.
4. Assigning Admin Roles: Adding custom role names for administrators.
5. Adjusting Permissions: Altering member permissions.
6. Enabling Slow Mode: Setting a message frequency limit.
7. Linking a Channel: Associating the group with a Telegram channel.
8. Enabling Topics: Organizing discussions into topics.
9. Shared Chats Folder: Adding the group to a shared folder.

Things to Note When Converting a Group

Transitioning a basic group to a supergroup can cause certain changes:

1. Media Tab Issues: Media shared before the upgrade may disappear from the Media tab but remains accessible in the chat.
2. Message Permissions: Messages sent before the upgrade might lose options like editing or pinning.
3. Desktop View Glitch: On Telegram Desktop, two separate chats with the same name may temporarily appear. Restarting the app usually resolves this.
4. Digital ID Change: The group’s digital ID changes during conversion, as a new supergroup is created and linked to the original group.

Conclusion

Whether you need a small, private group for close friends or a large public group for a growing community, Telegram’s basic groups and supergroups provide the flexibility to meet your needs. Understanding their features and how to manage them effectively ensures you can leverage Telegram to its fullest potential.

If you found this guide helpful, share it with other Telegram users and help them master their group management skills!