overtake/telegramswift

★ 5,668SwiftAudience · developerComplexity · 4/5LicenseSetup · hard

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((telegramswift))
    What it does
      macOS messaging app
      Send files and media
      Voice and video calls
    Installation
      Mac App Store
      Homebrew install
      Beta test channel
    Permissions used
      Microphone access
      Camera access
      Location sharing
    For developers
      Swift source code
      Fork and customize
      GPL v2 license

mindmap root((telegramswift)) What it does macOS messaging app Send files and media Voice and video calls Installation Mac App Store Homebrew install Beta test channel Permissions used Microphone access Camera access Location sharing For developers Swift source code Fork and customize GPL v2 license

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Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Fork the Telegram macOS app to build your own customized messaging client for Mac with a different name and branding

USE CASE 2

Study how a large native macOS messaging application is structured and architected in Swift

USE CASE 3

Contribute bug fixes or new features to the official Telegram macOS client through the open-source code

Tech stack

SwiftmacOSHomebrew

Getting it running

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1h+

Building from source requires following a separate INSTALL.md and registering your own Telegram API credentials before compiling.

You can read, use, and modify this code freely, but any modified version you distribute must also be open source under the same GPL v2 license.

In plain English

This is the official source code for Telegram's macOS desktop app, written in Apple's Swift programming language. Telegram is a messaging app that lets you send messages, voice messages, files, photos, and your location to other people. The macOS version is a full native app built specifically for Mac computers. You can get the app from the Mac App Store, or install it via package managers like Homebrew if you prefer that approach. There is also a beta version available for people who want to try new features early and are comfortable with occasional bugs. A dedicated group chat exists on Telegram where beta testers can report issues. The app requests only the permissions it actually needs to work: your microphone for voice messages and calls, your camera for setting a profile photo, your location if you choose to share it with friends, and network access to send and receive messages. There is no explanation in the README about data collection beyond these permissions. The code is published under the GNU General Public License version 2, which means anyone can read it, build it, and create their own modified version. If you want to fork and ship your own version, the project asks that you get your own API credentials from Telegram, avoid calling your app "Telegram," use a different logo, and publish your modified source code as the license requires. Build instructions are in a separate INSTALL.md file within the repository. Translations can be contributed through Telegram's official translations platform, and bugs or feature suggestions go to their separate bug-tracking platform.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1

Walk me through the steps to build the Telegram macOS app from source following the INSTALL.md in this repository

Prompt 2

What changes do I need to make to fork telegramswift and publish my own custom macOS messaging app under a different name?

Prompt 3

Where in the telegramswift source code are microphone and camera permissions declared and what entitlements are needed?

Prompt 4

How is the chat message list structured in telegramswift, what view classes or controllers render the conversation timeline?

Prompt 5

How do I get my own API credentials from Telegram so I can build and run a fork of the macOS app?

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