Skipping discussion about "actual security": vendor lock-in & network effects. None of my peers uses Signal for everyday communication. Quite a few use Telegram, +Telegram channels & conferences, bots, and, well, honestly, it's really quite nice app to use. So, yeah. It's sad.

But in fairness, you cannot really claim that Signal is actually secure just because it has a better encryption.

True. Then again, Telegram really has no encryption at all, since no one uses the secret chats. So he probably meant something like "why not use an app that actually tries to do what it claims to?".

It actually has encryption. Just not end-to-end by default.

That's why I chose to skip discussion about "actual security" in favor of answering the actual question somebody asked. I agree with your point completely.

I've nothing bad to say about Signal. If it supports all the same features I guess that would be a better choice as their crypto seems to be thoroughly verified. (Disclaimer: I am not a cryptographer.)

Telegram just happen to be what my friends and family standardized on after WhatsApp failed on their stated mission.

Signal asks for so many permissions that I am afraid Marvin is on the NSA hook.

Contacts, media, and phone. Basic functionality of a messaging app.

According to the link that /u/mintplant provided, Signal asks for a lot more permissions than that:

• find accounts on the device

• read your own contact card

• modify your own contact card

• read calendar events plus confidential information

• add or modify calendar events and send email to guests without owners' knowledge

• find accounts on the device

• read your contacts

• modify your contacts

• approximate location (network-based)

• precise location (GPS and network-based)

• read your text messages (SMS or MMS)

• receive text messages (MMS)

• receive text messages (SMS)

• send SMS messages

• edit your text messages (SMS or MMS)

• directly call phone numbers

• reroute outgoing calls

• read call log

• read phone status and identity

• read the contents of your USB storage

• modify or delete the contents of your USB storage

• take pictures and videos

• record audio

• view Wi-Fi connections

• read phone status and identity

• send WAP-PUSH-received broadcast

• receive data from internet

• view network connections

• create accounts and set passwords

• pair with Bluetooth devices

• send sticky broadcast

• change network connectivity

• connect and disconnect from Wi-Fi

• disable your screen lock

• full network access

• change your audio settings

• read sync settings

• run at startup

• set wallpaper

• use accounts on the device

• control vibration

• prevent device from sleeping

• toggle sync on and off

Yeah, but when I deny most of those permissions to Telegram it continues to operate exactly as I'd expect (e.g., denying contacts means I need to manually enter anyone I want to contact; when I deny SMS permission I need to manually retype the code I receive in Telegram).

Signal just became broken/a pain in the ass. It's been a while, I just know I couldn't actually get to a point where I could send someone a message without granting it unnecessary permissions so I gave up and uninstalled it.

Like every other chat application, networks effects.

I could switch to Signal today but I'd be talking to myself only.

Indeed, it's entirely possible to get some % of your contacts to install it though. Every little helps :-)

I can't speak for others, but I use it because I wanted a WhatsApp alternative after they were bought by Facebook. At the time I don't think signal was available yet. Now there's a critical mass of family and friends using telegram and it's a lot harder to move to something else. Besides, your average end user probably doesn't care about FSB spying on them because they have "nothing to hide"

I tried signal once, and it refused to even start without me allowing it to steal my address book.

I don’t think it does that anymore - my signal has nothing in it.

Signal still requires access to read (and modify!) your contacts.