New xkcd, straight to Telegram

What it is

xkcd is the long-running webcomic about science, maths, technology and language, published on xkcd.com for over two decades and now past 3,300 strips. This Telegram channel is unofficial — its description says so plainly — and posts each new comic automatically within minutes of it going up. It has around 17.4K subscribers.

Why we picked it

Half the joy of xkcd is the hidden alt text, the extra punchline that pops up when you hover over the image. On a phone it's easy to miss. This channel delivers each strip as three messages: the number and title, the comic itself, then the alt text on its own. You get the whole joke every time.

Recent strips show how wide the range is: an aerospace engineering flowchart, a Tyrannosaurus, another instalment of the stargazing series, Voyager's instruments, and a "slab graveyard" that turns plate tectonics and mantle plumes into a theme-park ride. New comics come out a few times a week, so the feed never gets noisy.

The one downside: it's a mirror, with no discussion or explanation. If a joke goes over your head, you'll need to look up an explainer yourself.

Where to start

• Read the last five or six strips in a row, alt text included.
• If one stumps you, search its number — there's a big fan-run wiki that explains every strip.
• Forward the science ones to colleagues; the format makes that easy.
• Turn notifications on — there are few posts and they never get annoying.

Who it's for

Engineers, programmers, scientists and STEM students. Anyone who likes humour that makes you think for a second. People who want their xkcd without opening a browser.

Quick answers

Is this run by the xkcd author? No. The channel describes itself as unofficial.

How often do comics appear? A few times a week, right after they're published on the site.

Does it include the alt text? Yes, as a separate message after each comic.