Telegram FAQ

This FAQ provides answers to basic questions about Telegram.
Check out our advanced FAQ for more technical information.

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Telegram is constantly evolving and adding new features, so this document may contain outdated information. We expect to complete updates to the FAQ, bot manual, and other documentation within a few months.

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General Questions

Q: What is Telegram? What do I do here?

Telegram is a messaging app focused on speed and security. It's super fast, simple, and free. Use Telegram on all your devices simultaneously. Your messages sync seamlessly across any number of phones, tablets, or computers. With over 700 million monthly active users, Telegram is one of the 10 most downloaded apps in the world.

With Telegram, you can send any type of message, photo, video, and file (doc, zip, mp3, etc.), as well as create groups for up to 200,000 people or channels to broadcast to an unlimited audience. You can write to your phone contacts and find people by username . Telegram is like a combination of SMS and email, meeting all your personal or business messaging needs. We also support end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls , as well as group voice chats for thousands of participants.

Follow our Tips channel to learn more about Telegram features.

Q: Who is Telegram suitable for?

Telegram is for everyone who wants fast and reliable messaging and calling . Business users and small teams may appreciate the large groups, usernames , desktop app , and powerful file sharing options.

Because Telegram groups can have up to 200,000 members , we support replies, mentions, and hashtags. Anyone can join, making it a powerful platform for discussion and feedback. Public groups help these communities thrive peacefully. With advanced tools, you can appoint efficient administrators who help maintain order and communication in large communities.

If you prefer images, Telegram offers animated GIF search , a state-of-the-art photo editor, and an open sticker platform (find some cool stickers here or here ). Plus, there's no need to worry about disk space on your device. With Telegram's cloud support and cache management options , Telegram takes up almost zero space on your phone.

Those seeking extra privacy should check out our advanced settings and our rather revolutionary policy of self-destructing messages, photos and videos - and use extra devices. Password Secret Chats If you want to stay private, try our device-specific passwords .

We're constantly evolving - check out our brief history on Telegram and follow us on Twitter to stay in touch .

Q: How is Telegram different from WhatsApp?

Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram is a cloud-based messenger with seamless synchronization . Therefore, you can access your messages from multiple devices at the same time (including tablets and computers) and share an unlimited number of photos, videos, and files (doc, zip, mp3, etc.) up to 2 GB each .

Telegram requires less than 100 MB of space on your device - you can keep all your media in the cloud without deleting anything - just clear the cache to free up space .

It's faster and more secure thanks to Telegram's multi-data center infrastructure and encryption . Best of all, private messaging on Telegram is free and always will be free—no ads, no subscription fees, forever.

Telegram's API and code are open, and developers are welcome to create their own Telegram apps. We also have a Bot API , a platform for developers that allows anyone to easily build specialized tools for Telegram, integrate with any service , and even accept payments from users around the world .

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Follow our Tips channel to learn more about Telegram features.

Q: How long has Telegram been around?

Telegram for iOS was launched on August 14, 2013. The alpha version of Telegram for Android was officially launched on October 20, 2013. More and more Telegram clients have emerged, with independent developers using Telegram to build open platforms .

Q: What devices can I use?

Q: What devices can I use? iOS (11.0 and later), Android (6.0 and later), native macOS app , and universal desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Telegram Web can also help you quickly perform certain actions on the go.

Access Telegram from as many devices as you want — all at once . Just log in everywhere with your primary phone number, and your cloud chats will be instantly synced.

The Telegram API is open to developers if you want to build your own applications for other platforms.

Q: Who is behind Telegram?

Telegram is backed by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai. Pavel supports Telegram financially and ideologically, while Nikolai invests technically. To make Telegram possible, Nikolai developed a unique custom data protocol that is open, secure, and optimized for operation across multiple data centers. As a result, Telegram combines security, reliability, and speed on any network.

See also: Articles about Telegram

Q: Where is Telegram headquartered?

The Telegram development team is based in Dubai.

Most of the developers behind Telegram originally hail from St. Petersburg, a city renowned for its unprecedented number of highly skilled engineers . Due to local IT regulations, the Telegram team had to leave Russia and has since explored various locations as a base, including Berlin, London, and Singapore. We're currently happy with Dubai, but we're prepared to relocate again if local regulations change.

Q: Will there be ads in my private chats and groups? Or sell my data? Or steal my loved ones and enslave my children?

No. Please see this article for details.

Q: How do you plan to make money from this?

We believe in fast, secure and 100% free messaging.

Our founder and CEO Pavel Durov , who has been funding Telegram for most of its history, outlined his strategy for making Telegram sustainable in this article .

Following this plan, Telegram implemented a sustainable form of monetization that prioritizes users:

• In 2021, Telegram launched Sponsored Messages — minimalist, privacy-focused ads that can appear in certain public channels.
• In 2022, Telegram launched premium subscriptions that users can purchase to support the app and unlock additional exclusive features.

These revenue streams help us cover infrastructure costs and developer salaries, but profitability was never Telegram's ultimate goal.

Learn more about subscriptions in the Telegram Premium FAQ .

Q: What are your thoughts on online privacy?

We believe the two most important components of internet privacy are:

1. Protect your private conversations from snooping third parties (e.g. officials, employers, etc.).
2. Protect your personal data from third parties (e.g. marketers, advertisers, etc.).

Telegram's goal is to create a truly free communication tool with a revolutionary privacy policy .

Q: What about GDPR?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect in Europe on May 25, 2018. Since taking back our privacy rights is why we created Telegram, we don't need to change much. We don't use your data for ad targeting, we don't sell it to others, and we are not affiliated with any organization. Mafia family "The corporate family."

Telegram only retains the information it needs to operate as a feature-rich cloud service. For example, your cloud chats—so you can access them from any device without using third-party backups—or your contacts—so you can rely on your existing social graph when messaging people on Telegram. See our privacy policy for more information.

You can use @EURegulation to:

• Request a copy of all data stored by Telegram.
• For information about data privacy, please contact us.

Q: There's illegal content on Telegram. How do I remove it?

All Telegram chats and group chats are private between participants. We do not process any requests related to them.

However, for sticker sets , channels , and bots, please contact us via the public [email protected]

You can also use the "Report" button within our app, see this post on our official @ISISwatch channel for details.

NOTE: If a scammer is impersonating you, please contact @NoToScam

Q: How do I send a request under EU Regulation 2021/784?

Regulation (EU) 2021/784 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 on tackling the dissemination of terrorist content online (the Terrorist Content Online Regulation, or TCO Regulation) allows EU national authorities to send removal requests for terrorist content if it is found on Telegram's public platform. We have also appointed a third-party, the European Digital Services Representative (EDSR), to assist us with TCO-related communications.

Users whose publications have been removed under the TCO Regulation can request details about why their publications were deemed terrorist and how to challenge the removal:

• Write to EDSR, Avenue Huart Hamoir 71, 1030 Brussels, Belgium, or
• By contacting the @EURegulation bot on Telegram and using the commands /tco_ask .

Q: A bot or channel is infringing my copyright. What should I do?

All Telegram chats and group chats are private between participants. We do not process any requests related to them. However, sticker sets , channels , and bots on Telegram are public .

If you find that a bot, channel, or sticker set infringes your copyright, please submit a request to [email protected] . Please note that such requests may only be submitted by the copyright owner or an authorized agent acting on the owner's behalf.

Q: Wait! 0_o Do you process removal requests from third parties?

Our mission is to provide a secure way to communicate anywhere on the planet. To do this where it's needed most (and to continue distributing Telegram through the App Store and Google Play), we must process legitimate requests to remove illegal public in-app content (such as sticker packs, bots, and channels). For example, we might remove sticker packs or porn bots that infringe intellectual property rights.

User-uploaded sticker sets, channels, and bots from third-party developers are not part of the core Telegram UI. Whenever we receive inquiries about the legality of public content through [email protected] or [email protected] , we will conduct the necessary legal checks and remove it if we deem it appropriate.

Please note that this does not apply to local restrictions on free speech. For example, if criticizing the government is illegal in certain countries, Telegram will not engage in such politically motivated censorship. This goes against the original principles of our founders. While we do block terrorist bots and channels (such as those associated with ISIS), we will not block anyone peacefully expressing a different opinion.

Q: My bot or sticker set was unfairly banned, what do I do?

If you feel your bot, channel, or sticker set has been banned for no reason, please email [email protected] .

Q: Do you process data requests?

Secret Chats use end-to-end encryption, so we don't have any data to reveal.

To protect data not covered by end-to-end encryption, Telegram uses a distributed infrastructure. Cloud chat data is stored in multiple data centers around the world, controlled by different legal entities in various jurisdictions. The associated decryption keys are fragmented and never stored in the same location as the data they protect. Therefore, multiple court orders from different jurisdictions would be required to compel us to relinquish any data.

Thanks to this structure, we can ensure that no single government or group of like-minded countries can infringe on people’s privacy and freedom of expression. Telegram will only be forced to give up data if the problem is severe and widespread enough to pass scrutiny across multiple different legal systems around the world.

To date, we have disclosed 0 bytes of user data to third parties, including governments.

Telegram Basics

Follow our Tips channel to learn more about Telegram features.

Q: Who can I write to?

You can write to people in your phone's contacts who have Telegram. Another way to contact people is to type their Telegram username in the search field - you don't need to know their phone number to do this.

Q: Who can contact me?

If people know your phone number or you message them first or you message them first .

If they don't know your phone number, they can find you if:

• When you are all members of the same group .
• If you set a public username , others can use global search to find you by your username.
• If you opt in to the Appearing Nearby People section ( off by default ).

Q: How do I know who among my contacts has Telegram?

Your contacts (who have Telegram) will be shown at the top of your contacts. They also have photos.

Q: How do I invite my friends?

iOS: The basic invitation is a simple text message. Your carrier will charge standard outgoing text messages (unless sent via iMessage). Of course, you have other options for inviting your friends here. Try sending them the download link via any other messaging service: email, Facebook, WhatsApp, actual Telegram—you name it. Link: https://telegram.org/dl/

Android: Open the app menu (swipe right in the chat list) > Open the app menu (swipe right in the chat list.

You can provide your friends with a t.me link using your username so they can easily find you on Telegram even if they don't know your phone number.

Q: What does the check mark mean?

Once checked — the message has been sent to the Telegram cloud and, if your friend has allowed notifications, has received a notification.
Twice checked — the message has been read (your friend has opened Telegram and opened the conversation containing the message).

We don't have a "deliver to device" option. Message status, because Telegram can run on any number of devices. So what exactly does this check refer to?

Q: Can I hide my "last seen" time?

You can choose who can see this information in your Privacy & Security settings.

Keep in mind that you won't see the "last seen" timestamp for people you don't share yourself with. However, you will see an approximation of the last seen. This can keep stalkers away, but it can give you an idea of ​​whether you can reach someone via Telegram. There are four possible approximations:

• Recently Viewed - covers anything between 1 second to 2-3 days old
• Last seen within a week - between 2-3 and 7 days
• Last seen within a month - between 6-7 days and a month
• Last seen a long time ago - over a month ago (this will also always be shown to blocked users)

Q: Who can see me "online"?

The Last Seen rule also applies to your online status. People can only see you online if you share your last seen status with them.

There are some exceptions, however, because sometimes it's obvious that you're online. Regardless of your last seen setting, people will see you online for a brief period (about 30 seconds) if you do the following:

• Send them a message in a one-on-one chat or in a group you're both members of.
• Read the messages they send you in one-on-one chats.
• Broadcast a "Typing..." status to their chat with you or a group you're both members of.

If you don't share your last seen timestamp with someone and don't do any of the above, they will never see you online. Another way to achieve this is to block that person.

Q: What are nearby people?

People Nearby is an optional feature that allows Telegram users to explore local groups , find friends to chat with in their area, or quickly exchange contacts with close people.

You can find it in Contacts > Find people nearby , as well as directly in the side menu on Android.

When you open the Nearby People section on the screen , people who are very close to you will be able to see you there – making it easy to exchange contacts. Never see Nearby People again.

Note: People Nearby is never turned on by default - users must enable it manually. If you receive messages from strangers, see Q: Who can contact me?

You can also tap Make yourself visible to permanently add your profile to the list of nearby people. Once visible, you can remove your profile from the list at any time by tapping Stop showing me .

To protect user privacy, People Nearby always displays the distance to your approximate location within an area up to 800 meters in diameter . This is affected by latitude, so if you're broadcasting your location from the Arctic Circle, it might be as close as 300 meters.)

Q: Can I delete my messages?

Yes. You can delete any message you sent or received in a one-on-one conversation at any time (in a group , it's still just your messages). You can also clear the entire chat history on both ends. On Telegram, deleted messages leave no trace in the chat.

Combined with privacy settings for forwarded messages , this makes exchanging Telegram messages akin to face-to-face conversations (without a recorder). This way, users no longer have to worry about the data accumulated over years of chats. Both parties in the conversation have complete control over what content belongs to their online identity and what does not.

Q: Can I make calls through Telegram?

Yes! You can make end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls .

If you want more participants, try starting a voice chat in one of your created groups . Voice chats add short, real-time conversations to groups. They can serve as a virtual office space for your team or an informal breakout room for any community. While voice chats aren't group calls, they can achieve similar goals.

Q: How do I use emojis?

Type a word in the input field to get related emoji suggestions . You can also open emoji search by typing “:” followed by any keyword - for example: heart .

You can use this interface to suggest missing emoji keywords in your language (this will turn on English suggestions, don't forget to change to your language in the left menu).

Groups and Channels

Q: What makes Telegram groups cool?

Telegram groups, which can have up to 200,000 members each , are extremely powerful communication tools. Here are some of the key features that make them stand out in the messaging world:

Unified History
Edit your messages after posting to delete them so they're gone for everyone.

Cross-Platform Availability
Access your messages from any number of mobile or desktop devices at any time.

Instant search
Find the message you're looking for even among millions of messages. Filter by sender to make searching easier.

Replies, mentions, hashtags
make it easy to track conversations and keep communication efficient, no matter the size of the group.

Smart Notifications
Mute the group and only get notified when someone mentions you or replies to your message.

Pin Messages
You can pin any message to appear at the top of your chat screen. All members will be notified - even if they have muted normal messages from your group.

Moderation Tools
Designated administrators can bulk delete messages, control membership, and pin important messages. Define their administrative permissions precisely.

Group Permissions
Set default permissions to restrict all members from posting specific types of content. Or even completely restrict members from sending messages and let admins chat with each other while others watch.

File Sharing
Send and receive files of any type, up to 2 GB each, and access them instantly on other devices.

Public Groups
Get your group's id and make it public, for example t.me/publictestgroup . This way anyone can view the group's entire chat history and join and post messages.

Customization with Bots Use our Bot API and inline bots
to create custom tools for any specific need.

Q: What is the difference between a group and a channel?

Telegram groups are great for sharing content with friends and family or for small team collaboration. But groups can also grow very large, supporting communities of up to 200,000 members. You can make any group public, toggle persistent history to control whether new members have access to older messages, and designate administrators with granular permissions . You can also pin important messages to the top of the screen so all members, including those who just joined, can see them.

Channels are tools for disseminating information to a large audience. A channel can have an unlimited number of subscribers. When you post to a channel, your message is signed with the channel's name and photo, not your own. Each message in a channel has a view counter that is updated every time a message is viewed, including any forwarded copies.

Learn more about channels in the Channels FAQ »

Q: How do I create a group?

iOS: Start a new message (tap the icon in the top right corner of a chat) > "New group."
Android: Tap the circular pencil icon in your chat list > "New group. "
Telegram Desktop: Tap the menu button in the top left corner > "New group."

Q: Can I designate an administrator?

You can add administrators to help you manage your groups and precisely define their permissions.

iOS: Go to the group message (tap your photo in the top-right corner of the group chat screen) > Edit > Moderators.
Android: Go to the group message (tap your name in the header) > Pencil icon (top-right corner) > Moderators.
Telegram Desktop: In the group, click "..." in the top-right corner > Manage group > Moderators.

Q: How do I add more members? What is an invitation link?

You can add your contacts, or use search by username .

By sending people an invite link . Join the group by sending them an invite link > Add members > Invite by link.

Anyone with Telegram installed can join your group using this link. If you choose to revoke the link, it will stop working immediately.

Read more about invite links in our blog »

Username and time

Q: What is a username? How can I get one?

You can set a public username on Telegram . Other users can then find you using this username, and you'll appear in searches under "Global Results." Please note that people who find you can still message you even if they don't know your phone number. If you're not comfortable with this, we recommend not setting a username on Telegram.

You can set your username in Settings and search chats, messages, and usernames using the universal search box in your chat list.

Q: What are favorite usernames? How are they different from basic usernames?

Bookmarkable usernames work just like basic usernames ; they appear in global search results and have their own links that can be used outside of Telegram: username.t.me and t.me/username.

They can be bought and sold through third-party platforms like Fragment , providing a simple and secure way to acquire and exchange valuable Telegram domains. Acquiring a collectible username grants permanent ownership, verified by the TON blockchain. Owners of collectible usernames are free to assign them to chats , sell them to others, or retain them for later use.

Q: How does t.me work?

Once you've set up your username, you can give people links to t.me/username or username.t.me . Opening either of these links on their phone will automatically launch their Telegram app and start a chat with you. You can share your username link with friends, write it on a business card, or put it on your website. This way, people can contact you through Telegram without knowing your phone number.

This way people can contact you through Telegram without knowing your phone number.

If you don't want to set a public username and don't mind sharing your number, you can also create a t.me link using your phone number in international format , such as t.me/+123456789 . This type of link can quickly open a chat with you from any app; however, it only works if your privacy settings allow others to find you by your phone number.

Q: What can I use as my username?

You can use az, 0-9 and underscores. Usernames are not case sensitive, but Telegram will store your case preference (eg Telegram and TeleGram are the same user).

Q: Do I need a username?

You don't have to buy one. Remember that Telegram usernames are public, and choosing a username on Telegram allows people to find you in global searches and send you messages, even if they don't have your number. If you're not comfortable with this, we recommend not setting a username.

Q: If someone finds me by username, message and I respond, will they know my phone number?

No. Neither party will see the other's phone number (unless your privacy settings allow it ). This is similar to when you send a message to someone you know in a Telegram group.

Q: How do I delete my username?

Go to Settings and save a blank username. This will delete your username; people will no longer be able to find you through search. This will not affect existing conversations.

Q: What if my username is stolen?

There are two types of usernames on Telegram: basic usernames and favorite usernames .

Basic Username

Telegram Basic usernames are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

We understand that certain usernames are part of some of our online identities. If the username you want is already taken and not registered as a favorite , we can help you get it for your account or channel, provided you already have the same username on at least two of the following services: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Because multiple bot and channel usernames can be registered to a single account, we reserve the right to recall usernames assigned to unused bots and channels, as well as usernames that are publicly squatted.
To request a username, please contact @Username_bot .

Collectible Usernames
If you would like a collectible username but it is already taken you should check if it is available for sale We cannot assign collectible usernames, they are only managed by their respective owners .

Q: What if someone is impersonating me?

If a scammer is impersonating you, please contact @NoToScam .

Safety

If you are an advanced user, you may find our If you are an advanced user, you may find our useful as well.

Q: How secure is Telegram?

Telegram is more secure than mass-market messengers like WhatsApp and Line. We're based on the MTProto protocol (see instructions and advanced FAQ ), built on time-tested algorithms that combine security with high-speed transmission and reliability over weak connections. We're continually working with the community to improve the security of our protocol and client.

Q: What if I'm more paranoid than your average user?

We've got you covered. Telegram's special Secret Chats use end-to-end encryption, leave no trace on our servers, support self-destructing messages, and don't allow forwarding. Best of all, Secret Chats aren't part of the Telegram cloud and can only be accessed on their original device.

Q: So how do you encrypt data?

We support two layers of security encryption for cloud chats (private and group chats). We support two layers of security encryption for cloud chats (private and group chats) . All data, regardless of type, is encrypted in the same way—whether it's text, media, or files.

Our encryption is based on 256-bit symmetric AES encryption, 2048-bit RSA encryption, and Diffie-Hellman secure key exchange. You can find more information in the Advanced FAQ .

See also: Do ​​you process data requests?

Q: Why should I believe you?

Telegram is open, allowing anyone to inspect our source code , protocols , and APIs to understand how everything works and make informed decisions. Telegram supports verifiable builds , which enables experts to independently verify that the code we publish on GitHub is the exact same code used to build the app you download from the App Store or Google Play .

We welcome security experts to audit our systems and welcome any feedback at [email protected]

Most importantly, Telegram's primary goal is not to generate profit , so commercial interests will never interfere with our mission.

See also: Articles about Telegram

Q: Do I need to trust Telegram to be safe?

When it comes to Secret Chats , you don't need to - just make sure the visual key for your Secret Chat matches the key in your friend's Secret Chat settings. More on this below .

Q: What if my hacker friend says they can decipher Telegram messages?

Please see this page for the latest details about the Telegram Bug Bounty Program .

Anyone who claims that Telegram messages can be decrypted is welcome to prove it in our competition and win $300,000 . You can check out the cracking contest instructions for more information.

We welcome any feedback on Telegram's security by emailing [email protected] . All commits resulting in code or configuration changes are eligible for bounties ranging from $100 to $100,000 or more, depending on the severity of the issue. Please note that we cannot offer bounties for issues disclosed to the public before they are resolved.

Q: Does Telegram protect me from everything?

Telegram helps with data transmission and secure communications. This means that all data you send and receive through Telegram (including media and files) cannot be decrypted if intercepted by your internet service provider, the owner of the Wi-Fi router you're connected to, or other third parties.

But remember, we can't protect you from your mother if she takes your unlocked phone without your password. Or from your IT department if they access your computer at work. Or from anyone else who has physical or virtual access to your phone or computer running Telegram .

If you have reason to be concerned about your personal security, we strongly recommend that you only use Secret Chats with official or at least verifiable open-source apps for sensitive information, preferably with a self-destruct timer . We also recommend enabling two-step verification and setting a strong password to lock your apps, both of which you can find in Settings > Privacy & Security.

Q: How does two-step verification work?

Logging in with an SMS code is the industry standard for messaging, but if you're looking for greater security or have reason to be suspicious of your mobile operator or government, we recommend protecting your cloud chats with an additional password.

You can do this in Settings > Privacy & Security > Two-Step Verification . Once enabled, you'll need a text message code and password to log in. You can also set up a recovery email address to help you regain access if you forget your password. If you do this, it's important to remember that the recovery email account is also protected by a strong password and two-step verification, if possible.

Check out this content for tips on creating strong, memorable passwords.

Q: Why are jailbroken and rooted devices dangerous?

Using a rooted or jailbroken device makes it easier for a potential attacker to gain full administrative control of your device – root access .

Users with root access can easily bypass security features built into the operating system, read process memory, or access restricted areas such as internal storage . Once an attacker gains root access, any efforts to mitigate the threat become futile. In this situation, no application can be considered secure, no matter how strong the encryption.

Secret Chat

Q: How are Secret Chats different?

Secret Chats are for those who prefer a more private life than the average person. All messages in a Secret Chat are end-to-end encrypted. This means only you and the recipient can read them—no one else can decipher them, including us at Telegram ( more information here ). Furthermore, messages from a Secret Chat cannot be forwarded. When you delete messages on one side of the conversation, the apps on the other side of the Secret Chat are also instructed to delete them.

You can command your messages, photos, videos, and files to self-destruct a set amount of time after they've been read or opened by the recipient . The message will then disappear from your and your friend's devices.

All secret chats in Telegram are device-specific and not part of the Telegram cloud. This means you can only access messages in a secret chat from their originating device. As long as your device is securely in your pocket, they're safe.

Q: How do I start a secret chat?

Open the profile of the person you want to contact. Tap "...", then tap "Start Secret Chat."

Remember, Telegram Secret Chats are device-specific. If you start a Secret Chat with a friend on one of your devices, it will only be available on that device. If you log out, you will lose all your Secret Chat history. You can create as many different Secret Chats with the same contact as you like.

Q: How do self-destructing messages work?

The self-destruct timer applies to all messages in Secret Chats and media in Private Cloud Chats.

To set a timer, simply tap the clock icon (an input field on iOS, the top bar on Android) and select the desired time limit. When the message appears on the recipient's screen, the clock starts ticking (with two checkmarks). Once the timer expires, the message disappears from both devices. If you take a screenshot, we'll attempt to send a notification.

Please note that the timer in Secret Chats only applies to messages sent after the timer is set ; it has no effect on earlier messages.

Q: Can I be sure that my conversation partner doesn't take a screenshot?

Unfortunately, on some systems, particularly some Android and Windows Phone devices, there's no foolproof way to detect screenshots. We'll do our best to alert you about screenshots taken in Secret Chats, but it's still possible to bypass these notifications and silently capture screenshots. We recommend only sharing sensitive information with people you trust. After all, there's no way to prevent people from taking photos of your screen using different devices or older cameras.

Q: What is an "encryption key"?

When you create a Secret Chat, participating devices exchange encryption keys using what's called a Diffie-Hellman key exchange . Once a secure end-to-end connection is established, we generate an image that visualizes the encryption key for your chat. You can then compare this image with your friend's image—if the two images are identical, you can be sure the Secret Chat is secure and that man-in-the-middle attacks won't succeed.

Newer versions of the Telegram app will display a larger picture along with a text representation of the key (of course, this is not the key itself!) when both participants are using the updated app.

Always use a known secure channel to compare visualizations - it's safest if you compare in person, in an offline meeting with your conversation partner.

Q: Why not make all chats secret?

All Telegram messages are always securely encrypted. Messages in Secret Chats use client-client encryption, while Cloud Chats use client-server/server-client encryption and are stored encrypted in the Telegram Cloud (more information here ) . This makes your Cloud messages both secure and instantly accessible from any of your devices—even if you completely lose them.

The problem of restoring access to chat history on a newly connected device (for example, if you lose your phone) lacks an elegant solution within the end-to-end encryption paradigm. At the same time, reliable backups are essential features of any mass-market communication tool. To address this, some apps (such as WhatsApp and Viber) allow decryptable backups , which puts their users' privacy at risk—even if they don't enable backups themselves. Other apps completely ignore the need for backups, leaving users vulnerable to data loss.

We've chosen a third approach, offering two different types of chats. Telegram disables default system backups and provides all users with an integrated, security-focused backup solution in the form of Cloud Chats. Meanwhile, separate entities for Secret Chats give you full control over the data you don't want stored.

This enables Telegram to be widely adopted in wider circles, not just activists and dissidents, so that the simple fact of using Telegram does not mark users as targets for increased surveillance in certain countries. We firmly believe that the separation of conversations into Cloud Chats and Secret Chats represents the most secure solution currently available for the popular messaging app.

See also: Why Telegram doesn't have end-to-end encryption "by default"

Your account

Q: Who can see my phone number?

On Telegram, you can send messages in private chats and groups without disclosing your phone number. By default, only people you've added as contacts in your address book can see your number. You can further modify this setting in Settings > Privacy and security > Phone number .

Please note that if people already know your number and have it saved in their address book, they will always see your number.

Q: I have a new phone number, what do I do?

Each phone number is a separate account on Telegram . If you use multiple phone numbers, you have several options:

• If you no longer use your old number (for example, you moved to a new country or changed your number permanently), just go to Settings and change the number connected to your Telegram account to the new one. IMPORTANT: Make sure you have access to the connected phone number - otherwise you may lose access to your account.
• If you will be using your new number for a limited time (for example, if you are traveling or on vacation), you do not need to take any action.
• If you want to continue using both numbers (for example, if you have a work phone and a personal phone), choose one as your Telegram number. You can also create another Telegram account on your second number, for example, if you want to separate work and personal chats. You can log in to one Telegram app with up to three different accounts at the same time.

Q: How do I withdraw?

Most users don't need to log out of Telegram:

• you Use Telegram on many devices. Just log in on all of them with the same phone number.
• You can free up space on your device without logging out by going to Settings > Data & Storage > Storage Usage > Clear Cache .
• If you use Telegram with multiple phone numbers , you can switch between accounts without logging out.
• If you use Telegram on a shared device , you can set a password in Settings > Privacy and security to ensure only you have access to your account.

If you do want to sign out for any reason, please follow these steps:

iOS : Go to Settings > Edit > Sign Out.
Android , Telegram Desktop : Go to Settings > ... (in the upper right corner) > Sign Out.

If you log out, you will keep all your cloud messages. However, when you log out, you will lose all your secret chats and all the messages in those secret chats .

Please note that signing out will not trigger the remote deletion of Secret Chat messages on your partner's device - to do that, select "Clear History" first.

Q: How do I change my phone number?

You can change your number in Telegram and keep everything , including all contacts, messages and media from the Telegram cloud, and all secret chats on all your devices.

To change your number, go to Settings, tap your phone number (above your username), and tap Change number. If you already have a different Telegram account on your target number, you'll need to delete that account first.

Q: How do I delete my account?

If you want to delete your account, you can do so on the deactivation page . Deleting your account will permanently delete all your messages and contacts . All groups and channels you created will be orphaned and without their creators, though administrators retain their rights.

This action must be confirmed via your Telegram account and cannot be undone. We recommend using a non-mobile browser for this process. Please note that you will receive the code
via Telegram , not SMS .

Q: What happens if I delete my account?

As mentioned above, all your data will be cleared from our systems: all messages, groups, and contacts associated with your account will be deleted. This means your contacts will still be able to chat in groups you created, and they'll still have copies of the messages you sent them. So, if you want to send messages that disappear without a trace, try using our self-destruct timer .

Terminating a Telegram account is irreversible. If you register again, you will appear as a new user and your history, contacts, or groups will not be restored. People who have your phone number in their contacts will be notified. The new user will appear as a separate conversation in their message list, and the conversation history with the new user will be empty.

Q: How to self-destruct an account?

Telegram is not a commercial organization, and we take our disk space very seriously. If you stop using Telegram and haven't been online for at least six months, your account will be deleted along with all your messages, media, contacts, and all other data you've stored in the Telegram cloud. You can change the exact period after which your inactive account self-destructs in Settings.

Q: Can I delete my data without deleting my account?

You can delete most of your data without deleting your Telegram account.

To delete a single message or an entire chat from both parties at any time, simply tap a message (or press and hold to select any number of chats) and tap the Delete icon, then check the options to delete both parties.

Many related settings can be made in Settings > Privacy & Security (on iOS, there is an additional step > Data Settings), for example:

• To delete synced contacts, select Delete synced contacts .
• To delete your cloud drafts, select Delete all cloud drafts (on Android, this option is in Settings >
• To remove suggested metadata about contacts and bots you message frequently, turn off Suggest Frequent Contacts .

For other data:

• To delete your profile photo, open your profile > click on your profile photo > > Delete.
• To delete a story you posted, go to My Story , then hold down the selection and tap the delete icon in the top right corner.
• To delete call logs, go to Calls > / > Delete All Calls.

Q: My phone was stolen, what should I do?

First, we're sorry about your phone. Unfortunately, phone numbers are currently the only way we can identify Telegram users. We don't collect any other information about you, so whoever has the number also owns the account. This means that unless you can access the phone number or Telegram itself on any device, we can't help you.

I can access Telegram on another device

1. Go to Telegram Settings > Privacy and Security and turn on two-step verification. This way, your phone number alone won't be enough to log into your account.
2. Go to Settings > (or Privacy & Security > Active Sessions) and terminate the Telegram session on your old device. Someone who has your phone won't be able to log in again because they don't know your password.
3. Contact your mobile phone provider so they can block your old SIM card and issue a new one with your number.
4. If you decide to switch to a new phone number, don't forget to go to Settings, tap your phone number, and change your Telegram number to your new one.

I can't access Telegram on any other device

1. First, you need to contact your mobile phone provider so that they can block your old SIM card and issue a new one with your number.
2. Once you receive your new SIM card with your old number, log in to Telegram, then go to Settings > Device (or Privacy and security > Active sessions) and end the Telegram session on your old device.

Removing sensitive data

Regular thieves typically immediately discard the SIM card (making the phone harder to locate) and then wipe the device and sell it. Therefore, if you're a frequent minor theft, your data isn't at risk. However, if you have reason to be concerned about the data on your device and can't deregister it on other devices , remotely wiping it is a good idea. You can read more about this here: Apple iOS , Android . Unfortunately, this requires you to be prepared for this scenario.

You can delete your Telegram account if you're logged in on at least one other device (mobile or desktop) Please note that inactive Telegram accounts automatically self-destruct after a period of time - the default setting is 6 months.

robot

If you're a developer, you might find our bots FAQ more useful.

Q: What is a robot?

Bots are like mini-programs that run in Telegram. They are made by third-party developers using the Telegram Bot API .

Q: How do I create a bot?

Creating a Telegram bot is easy, but you'll need at least some computer programming skills. If you're confident you're up to the task, our developer profile is a good place to start.

Unfortunately, there's no ready-made way to create a working bot if you're not a developer. But we're sure you'll soon find plenty of bots created by other people to play with.

Q: A bot is messaging me, how do I stop it?

If you don't want a bot to send you messages, feel free to block it - just like you would block a human user. Some Telegram clients have a "Stop Bot" button in the bot's profile.

That said, most bot developers will provide a command to mute the bot, check their /help for clues.

Q: Are robots safe?

Yes. For example, bots are no different from human users you might encounter in a group. They can see your public name, username, and profile picture, and can read the messages you send them, but that's it. They can't access your last seen status or see your phone number (unless you decide to give it to them in person).

OpenMe.exe, we may not open it.

Q: If I add a bot to my group, can it read my messages?

When you add a bot to a group, they can work in two modes. By default, the bot will only see messages sent to them. In this case, you will see "No access to messages" next to the bot in the group member list.

Some bots require more information to work, so the developer may disable privacy mode. In this case, the bot will see all messages sent to the group, and you will see "Has access to messages" in the member list next to the bot.

Learn more about Bot Privacy Mode »

If your group contains very sensitive information, it might be best to avoid adding bots that you don't trust 100%.

Q: Is the bot made by Telegram?

No. While we have some official bots for specific purposes (such as @gif or @Stickers ), we don't generally make bots. Bots are made by third-party developers using the Telegram Bot API and platform .

Q: Where can I find more robots?

There is no official store yet, so you'll just have to ask your friends or search online. We're pretty sure you'll find some bots you can play with.

A deeper problem

Q: Can I get the server-side code for Telegram?

All Telegram client apps are completely open source. We provide verifiable builds for iOS and Android - technology that allows independent verification that the app you download from the app store is built with the exact same code that we release .

Whether it is running on the server.

As for Secret Chats, you don't need server-side code to check their integrity - the point of end-to-end encryption is that it has to be reliable no matter how the server operates.

In a post on his channel , Pavel Durov explained why Telegram didn't release the server code, even as a publicity stunt.

The encryption and API used on Telegram servers are fully documented and open to review by security experts. We welcome any comments: [email protected]

Q: Can I run Telegram on my own server?

Our architecture doesn't yet support federation. Telegram is a unified cloud service, so creating a fork where two users could end up on two different Telegram clouds is unacceptable. Enabling you to run your own Telegram server while maintaining speed and security is a task in itself. We haven't yet decided whether Telegram should move in this direction.

Q: Can I use the Telegram API?

Yes. Developers on all platforms are welcome to use our protocol , API , and even source code . Check out the Getting Started section of the documentation .

Don't forget about our Bot API which allows you to build cool stuff on our platform.

Q: Do you have a privacy policy?

Sure. Take a look at this .

Q: What does the iOS privacy sheet mean?

Apple created privacy sheets to inform users about what data apps may collect, but the information is vague and can be misleading. You can see a detailed description of Telegram's sheet here .

Q: Why are there two apps in the Mac App Store?

One is our macOS app , and the other is Telegram Lite, the macOS version of our multi-platform client . Both apps are official. Both started as unofficial apps by two different developers and differ in design and functionality.

Telegram for macOS supports many platform-specific features, such as the MacBook Pro Touch Bar, gesture navigation, integration with the Mac Share menu, etc. It has all the features of the iOS version of the app, including secret chats.

Telegram Lite is a lightning-fast app optimized for work-related tasks and handling large communities. It offers a three-bar interface perfect for multitasking and quickly accessing media, files, and links shared in chats. The app can also be used to export your Telegram data and chat history .

Q: Can I translate Telegram?

Telegram is officially available in English, Spanish, German, Dutch, Italian, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Korean, Malay, Russian, and Ukrainian on most platforms, and we're gradually expanding the list of languages ​​built into the app.

If you don't like how a particular element of the Telegram interface is translated, or want to help us maintain the translations, check out our localization platform . Everyone can suggest translations and vote for the best ones, making Telegram localization a community-driven effort.

If you'd like suggestions for more than just a single phrase and want to help us maintain an official translation of your language on an ongoing basis, you can contact @TelegramAuditions . Please add a hashtag with the English name of your language (e.g. #Albanian) and some links to phrases on this platform along with your translation suggestion or comment . Please be sure to read the style guide carefully before applying .

Q: Can I help?

Yes, we are always looking for volunteers to help us provide user support. If you are interested in answering questions on Telegram for users in your country, please contact our audition account.

Before applying, please review the Telegram support plans .

passport

Telegram Passport is a unified authorization method for services that require personal identification. With Telegram Passport, you can upload your documents once and immediately share your data with services that require real ID (finance, ICOs, etc.).

Your identification documents and personal data are stored in the Telegram cloud using end-to-end encryption. To Telegram, this data is just random gibberish, and we don't have access to the information you store in your Telegram Passport. When you share data, it goes directly to the recipient.

You can find more information about Telegram Passport on our blog .

If you are a developer or owner of a service that requires a Real ID, please read this manual . You can also try requesting Telegram Passport data using this page .

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troubleshooting

Login and SMS

Please ensure you enter your mobile number in international format.
IE: +(country code)(city or carrier code)(your number)

If you have registration or login issues, please contact us using this form.

Get the code by phone

For security reasons, login codes entered via phone are only available for accounts with two-step verification enabled (Settings > Privacy and Security > Two-Step Verification).

Please also note that Telegram accounts can only be connected to mobile numbers. We currently do not support landline numbers.

Get the code via Telegram

If you've recently used one of our apps on another device (or even a different app on the same device), we might send the login code via Telegram instead of SMS.

To receive such a code, just check Telegram from any connected device. You can find it in a chat with Telegram, which is a verified profile with a blue check mark:

Send login code via Telegram

Warning! Please note that getting verification codes through Telegram should not be considered a substitute for using an up-to-date phone number . If your number changes, it's important to ensure that Telegram is connected to a phone number you control , otherwise you risk permanently losing access to your account.

Notification issues

If the following tips don't help, check out our detailed guide on troubleshooting notification issues .

Android

1. Go to Telegram Settings — Notifications & Sounds and make sure notifications are turned on and the importance is set to High or higher.
2. Check if the contact or group is muted .
3. Make sure you have Google Play Services installed on your phone .
4. Check the Telegram notification priority in Android Settings , it may be called Importance or Behavior depending on your device .
5. If your phone uses some battery saving software , please make sure Telegram is whitelisted in that application.

Note: Huawei and Xiaomi devices have nefarious task killer services that interfere with Telegram's notification service. In order for our notifications to work, you'll need to add Telegram to the list of allowed apps in the security settings of these devices. Huawei: Go to the Phone Manager app > Protected Apps > Add Telegram to the list. Xiaomi: Go to Services > Security > Permissions > Auto-start, find Telegram, and enable Auto-start.

iOS

1. Go to Telegram Settings — Notifications & Sounds and make sure that notifications in Telegram are turned on.
2. Check that notifications are turned on in your phone's settings .
3. Check if the contact or group is muted .
4. Close Telegram (go to the home screen, double-click the home button, swipe up on Telegram), then go to your phone settings and set Telegram's alert style to "None." Restart Telegram, go to your phone settings and set the alert style back to Banner.

Contact Questions

If you know your friends have Telegram, but you can't see them, or they appear as numbers instead of names.

Android:

1. Make sure you are using the latest version of the app.
2. Restart the application (by killing it from the process list and launching it again).
3. Temporarily change the name of a contact in your phone's contacts (add some symbols, then change it back again).
4. If this doesn't help, log back in. Remember, logging out will terminate your Secret Chat.

iOS:

1. Force quit the app (double-click the home button, then swipe up on Telegram), then restart it and check if that helps.
2. If that doesn't help, temporarily change the name of the contact in your phone's address book (add some symbols, then change it back again).
3. If this doesn't work, log back in: Settings > Edit > Log Out. Remember, logging out will kill all your Secret Chats. Then log in again.

Deleting Contacts on Android

To delete a contact, open a chat with that person, tap their title in the top area of ​​the chat screen to open their profile, then tap (⋮) in the top right corner > Delete Contact.

If you want to completely delete a contact, make sure to also delete it from your phone's address book. Telegram will keep it in sync and re-add the contact if you don't.

Where did my Secret Chat messages go?

Secret Chats are created between the two devices they were created on. This means that all of these messages are not available in the cloud and cannot be accessed on other devices.

Additionally, Secret Chats are tied to your current login session on the device. If you log out and log in again, you will lose all your Secret Chats.

Cannot send messages to non-contacts

When users report unwanted messages from a Telegram account, we impose a restriction: the reported account can only send messages to people who have their number saved as a contact.

This means that if you randomly contact people you don't know and send them annoying messages, you may lose the ability to do so in the future.

If you believe this restriction has been applied to your account in error, please visit this page .

Telegram is using your camera or microphone in the background!

Telegram can use your microphone in the background if you minimize the app while making a call, recording a video, or recording a voice/video message .

The permission monitors on Samsung and Xiaomi may inadvertently flag and notify you that Telegram is requesting access to the camera in the background . This happens when the app requests information about the camera - it's not using the camera. Unfortunately, it may look the same to the permission monitors on both Samsung and Xiaomi.

When you tap the attachment button or start recording a video or video message, the app requests camera information. If you do this and then quickly close the app, the request might attempt to run asynchronously while the app is already in the background, or be sent when the system wakes the app to display a notification about a new message. Regardless, these requests are only for camera information; the app never uses the camera itself while in the background.

Anyone can inspect Telegram's open source code and confirm that the app isn't doing anything behind the scenes. We also provide reproducible builds that can help you prove that the version you downloaded from the App Store or Google Play was built from the exact same source code we released.

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Telegram support

If you have any further questions, please contact Telegram support (in Telegram go to Settings - Ask a Question). Please note that we rely on volunteer support.

If you are unable to log into your account, please use this form .

For media requests , please contact @PressBot on Telegram .

Twitter?

Yes. Follow us! @telegram
Our Spanish Twitter account: @telegram_es
Italian: @telegram_it
Korean: @Telegram_kr
German: @de_telegram
Users from Brazil: @Telegram_br
Our Arabic users may find @telegram_arabic Our Arabic users may find

@SmsTelegram, Login help on Twitter

We have a special account that can help you with login issues, @smstelegram . This account is official. Don't be afraid to send a DM with the number you use for Telegram; we need this information to investigate the issue.

Please note that we do not have any other support accounts on any social media platforms.

Facebook or another platform?

If anyone on Facebook or any other platform tells you they are us, they are not .

Of course, any bot should be treated as a stranger - don't give them your passwords, Telegram codes, or bank account numbers, even if they ask in good faith. Also, be careful when opening files sent by bots, just as you would with a normal person. Example: If a bot sends us a file called