group chat app without phone number

This FAQ provides answers to basic questions about Telegram.
Run down our Advanced FAQ for more than technical information.

General

• What is Telegram?
• Who is it for?
• How is it different from WhatsApp?
• How old is Telegram?
• Is IT available on my device?
• Who are the people behind Telegram?
• Where is Wire based?
• How do you make money?
• What are your thoughts on internet privacy?
• What about GDPR?
• Do you process takedown requests?
• Practice you sue data requests?

Wire Basics

• Who can I message?
• World Health Organization can message ME?
• Who has Telegram?
• Inviting friends
• What do the check marks mean in Wire?
• Hindquarters I hide my 'last seen'?
• WHO can learn me 'online'?
• What is 'People Nearby'?
• Can I delete my messages?
• Voice, Video and Group calls
• Using emoticons

Groups and Channels

• What makes Telegram groups cool?
• How are channels and groups different?
• Creating a aggroup
• Adding members and exploitation Invite Links

Usernames and t.ME

• What are usernames? How do I get one?
• How does t.me ferment?
• What can I utilization equally my username?
• Do I need a username?
• Leave people live my number?
• How do I delete my username?
• What do I do if my username is taken?
• What if somebody is pretending to be me?

Security

• How secure is Telegram?
• How do you inscribe data?
• Why should I trust you?
• Do I necessitate to trust Wire for it to make up secure?
• What if my hacker friend doubts you?
• Can Telegram protect me against everything?
• How does 2-Step Verification work?

Secret Chats

• What is a hole-and-corner chitchat?
• Starting a secret chat
• Victimization the self-destroy timekeeper
• Screenshot alerts
• Encoding key picture
• Why not pull in all chats 'secret'?

Your Account

• World Health Organization can construe my phone figure?
• I have a new headphone number, what ut I do?
• Log KO'd of Telegram
• Change your number
• Erase your Telegram account
• How does answer for self-end work?
• My phone was stolen. What do I do?

Bots

• How bash I produce a bot?
• How do I get rid of a bot?
• Are bots safe?
• Where tin I get more bots?

Deeper Questions

• Can I sire Telegram's server-side encode?
• Can I usage my own server?
• Hind end I use the Wire API?
• Do you have a Privateness Policy?
• What does the iOS concealment sheet mean?
• Why bash you have two apps in the Mac App Storehouse?
• Can I translate Telegram?
• Can I help?

Troubleshooting

• SMS, login, register
• Getting a login code via a phone phone
• Getting codes via Wire
• Apprisal problems
• Problems with contacts
• Deleting contacts on Android
• Secret Chats
• Can't send messages to non contacts
• Telegram uses the camera or microphone in the background

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Advanced FAQ

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General Questions

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

Wire is a electronic messaging app with a concentrate on fastness and security, it's first-rate-fast, simple and footloose. You can use Telegram on altogether your devices at the identical time — your messages sync seamlessly across any number of your phones, tablets or computers. Telegram has over 500 million each month active users and is one of the 10 most downloaded apps in the world.

With Wire, you can transmi messages, photos, videos and files of any type (doc, postcode, mp3, etc), as well as create groups for capable 200,000 citizenry surgery channels for broadcasting to unlimited audiences. You can write to your ring contacts and find mass aside their usernames. As a solvent, Telegram is alike SMS and email joint — and can use up upkeep of all your personal or business messaging needs. To boot to this, we support end-to-oddment encrypted voice and video calls, as well as vox chats in groups for thousands of participants.

Follow our Tips Channel to learn Thomas More about Wire features.

Q: Who is Telegram for?

Telegram is for everyone who wants fast and reliable messaging and calls. Business users and small teams may like the vast groups, usernames, desktop apps and powerful file sharing options.

Since Telegram groups can have busy 200,000 members, we support replies, mentions and hashtags that help oneself maintain order and keep communication in large communities efficient. You can appoint admins with advanced tools to help these communities prosper in serenity. Public groups john be joined by anyone and are powerful platforms for discussions and assembling feedback.

In case you're Thomas More into pictures, Wire has animated gif search, a state of the art pic editor, and an open thorn platform (find some air-cooled stickers here operating theater here). What's more, there is no need to worry or so disc space on your device. With Telegram's cloud support and cache management options, Wire can film up closely cipher place on your phone.

Those looking for extra secrecy should cheque our advanced settings and rather revolutionary policy. And if you want silence, endeavour our twist-specific Secret Chats with ego-destructing messages, photos, and videos — and lock your app with an additional passcode.

We keep evolving — see to it retired our Brief History of Wire and follow us on chirrup and Telegram to stoppage in touch.

Q: How is Telegram different from WhatsApp?

Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram is a cloud-settled courier with seamless sync. As a result, you can access your messages from several devices right away, including tablets and computers, and share an inexhaustible telephone number of photos, videos and files (doc, zip, mp3, etc.) of up to 2 UK from each one.

Telegram needs less than 100 MB connected your twist – you can keep all your media in the cloud without deleting things – simply clear your memory cache to free up space.

Thanks to Telegram's multi-data middle infrastructure and encoding, it is faster and way more secure. On top of that, private messaging on Wire is free and will stay free — no ads, no subscription fees, forever.

Telegram's API and computer code is open, and developers are welcome to produce their own Wire apps. We also have a Bot API, a political platform for developers that allows anyone to easily build specialized tools for Telegram, integrate any services, and yet assume payments from users more or less the mankind.

And that's just the fee of the iceberg.

Trace our Tips Channel to learn more about Wire features.

Q: How old is Telegram?

Telegram for iOS was launched on August 14, 2013. The alpha version of Telegram for Android officially launched on October 20, 2013. Sir Thomas More and more Telegram clients look, built away independent developers using Wire's open platform.

Q: Which devices fundament I use of goods and services?

You can use Wire on smartphones, tablets, and even computers. We cause apps for iOS (9.0 and above), Android (4.1 and up), a native macOS app and a oecumenical desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Wire Web can also facilitate to rapidly brawl something on the go.

You can log-in to Telegram from as many of your devices as you the likes of — all at the same time. Just use your main cellphone number to log in everywhere, your cloud chats leave sync now.

The Telegram API is open for developers, should you want to build your own applications for otherwise platforms.

Q: Who are the people derriere Wire?

Telegram is supported by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai. Pavel supports Telegram financially and ideologically while Nikolai's input is scientific. To make Telegram possible, Nikolai developed a unique custom data communications protocol, which is open, secure and optimized for put to work with multiple data-centers. As a result, Telegram combines security, reliability and speed on any network.

See as wel: articles about Telegram

Q: Where is Telegram based?

The Telegram development team is based in Dubai.

Most of the developers behind Wire originally come from St. Petersburg, the city famous for its unprecedented number of highly skilled engineers. The Telegram team had to parting Russia attributable local IT regulations and has tried a number of locations As its base, including Berlin, London and Singapore. We're currently happy with Dubai, although are ready to relocate again if topical anesthetic regulations change.

Q: Will you have ads in my closed-door chats and groups? Or sell my data? Or steal my beloved and enslave my children?

No more. See this post for details.

Q: How are you going to make money out of this?

We believe in fast and secure messaging that is also 100% release.

Our founding father and CEO Pavel Durov, who supported Telegram throughout most of its account, has distinct a strategy to make Wire sustainable in this post.

While Telegram will introduce monetisation in 2021 to pay for the infrastructure and developer salaries, qualification net profit will never glucinium an end-goal for us.

Q: What are your thoughts on internet seclusion?

We think that the two all but important components of Internet secrecy should be:

1. Protective your snobbish conversations from snooping third parties, such as officials, employers, etc.
2. Protecting your personal data from third parties, such as marketers, advertisers, etc.

Telegram's aim is to make up a genuinely free courier, with a revolutionary privacy policy.

Q: What about GDPR?

The Comprehensive Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in Europe on May 25, 2018. Since taking back our right to privacy was the reason we successful Telegram, thither wasn't much we had to change. We don't exercise your information for AD targeting, we don't sell it to others, and we're non part of whatever mafia home "family of companies."

Telegram only keeps the information IT needs to function Eastern Samoa a feature-rich mist service. For example, your taint chats – so that you behind access them from whatever devices without using third-company backups, operating theatre your contacts – sol that you can bank on your existing social graph when electronic messaging citizenry on Wire. Delight insure our Privacy Policy for Thomas More selective information.

You can consumption @GDPRbot to:

• Request a copy of every your data that Telegram stores.
• Contact us nearly Data Concealment.

Q: There's illegal content connected Telegram. How dress I take IT mastered?

Entirely Telegram chats and group chats are private amongst their participants. We execute not litigate whatever requests related to them.

But sticker sets, channels, and bots happening Telegram are publically in stock. If you bump sticker sets or bots on Telegram that you remember are illegal, please Ping us at ill-use@telegram.org.

You can as wel economic consumption the 'report' buttons rightfulness inside our apps, see this post on our official @ISISwatch channel for details.

Note: If a chiseler is pretending to be you, contact @NoToScam

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

All Telegram chats and group chats are private amongst their participants. We do not process whatever requests related to them. But pricker sets, channels, and bots along Telegram are publicly available.

If you see a bot, channel, or prickle set that is infringing on your right of first publication, kindly undergo a complaint to dmca@telegram.org. Delight note that such requests should only constitute submitted by the right of first publication owner or an agent authorized to act on the proprietor's behalf.

Q: Wait! 0_o Behave you process payoff-down requests from third parties?

Our mission is to provide a secure agency of communication that works everyplace connected the planet. To get along this in the places where information technology is most necessary (and to stay on distributing Telegram direct the App Store and Google Play), we have to process legitimate requests to take over set illegal public content (e.g., sticker sets, bots, and channels) within the app. For example, we can take down sticker sets that violate intellect property rights operating room porn bots.

User-uploaded stickers sets, channels, and bots by third-party developers are non part of the core Telegram UI. Whenever we obtain a complaint at abuse@telegram.org or dmca@telegram.org regarding the legality of populace happy, we perform the necessary legal checks and film it down when deemed appropriate.

Please note that this does not apply to local restrictions happening freedom of speech. For instance, if criticizing the government is illegal in whatever country, Telegram won't be a role of such politically motivated censoring. This goes against our founders' principles. While we do block terrorist (e.g. ISIS-related) bots and channels, we will not parry anybody WHO peacefully expresses alternative opinions.

Q: My bot Oregon sticker lay was illegal unfairly, what do I do?

If you recollect we banned your bot, channel, or sticker set for no apparent reasons, drop us a stoc at abuse@telegram.org.

Q: Do you serve information requests?

Arcanum chats utilize end-to-end encryption, thanks to which we don't have whatsoever data to disclose.

To protect the data that is not covered by closing-to-end encoding, Telegram uses a shared out infrastructure. Sully chaffer information is stored in tenfold data centers around the globe that are controlled by different legal entities spread across different jurisdictions. The in hand decryption keys are split into parts and are never kept in the same stead as the data they protect. As a leave, several court orders from different jurisdictions are required to force USA to give up any information.

Thanks to this structure, we can ensure that no 1 government or hinder of similar countries derriere horn in on people's privacy and freedom of expression. Telegram give the sack comprise forced to make sprouted information only if an issue is grave and universal enough to pass the scrutiny of several different accumulation systems more or less the world.

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

Telegram Basics

Follow our Tips Channel to determine many about Wire features.

Q: Who can I write to?

You can write to people who are in your phone contacts and have Wire. Another way of contacting people is to type their Telegram username into the search field of study – you don't need to know their phone enumerate to do this.

Q: Who can contact me?

Populate can contact you on Wire if they know your phone numeral operating theatre if you message them first.

If they get into't have sex your phone keep down, they can find you in these cases:

• When you both are members of the same group.
• If you set a public username. Others sack use Global Search and find you away your username.
• If you opt-in to appear in the People Nearby section (this is turned off past default).

Q: How do I know who in my contacts has Wire?

Your contacts, who accept Telegram, are shown at the top of your Contacts. They also take over pictures.

Q: How do I invite my friends?

iOS: The elemental invitations are simple SMS messages. They will be charged as criterional outgoing SMS by your newsboy (unless sent via iMessage). Naturally, you have other options to bring your friends here. Try sending them a download connec via any opposite messaging service: electronic mail, Facebook, WhatsApp, an actual telegram — you mention it. The link: https://telegram.org/decilitre/

Android: Undisguised the app menu (swipe right in chat name) > Invite Friends. And then take an application via which you would like to send back invitations.

You can give your friends a t.Pine Tree State link with your username and then that they can easily find you on Telegram justified if they don't have your phone number.

Q: What do the check marks think of?

Combined check — message delivered to the Wire cloud up and your friend has been notified if atomic number 2 allows notifications.
Ii checks — subject matter read (your friend opened Wire and opened the conversation with the message).

We don't take in a 'delivered to twist' status for messages because Wire stool keep going as many devices as you want. And so which particular one would that check mean?

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

You fire pick out who sees this info in Privacy and Security settings.

Remember that you won't see Close Seen timestamps for people with whom you don't dea your own. You will, however, see an near last seen value. This keeps stalkers away but makes it possible to understand whether a person is reachable terminated Wire. There are four possible approximate values:

• Last seen recently — covers anything 'tween 1 second and 2-3 days
• Last seen within a week — between 2-3 and cardinal days
• Last seen within a month — between 6-7 years and a month
• Last seen a long clock time ago — more than a month (this is also forever shown to out of use users)

Q: Who can figure me 'online'?

The worst seen rules apply to your online position Eastern Samoa well. Populate keister only run across you online if you're sharing your last seen status with them.

There are some exceptions because sometimes it is obvious that you are online. Disregarding of the last seen settings, people will see you online for a brief period (~30 seconds) if you do the favorable:

• Transmi them a message in a one-on-one chat Oregon in a mathematical group where you both are members.
• Read a message they sent you in a individual chat.
• Broadcast a "typing…" condition to their chat with you or to a group where you both are members.

If you're not sharing your last seen timestamp with someone and don't behave anything of the above, they'll ne'er see you online. Another way of life of achieving this is to block that person.

Q: What is People Nearby?

People Nigh is an nonobligatory feature that allows Telegram users to explore local anaesthetic groups, find friends to jaw with in their surface area, OR quickly switch over contacts with people who are close.

You can find IT in Contacts > Find People Nearby, as well as in real time in the side menu along Android.

Spell you have the People Nearby section open on your screen, hoi polloi who are precise snuggled will be able to see you at that place. If you don't susceptible the section, others will never experience you in 'People Nigh'.

You can also choose to permanently add your profile to the inclination of nearby people by tapping Make Myself Viewable. After decent telescopic, you seat remove your profile from the list at any clock by tapping Catch Showing Me.

Note: People Near is ne'er aroused aside default – users must manually enable it. If you are receiving messages from mortal you Don River't know, see Q: Who can contact me?

Q: Can I delete my messages?

Yes. You can forever delete any messages you transmitted or received for both sides in some one-on-one conversation (in groups, it's still your personal messages only). You can also realise the entire confabulate history on both ends. Along Telegram, deleted messages do not leave a mark in the chat.

Together with privacy settings for forwarded messages, this makes exchanging Telegram messages similar to talking face to face (without a tape recording equipment). Atomic number 3 a resolution, users no longer need to worry about the data accumulating in their chats over the years. Both parties in a conversation bear full mastery over what does and what doesn't belong to their online identity.

Q: Can I nominate calls via Telegram?

Yes! You can prepar lengthwise encrypted Voice Calls and TV Calls.

If you want Thomas More participants, try starting a Sound Claver in unmatched of the groups you created. Articulation Chats summate a live layer of transient talk to the group. They can glucinium used as virtual office spaces for teams or informal lounges for any community. While Voice Chats are not radical calls, they can achieve similar goals.

Q: How hind end I use emoticons?

Type one word in your input field to get relevant emoji suggestions. You can too typecast ":" followed aside any keyword to open emoji search – alike :heart.

You can suggest nonexistent keywords for emoji in your lyric using this user interface (this testament open suggestions for Side, don't forget to switch to your language in the left menu).

Groups and Channels

Q: What makes Telegram groups cold?

Wire groups can have got equal to 200,000 members from each one and are exceedingly powerful communication tools. Here are a few key features that make them outdoor stage out in the messaging world:

Co-ordinated account
Cut your messages after mailing, edit them so that they melt for everyone.

Cross-political platform availableness
Accession your messages anytime, from some number of your mobile or background devices.

Instant search
Find the message you'atomic number 75 looking at for, even among millions. Filtrate aside sender to make over searching easier.

Replies, mentions, hashtags
Easily trace a conversation and keep communication efficient, disregardless the aggroup sized.

Smart notifications
Wordless the group to get notifications only people mention you operating theater respond to your messages.

Pinned messages
You can pin any subject matter to be displayed at the top of the chat screen. All members testament get a notification — even if they muted ordinary messages from your group.

Moderation tools
Charge administrators that can mass-blue-pencil messages, hold in rank, and pin authoritative messages. Delimitate their admin privileges with granular precision.

Group permissions
Set default permissions to curb each members from posting specific kinds of content. Or even cut back members from sending messages altogether – and allow the admins chat amongst themselves while everybody else is watching.

File away sharing
Send and receive files of any type, equal to 2 GB in size from each one, admittance them outright happening your other devices.

Public groups
Get a short link for your mathematical group and make IT public, equal t.me/publictestgroup. This way, anybody can view the group's intact chat history and union to post messages.

Customization via bots
Create custom tools for any specific needs using our Bot API and Inline Bots.

Q: What's the difference 'tween groups and channels?

Telegram groups are ideal for sharing stuff with friends and family or collaboration in decreased teams. But groups can also grow same large and support communities of leading to 200,000 members. You can make any group populace, toggle continual history to ascendance whether surgery not new members make approach to sooner messages and appoint administrators with granular privileges. You can also pin important messages to the top of the riddle so that all members can see them, including those World Health Organization have righteous coupled.

Channels are a creature for broadcasting messages to large audiences. In point of fact, a carry can have an straight-out figure of subscribers. When you situatio in a channel, the subject matter is sign with the channel's call and photo and not your own. For each one message in a carry has a view counter that gets updated when the message is viewed, including its forwarded copies.

Read Thomas More active channels in the Channels FAQ »

Q: How do I create a group?

iOS: Start a new message (tap the picture in the top right corner in Chats) > 'New Aggroup'.
Android: Dab the circular pencil icon in the chat list > 'Inexperient Group'.
Wire Desktop: Click the menu button in the top left recession > 'New Group'.

Q: Can I assign administrators?

You can add administrators to help you manage your group and delimit their privileges with granulose precision.

iOS: Go to Group Info (tap the photo in the top right tree along the group's chew the fat screen) > Cut > Administrators.
Humanoid: Go to Group Info (pat the name in the header) > the pencil image (in the top right corner) > Administrators.
Telegram Desktop: When in the radical, click '…' in the top right corner > Manage mathematical group > Administrators.

Q: How do I add Sir Thomas More members? What's an call for link?

You force out add your contacts, or victimisation hunting past username.

It is lenient to transmigrate existing groups to Telegram by sending people an invite link. To make over an invite link, go to Group Info > Append Member > Call for to Group via Link.

Anyone WHO has Wire installed will be able to join your group by following this link. If you choose to revoke the link, it will ba operative immediately.

Register more about invite golf links in our blog »

Usernames and t.me

Q: What are usernames? How do I get unmatchable?

You posterior set up a in the public eye username on Telegram. It then becomes possible for other users to find you past that username — you will appear in contacts look under 'global results'. Please note that people who find you bequeath personify able-bodied to send you messages, even up if they don't know your phone number. If you are not comfortable with this, we advise against setting dormie a username in Wire.

You give the axe raise a username in Settings and use the universal search box up the chat list to search for chats, messages, and usernames.

Q: How does t.me work?

Once you've frame a username, you can give people a t.me/username nexus. First that link along their phone will automatically fire up their Telegram app and open a chat with you. You rear share username links with friends, write them on business card game or put them up on your website.

This way the great unwashe can contact you on Telegram without knowing your phone number.

Q: What can I economic consumption as my username?

You can utilize a-z, 0-9 and underscores. Usernames are case-insensitive, simply Telegram will entrepot your capitalization preferences (e.g. Telegram and TeleGram is the same user). The username must equal at the least five characters long.

Q: Do I need a username?

You don't have to get one. Remember that Telegram usernames are public and choosing a username on Wire makes it realizable for populate to find you in world-wide search and send on you messages flat if they don't induce your number. If you are not at ease with this, we advise against setting upward a username.

Q: If person finds ME by username, messages and I reply — wish they know my number?

No. Neither party will see another's phone number (unless this is permitted by your privacy settings). This is similar to the case when you subject matter a person who you've met in a Telegram group.

Q: How ut I delete my username?

Attend Settings and save an empty username. This wish remove your username; people will no more be able to find you via search. This will non affect existing conversations.

Q: What do I do if my username is taken?

Wire usernames are dispersed on a first come — first dish out basis.

We realise that certain usernames are voice of an online identity for some of us. If your desired username is already taken, we will be well-chosen to assistanc you acquire it for your account or channel, provided that you give birth that same username on at least ii of these services: Facebook, Chitter, Instagram.

Collect to the fact that one account can register multiplex bot and channel usernames, we reserve the right to recall usernames assigned to unused bots and channels, as substantially arsenic openly squatted usernames.

To request a username, contact @Username_bot.

Q: What if someone is simulation to be me?

If a scammer is pretending to personify you, please contact @NoToScam.

Security

If you are an advanced user, you Crataegus laevigata find our FAQ for the Technically Fond effectual as easily.

Q: How weatherproof is Telegram?

Telegram is more secure than mass grocery store messengers like WhatsApp and Furrow. We are based on the MTProto protocol (see description and sophisticated FAQ), built upon tested algorithms to bring i security department compatible with high-speed up delivery and reliability along weak connections. We are unceasingly working with the community to amend the certificate of our communications protocol and clients.

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

We've got you covered. Wire's extraordinary secret chats use end-to-end encoding, leave no trace on our servers, support self-destructing messages and put on't allow forwarding. On cover of this, secret chats are not part of the Telegram cloud and can only be accessed on their devices of origin.

Q: So how do you code data?

We support two layers of secure encoding. Server-client encoding is used in Cloud up Chats (insular and group chats), Secret Chats use an additional stratum of guest-client encoding. All data, regardless of type, is encrypted in the same way — be it text, media or files.

Our encryption is based connected 256-bit symmetric AES encryption, 2048-bit RSA encoding, and Diffie–Hellman secure cay exchange. You tail end find more information in the Later FAQ.

See also: Do you process information requests?

Q: Why should I believe you?

Telegram is open, anyone can check our source encrypt, protocol and API, see how everything works and make an informed decision. Telegram supports verifiable builds, which provide experts to independently verify that our code published on GitHub is the exact unvaried cypher that is exploited to build the apps you download from App Put in or Google Dramatic play.

We receive surety experts to audit our system and appreciate any feedback at protection@telegram.org.

On top of that, Wire's primary concenter is non to lend a profit, so commercial interests will never interfere with our missionary work.

See also: articles about Telegram

Q: DO I need to trust Telegram for this to be secure?

When it comes to secret chats, you don't — just make a point that the visualized key of your secret chat matches the one in your Friend's secluded chat settings. More about this below.

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

Anyone who claims that Wire messages can be deciphered is welcome to prove that claim in our competition and gain $300,000. You can bridle tabu the Cracking Repugn Description to learn much.

Any comments on Wire's security are welcome at security@telegram.org. Altogether submissions which result in a variety of code or configuration are eligible for bounties, ranging from $100 to $100,000 or Sir Thomas More, depending connected the rigour of the issue. Please note that we give the axe non offer bounties for issues that are unveiled to the public before they are fixed.

Q: Can Telegram protect me against everything?

Telegram can assistanc when IT comes to information transfer and secure communication. This substance that all data (including media and files) that you send and receive via Telegram cannot live deciphered when intercepted by your cyberspace servicing supplier, owners of Wi-Fi routers you connect to, or other tertiary parties.

But please remember that we cannot protect you from your personal mother if she takes your unlocked phone without a passcode. Or from your IT-section if they entree your computer at work. Operating room from whatever unusual populate that get physical or side access to your phones operating theatre computers running Telegram.

If you have reasons to worry active your personalised security, we powerfully recommend victimisation only Secluded Chats in official operating theatre leastways verifiable open-rootage apps for sensitive information, preferably with a soul-destroy timer. We also recommend enabling 2-Step out Verification and setting dormy a strong passcode to lock away your app, you will find both options in Settings > Privacy and Security.

Q: How does 2-Step Verification work?

Logging in with an SMS encipher is an industry standard in messaging, just if you'atomic number 75 looking at for more security or have reasons to doubt your mobile carrier OR government, we recommend protecting your cloud chats with an additive password.

You privy make this in Settings > Privacy and Security system > 2-Gradation Verification. Once enabled, you testament need both an SMS code and a password to log in. You can also set upwardly a recovery email address that will help regain access, should you forget your password. If you do so, please remember that it's important that the recovery e-mail account is also protected with a strong password and 2-Step Verification when possible.

Check this out for tips connected creating a brawny password that is easy to remember.

Q: Why can jailbroken and rooted devices follow dangerous?

Exploitation a rooted or jailbroken gimmick makes it easier for a potential drop aggressor to gain full body control over your twist — ascendant accession.

A drug user with ascendent access nates easy bypass security features well-stacked into the OS, read process memory OR access restricted areas, so much Eastern Samoa the internal storage. Once an attacker has root access, whatsoever efforts to mitigate threats become futile. No lotion can be called condom under these portion, irrespective how strong the encoding.

Secret Chats

Q: How are secret chats different?

Secret chats are meant for populate who deficiency more secrecy than the average fella. All messages in arcanum chats use end-to-end encryption. This substance solitary you and the recipient can read those messages — nonentity else can decipher them, including America hither at Telegram (more on this here). On big top of this, Messages cannot be forwarded from confidential chats. And when you erase messages on your face of the conversation, the app on the separate side of the secret chat will be ordered to delete them as good.

You fanny order your messages, photos, videos and files to self-destroy in a set amount of clip after they own been show or opened away the recipient. The substance will and so disappear from both your and your protagonist's devices.

Each covert chats in Telegram are device-specific and are not part of the Telegram cloud. This means you can only access messages in a cloak-and-dagger chat from their twist of origin. They are safe for A long as your device is safe in your pocket.

Q: How do I originate in a secret chat?

Open the visibility of the exploiter you lack to contact. Intercept connected '…', then 'Start Secret Chat'.

Remember that Wire secret chats are device-specific. If you start a secret chat with a friend along one of your devices, this chat will exclusively be getable along that device. If you log off, you will lose all your secret chats. You can make up as many different secret chats with the same contact American Samoa you like.

Q: How do self-destructing messages work?

The Somebody-Destroy Timer is available for all messages on the QT Chats and for media in secret taint chats.

To set the timer, merely tap the clock icon (in the input field on iOS, top bar on Android), and then pick out the desired time limit. The clock starts ticking the moment the message is displayed on the recipient's screen (gets 2 check marks). A soon equally the time runs out, the substance disappears from some devices. We volition try to send a notification if a screenshot is seized.

Please observe that the timer in Secret Chats merely applies to messages that were conveyed after the timekeeper was band. It has no effect on earlier messages.

Q: Seat I be destined that my conversation partner doesn't shoot a screenshot?

Unluckily, there is no bulletproof mode of detection screenshots on certain systems (most notably, some Android and Windows Phone devices). We will make every effort to alert you about screenshots taken in your Secret Chats, but it may still follow possible to bypass such notifications and bring down screenshots wordlessly. We advise to share nociceptive information only with people you trust. After each, nobody crapper stop a person from taking a picture of their sort with a polar device or an immemorial school camera.

Q: What is this 'Encryption Key' affair?

When a clandestine chat is created, the active devices exchange encoding keys using the supposed Diffie-Hellman significant exchange. After the secure end-to-end connection has been established, we generate a scene that visualizes the encryption nam for your chat. You can past compare this image with the one your supporter has — if the two images are the aforementioned, you can be sure that the secret jaw is secure, and no human beings-in-the-intermediate attempt can win.

Newer versions of Wire apps will show a larger word picture along with a textual representation of the key (this is not the key itself, of course!) when both participants are using an updated app.

Ever compare visualizations using a channel that is known to be secure — it's safest if you coif this in somebody, in an offline meeting with the conversation partner.

Q: Wherefore not just take in each chats 'secret'?

Completely Telegram messages are always firmly encrypted. Messages in Secret Chats use node-client encryption, while Cloud Chats use client-server/waiter-guest encoding and are stored encrypted in the Telegram Cloud (more here). This enables your befog messages to be both secure and immediately getatable from any of your devices – even if you lose your device wholly.

The problem of restoring access code to your chat history happening a new connected device (e.g. when you lose your phone) does not have an elegant solution in the finish-to-last encryption paradigm. At the same metre, reliable backups are an essential feature for any mass-market courier. To solve this problem, some applications (like Whatsapp and Viber) allow decryptable backups that pose their users' privacy at risk – even if they do not enable backups themselves. Other apps disregard the take for backups birthday suit and lead their users vulnerable to data loss.

We opted for a third approach aside offering two distinct types of chats. Telegram disables default system backups and provides completely users with an merged security-focused backup man solution in the chassis of Cloud Chats. Meanwhile, the break u entity of Secret Chats gives you full dominance over the data you do not want to be stored.

This allows Telegram to embody widely adoptive in broad circles, not rightful away activists and dissidents, so that the simple fact of using Wire does not mark users as targets for heightened surveillance in certain countries. We are convinced that the separation of conversations into Cloud and Secret chats represents the most secure solution currently possible for a massively popular messaging covering.

See also: Why Telegram isn't Lengthwise Encrypted "by Default"

Your Account

Q: Who can see my telephone number?

Along Wire, you can send messages in camera chats and groups without making your phone telephone number overt. By default option, your number is merely visible to people who you've added to your address ledger every bit contacts. You can encourage modify this in Settings > Privacy and Security > Number.

Note that people will always see your numeral if they know it already and saved it in their address rule book.

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

Each number is a separate business relationship on Telegram. You take in several options if you are using multiple telephone numbers:

• If you will nary longer use the familiar number (e.g., you emotional to a new area or changed your number for good), simply go to Settings and change the number connected to your Telegram account to the new number. Important: make a point you have admittance to your connected telephone number – otherwise you jeopardy losing access to your account.
• If you will use the other total for a minor clock (e.g., you're on a actuate Oregon vacation), there's zero need to practice anything.
• If you deprivation to restrain victimisation both Book of Numbers (e.g., you have a work phone and personal phone), choose one as your Telegram telephone number. You may create another Telegram account on the second come as well, e.g., if you want to keep work and personal chats separated. It is possible to log in to incomparable Telegram app with up to 3 different accounts at in one case.

Q: How do I log off?

Most users wear't need to log out of Wire:

• You can role Telegram on umpteen devices simultaneously. Just use the duplicate phone number to log in on all devices.
• You can go to Settings > Information and Storage > Storage Usage> Clear cache to free up blank connected your gimmick without logging out.
• If you use Telegram with triple phone numbers, you can switch between accounts without logging unconscious.
• If you use Telegram on a shared device, you can set up a passcode in Settings > Privacy and Security to make sure only you receive access to your answer for.

If you do want to log prohibited somehow, here's how you do that:

iOS: Go to Settings > Edit > Lumber away.
Humanoid, Telegram Background: Go to Settings > … (in the top right corner) > Log out.

If you log off, you will keep totally your cloud messages. However, you will lose all your Secret Chats and all messages inside those secret chats when you log out.

Greenbac that logging out does not spark remote control deletion of your hole-and-corner chat messages on your partner's device — to do that, choose 'Clear Account' first.

Q: How do I change my number?

You can change your number in Telegram and keep everything, including all your contacts, messages, and media from the Wire cloud, as considerably as all your Hidden Chats on all devices.

To change your numerate, go to Settings, then tap on your number (retributive above the username), then 'Change Number'. If you already have a different Telegram account on the poin number, you'll need to cancel that account first.

Q: How act up I delete my account?

If you would like to delete your account, you can do this along the deactivation page. Deleting your account permanently removes all your messages and contacts. All groups and channels that you've created are orphan and left hand without a Creator simply admins retain their rights.

This action must be confirmed via your Telegram account and cannot be undone.

We commend using a not-mobile web browser for this cognitive operation.
Banknote that you'll receive the code via Wire, non SMS.

Q: What happens if I delete my bill?

As was just mentioned above, all your data leave be flushed from our system: every last messages, groups, and contacts related with your account will be deleted. That said, your contacts will still be able to chitchat in the groups that you have created, and they will still have their copy of the messages you sent them. So if you need to send messages that can fly without a delineat, try using our self-destruct timekeeper as an alternative.

Termination of a Telegram account is irreversible. If you sign on again, you leave appear atomic number 3 a new user and will not get your history, contacts or groups bet on. People, WHO have your phone identification number in their contacts, will embody notified. The new user will exist displayed as a separate conversation in their messages list and their conversation history with this new user will be abandon.

Q: How does account self-annihilation work?

Wire is not a transaction organization, and we value our disk space greatly. If you stop using Telegram and father't come online for at least sixer months, your account will be deleted along with all messages, media, contacts and all opposite bit of information you store in the Telegram cloud. You can modification the exact period after which your inactive account wish self-destruct in Settings.

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

First of all, no-account about your phone. Alas, the phone come is the only way for us to identify a Telegram drug user at the moment. We father't garner additive entropy about you, so whoever has the number, has the account. This means we can't help you unless you wealthy person access either to the ring number operating room to Wire itself on any of your devices.

I have access to Telegram on some other device

1. Go off to Wire Settings > Privacy and Security and sprain on Two-Step Verification. This way the phone number alone will not be enough to log in to your account.
2. Attend Settings > Devices (Oregon Privacy & Security department > Active Sessions) and terminate your Wire sitting on the old gimmick. Whoever has your phone will not be able to log on again, since they don't know your countersign.
3. Contact your call provider, so that they halt your old SIM and publication a new peerless with your turn.
4. If you decide to switch to a new telephone number, assume't forget to go to Settings, pin on your telephone number and variety your Telegram number to the new one.

I don't make access to Wire on any different devices

1. Beginning and foremost, you need to contact your phone provider, so that they blank out your old SIM and issue a new one with your number.
2. Wait cashbox you receive your new SIM with the old number, lumber in to Telegram, then attend Settings > Devices (or Privacy & Security > Brisk Sessions) and terminate your Wire session on the old device.

Removing sensitive information

Common thieves usually throw out the SIM wag immediately (the phone is harder to locate this way), then wipe the devices and sell them, so there International Relations and Security Network't much take chances for the data just in case of regular little theft. But if you have reasons to headache about the information on the device and are ineffective to log outer the other device, it is best that you wipe it remotely. You can interpret more about IT Here: Malus pumila iOS, Android. Unfortunately, this requires you to have prepared in advance for this scenario.

You rear end delete your Wire account if you are logged in on at the least indefinite of your other devices (mobile or desktop). Note that inactive Telegram accounts self-destruct mechanically after a period of time — 6 months beingness the default setting.

Bots

If you'rhenium a developer, you may find our Bots FAQ more useful.

Q: What are bots?

Bots are like small programs that run right inside Wire. They are made by third-party developers using the Telegram Bot API.

Q: How do I create a bot?

Creating Telegram bots is comprehensive-painless, but you will need at least some skills in computer programming. If you're sure you're upward thereto, our Instauratio for Developers is a obedient localize to start.

Unfortunately, at that place are no out-of-the-box ways to create a working bot if you are not a developer. But we're sure you'll before long find heap of bots created past some other people to play with.

Q: A bot is sending me messages, how do I make it arrest?

If you don't want a bot to send you messages, feel free to block it – same every bit you would block a human exploiter. Some Wire clients have a 'Stop Bot' button right in the bot's profile.

That said, most bot developers offering commands that silence the bot, check its /help for clues.

Q: Are bots safe?

Yes. Bots are no different from human users that you meet in groups for exemplar. They can see your public name, username, and profile pictures, and they can see messages you send to them, that's information technology. They can't access your net seen position and don't see your telephone number (unless you decide to give it to them yourself).

Naturally, any bot should be treated American Samoa a stranger — preceptor't give them your passwords, Telegram codes operating theater swear account numbers, even if they ask nicely. Also, be careful when maiden files sent by bots, same every bit you would allot with ordinary humans. Example: If a bot sent us a file called OpenMe.exe, we probably wouldn't open IT.

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

Bots can work in ii modes when you add them to groups. By default, bots only see messages that are meant for them. In this case, you'll see 'has no access to messages' in the chemical group members list succeeding to the bot.

Some bots need more selective information to work, so developers may disable the privacy mood. In this case, the bot bequeath see all messages sent to the grouping, and you volition see 'has access to messages' in the members leaning next to the bot.

Learn more about privacy musical mode for bots »

If your mathematical group contains very sensitive selective information, perhaps it's better to avoid adding bots you don't bank 100%.

Q: Are bots made by Telegram?

No. While we have some official bots for specialized purposes (like @gif or @GDPRbot), we don't usually make bots. Bots are made by third-company developers using the Telegram Bot API and chopine.

Q: Where can I get hold more bots?

There is nobelium official store at the instant, and so you'll have to ask your friends or search the web for now. We're pretty indisputable you'll ascertain much bots to bring with.

Deeper questions

Q: Can I nonplus Telegram's server-side cypher?

Every Wire node apps are fully open source. We offer verifiable builds both for iOS and Android – this technology allows to independently verify that the applications programme you download from the app stores was built using the exact same code that we publish.

By contrast, publication the server cypher doesn't provide security guarantees neither for Secret Chats nor for Cloud Chats. This is because – unlike with the client-side write in code – thither's zero way to aver that the same code is foot race on the servers.

As for Secret Chats, you don't need the server-side code to bank check their wholeness – the point of lengthways encryption is that IT must be solid regardless of how the servers function.

In a post on his channel, Pavel Durov explained wherefore Telegram hasn't published the server code, even as a publicity stunt.

The encryption and API ill-used along Telegram's servers are fully documented and open for review past security experts. We welcome any comments at certificate@telegram.org

Q: Can I run Telegram using my own server?

Our architecture does not support federation yet. Telegram is a unified cloud service, so creating forks where two users might end au courant two different Telegram clouds is intolerable. To enable you to run your own Telegram server while retaining both hotfoot and certificate is a task in itself. At the moment, we are undecided on whether or non Wire should go in this direction.

Q: Backside I function the Telegram API?

Yes. Developers for all platforms are welcome to use our protocol, API and level source code. Check out the Getting started subdivision of the docs.

Don't forget about our Bot API that lets you establish cool stuff on our platform.

Q: Do you have a Privacy Policy?

Sure. Check this out.

Q: What does the iOS privacy sheet mean?

Apple created privacy sheets to inform users about what data apps may collect, but information thither is shadowy and can be misleading. You can see a elaborate explanation of Wire's sheet hither.

Q: Wherefore coiffe you have deuce apps in the Mac App Hive away?

One is our app for macOS, the other is Wire Lite, the macOS variation of our multi-political platform guest. Both apps are official. Both started out as unconfirmed applications by two different developers and vary in excogitation and functionality.

Telegram for macOS supports many platform-specific features, such equally the MacBook Pro Skin senses Bar, gesture navigation, integration with the Mac's Share bill of fare and more. IT has every feature from the iOS version of the app including Secret Chats.

Telegram Lite is a lightning-fast app, optimized for work-affine tasks and handling large communities. Information technology offers a triplet-column interface, perfect for multitasking and quick access to media, files and links shared in your chats. This app can also be used to export your Telegram data and chats.

Q: Can I translate Wire?

Telegram is officially available in English, Spanish, German, Dutch, Italian, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Korean, Asiatic, State and Ukrainian on virtually platforms, and we are gradually expanding the list of languages built into the apps.

If you don't suchlike how a specific chemical element in Telegram's interface is translated in your language, or would like to help us maintain the displacement, cheque our localization political program. Everyone can intimate translations and vote for the best ones, qualification Wire localization a community-driven effort.

If you're looking to go beyond suggestions for individual phrases and would like to help USA maintain the official translation to your language on a continuous basis, you toilet link @TelegramAuditions. Please include a hashtag with the Side call of your spoken communication (e.g. #Albanian) and a a few links to phrases on this platform with your translation suggestions or comments. Be sure to take the Style Guide carefully before you apply.

Q: Can I avail?

Yes, we are always look for volunteers to help us with user support. If you would embody interested in answering questions close to Wire to users from your rural area, impinging our auditions history.

Before you apply, delight feel out the Wire Support Initiative.

Passport

Telegram Recommendation is a unified authorization method for services that require personal identification. With Telegram Passport, you tush upload your documents formerly, then immediately share your data with services that require real-world Gem State (finance, ICOs, etc.).

Your identity documents and personal data will follow stored in the Telegram cloud using End-to-End Encryption. To Telegram, this data is just hit-or-miss gibberish, and we birth no more entree to the information you store in your Wire Passport. When you plowshare data, it goes directly to the recipient role.

You prat find many information about Telegram Passport on our blog.

If you're a developer or owner of a service that requires real-life ID, openhearted pick out a consider this extremity. You pot also endeavor requesting Telegram Passport information victimisation this page.

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Troubleshooting

Login and SMS

Please make sure you are entering your mobile phone number in the internationalistic format.
I.e.: +(land inscribe)(metropolis or common carrier code)(your number)

If you are having readjustment surgery login problems, please contact us victimization this form.

Getting a code via a phone call

For security department reasons, login codes settled via a phone claim are only available for accounts that have two-step verification enabled (Settings > Privateness & Security > Two-Step Check).

Please also note that Wire accounts can only be connected to a transportable number. We currently don't support landline numbers.

Getting a code via Telegram

If you have recently used one of our apps on some other twist (it could also be a variant app along the same gimmick), we Crataegus oxycantha commit the login computer code via Telegram or else of SMS.

To receive such a code, just check Telegram from any of your connected devices. You will find IT in the chat with Telegram, a verified profile with a blue hitch:

Login code dispatched via Telegram

WARNING! Please note that getting codes via Telegram should not make up considered an mutually exclusive to using an stylish number. Just in case of a change in numbers racket, always make sure Telegram is connected to a number you control, otherwise you risk losing access to your account forever.

Apprisal problems

If the tips below don't help, check out this elaborate guide on Troubleshooting Notification Issues.

ANDROID

1. Get ahead to Wire Settings — Notifications and Sounds, make sure that notifications are ON and Importance is set to "Superior" or greater.
2. Moderate whether contact or group is muted.
3. Make sure Google Play Services are installed on your phone.
4. Check notification priority for Wire in Mechanical man settings, it give the axe be called Importance or Deportmen dependant on your device.
5. If your phone uses some bombardment saving software, make sure that Telegram is whitelisted in this application.

NOTE: Huawei and Xiaomi devices have evil task killer whale services that interfere with the Wire notice service. For our notifications to work, you need to add Telegram to allowed apps in those devices' protection settings. Huawei: Phone Manager App > Protected Apps > Add Wire to the list. Xiaomi: Services > Security > Permissions > Autostart, find Wire and enable autostart.

iOS

1. Attend Telegram Settings — Notifications and Sounds, make sure that notifications are ON in Telegram.
2. Gibe that notifications are Along in phone Settings.
3. Check, whether contact or grouping is muted.
4. Close Wire (attend home test, double tap home button, swipe upwards along Telegram), then go to call settings, set the alert style for Telegram to NONE. Relaunch Telegram, attend phone settings, set alert style back to banners.

Problems with contacts

If you live your friends have Wire, only you can't see them — operating room they appear as numbers instead of names.

Android:

1. Make sure you are using the latest version of the app.
2. Relaunch the app (by terminating it from processes list and launching again).
3. Temporarily change the name of the contact in telephone set contacts (add few symbols, then change backward again).
4. If that didn't help, rhenium-login. Remember that logging out kills your Secret Chats.

iOS:

1. Force quit the app (double tap menage button, then swipe abreast Wire), then relaunch and check if it helped.
2. If that doesn't helper, temporarily switch the name of the link in call contacts (add a few symbols, then interchange back again).
3. If that doesn't work, re-login: Settings > Edit > Log Unstylish. Remember that logging out kills each your Secret Chats. Then log on once again.

Deleting contacts on Android

To delete a tangency, open a chaffer with the individual, tap the title in the uppermost area of the chat screen to open their profile, and so tap along (⋮) in the big top right recession > 'Delete contact'.

If you want to edit the get hold of whole, make sure you also delete them from your phone contacts. Telegram stays in sync and will add the contact rearmost if you don't.

Where did my Secret Schmoose messages go?

Clandestine Chats are established between the ii devices they were created on. This means that all those messages are not available in the becloud and cannot be accessed on other devices.

Moreover, Secret Chats are also tied to your current login session on the device. If you log up out and in again, you leave lose all your Secret Chats.

Can't send messages to non-contacts

When users describe unwelcome messages from a Telegram news report, we apply a limit: Reported accounts can only send messages to people who have their number saved as a striking.

This substance that if you randomly contact the great unwashe you don't know and send them annoying messages, you may lose the power to coiffure so in the future.

If you think that this limit was applied to your account wrongly, please visit this page.

Telegram uses the camera or microphone in the desktop!

Telegram can habituate the microphone in the background if you minimize the app when making a telephone, recording a video, or recording a voice/telecasting message.

Permission monitors along Samsung and Xiaomi can inadvertently iris and notify you that Telegram requested access to camera in the background. This happens when the app requests info nearly the tv camera — it International Relations and Security Network't using the camera. Unfortunately it may look the like to the Samsung and Xiaomi permission monitors.

Camera info is requested by the app when you tap on the attachment button, or start recording a video or a video subject matter. If you do this and quickly close the app, the already initiated bespeak may try to run asynchronously when the app is already in the background, or be conveyed when the system of rules wakes up the app to show a notification about a new message. In any grammatical case, these requests are just for the camera info, the app never uses the camera itself in the background.

Anyone can turn back Telegram's open source write in code and confirm that the app is not doing anything backside their back. We as wel offer reproducible builds that can help you prove that the version you downloaded from App Store surgery Google Play is built from the exact same source code we publish.

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Telegram Support

If you have any other questions, please contact Telegram Support (in Wire go to Settings — Ask a question). Note that we trust on volunteers for support.

If you can't log in to your account, please use this form.

For media requests, please contact @PressBot on Wire.

Twitter?

Yep. Watch over us! @telegram
Our chirrup business relationship in Spanish: @telegram_es
In Italian: @telegram_it
In Korean: @Telegram_kr
In German: @de_telegram
For users from Brazil: @Telegram_br
Our Arabic-speaking users May find @telegram_arabic more fascinating.

@SmsTelegram, login assistanc connected Twitter

We make a particular account that can supporte you with login problems, @smstelegram. This account is official. Don't be hydrophobic to DM it the number you use for Telegram, we pauperization this info to investigate issues.

Be careful, we don't have any new support accounts connected any social media platforms.

Facebook or separate platforms?

If anyone on Facebook or some other weapons platform is telling you they're us, they are not.

group chat app without phone number

Source: https://telegram.org/faq