A Server Error Has Occurred. Contact the Faa Helpdesk or Try Again Later.
This FAQ provides answers to basic questions most Telegram.
Cheque out our Advanced FAQ for more technical information.
Full general
- What is Telegram?
- Who is it for?
- How is it unlike from WhatsApp?
- How old is Telegram?
- Is it available on my device?
- Who are the people backside Telegram?
- Where is Telegram based?
- How do you make money?
- What are your thoughts on cyberspace privacy?
- What near GDPR?
- Do you process takedown requests?
- Practice yous process data requests?
Telegram Nuts
- Who can I message?
- Who can message me?
- Who has Telegram?
- Inviting friends
- What practise the check marks hateful in Telegram?
- Can I hibernate my 'last seen'?
- Who can see me 'online'?
- What is 'People Nearby'?
- Can I delete my messages?
- Voice, Video and Grouping calls
- Using emoticons
Groups and Channels
- What makes Telegram groups cool?
- How are channels and groups different?
- Creating a group
- Adding members and using Invite Links
Usernames and t.me
- What are usernames? How exercise I become 1?
- How does t.me work?
- What can I use as my username?
- Practise I demand a username?
- Volition people know my number?
- How practise I delete my username?
- What do I do if my username is taken?
- What if someone is pretending to exist me?
Security
- How secure is Telegram?
- How do you lot encrypt data?
- Why should I trust you?
- Do I need to trust Telegram for information technology to be secure?
- What if my hacker friend doubts you?
- Tin can Telegram protect me against everything?
- How does 2-Footstep Verification work?
Secret Chats
- What is a secret conversation?
- Starting a secret chat
- Using the self-destruct timer
- Screenshot alerts
- Encryption fundamental picture
- Why not make all chats 'hush-hush'?
Your Account
- Who can see my phone number?
- I take a new phone number, what practice I practise?
- Log out of Telegram
- Modify your phone number
- Delete your Telegram account
- How does business relationship self-devastation work?
- My phone was stolen. What do I do?
Bots
- How practise I create a bot?
- How do I get rid of a bot?
- Are bots safe?
- Where can I become more bots?
Deeper Questions
- Tin can I get Telegram'south server-side code?
- Can I utilize my ain server?
- Tin can I utilize the Telegram API?
- Do you accept a Privacy Policy?
- What does the iOS privacy canvass mean?
- Why practise you have 2 apps in the Mac App Shop?
- Tin I interpret Telegram?
- Tin I help?
Troubleshooting
- SMS, login, register
- Getting a login code via a phone call
- Getting codes via Telegram
- Notification issues
- Bug with contacts
- Deleting contacts on Android
- Hugger-mugger Chats
- Can't transport messages to non contacts
- Telegram uses the camera or microphone in the background
Contact Telegram Support
Follow U.s. on Twitter
Facebook
Advanced FAQ
General Questions
Q: What is Telegram? What do I practise here?
Telegram is a messaging app with a focus on speed and security, information technology's super-fast, elementary and free. Y'all can utilise Telegram on all your devices at the aforementioned time — your letters sync seamlessly across whatever number of your phones, tablets or computers. Telegram has over 500 one thousand thousand monthly active users and is one of the ten most downloaded apps in the world.
With Telegram, yous can send messages, photos, videos and files of whatsoever type (doc, null, mp3, etc), equally well equally create groups for upwards to 200,000 people or channels for broadcasting to unlimited audiences. You tin can write to your phone contacts and find people by their usernames. As a result, Telegram is like SMS and email combined — and tin take care of all your personal or concern messaging needs. In addition to this, we support end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls, equally well as vocalization chats in groups for thousands of participants.
Follow our Tips Aqueduct to learn more about Telegram features.
Q: Who is Telegram for?
Telegram is for everyone who wants fast and reliable messaging and calls. Business users and pocket-sized teams may similar the big groups, usernames, desktop apps and powerful file sharing options.
Since Telegram groups can take upward to 200,000 members, we support replies, mentions and hashtags that help maintain order and go on communication in large communities efficient. You can engage admins with advanced tools to help these communities prosper in peace. Public groups tin can be joined past anyone and are powerful platforms for discussions and collecting feedback.
In case you're more into pictures, Telegram has blithe gif search, a country of the art photo editor, and an open sticker platform (observe some absurd stickers hither or here). What's more, there is no need to worry virtually disk space on your device. With Telegram's cloud support and cache management options, Telegram can take upwards nearly nil space on your telephone.
Those looking for extra privacy should check out our advanced settings and rather revolutionary policy. And if you desire secrecy, try our device-specific Secret Chats with cocky-destructing messages, photos, and videos — and lock your app with an additional passcode.
We keep evolving — bank check out our Brief History of Telegram and follow the states on twitter and Telegram to stay in impact.
Q: How is Telegram different from WhatsApp?
Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram is a cloud-based messenger with seamless sync. Equally a result, you can admission your messages from several devices at once, including tablets and computers, and share an unlimited number of photos, videos and files (physician, zip, mp3, etc.) of up to ii GB each.
Telegram needs less than 100 MB on your device – you tin keep all your media in the cloud without deleting things – simply clear your cache to free up space.
Thanks to Telegram's multi-data center infrastructure and encryption, it is faster and way more secure. On top of that, individual messaging on Telegram is gratuitous and will stay free — no ads, no subscription fees, forever.
Telegram's API and lawmaking is open up, and developers are welcome to create their ain Telegram apps. We also have a Bot API, a platform for developers that allows anyone to hands build specialized tools for Telegram, integrate any services, and fifty-fifty accept payments from users around the world.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
Follow our Tips Aqueduct to learn more than about Telegram features.
Q: How old is Telegram?
Telegram for iOS was launched on August 14, 2013. The blastoff version of Telegram for Android officially launched on October xx, 2013. More and more than Telegram clients announced, built by independent developers using Telegram's open platform.
Q: Which devices tin can I use?
Yous tin employ Telegram on smartphones, tablets, and fifty-fifty computers. Nosotros have apps for iOS (9.0 and above), Android (4.1 and upwards), a native macOS app and a universal desktop app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Telegram Web tin can also help to quickly practice something on the become.
You tin can log in to Telegram from as many of your devices as y'all like — all at the same time. Just utilize your master mobile phone number to log in everywhere, your cloud chats volition sync instantly.
The Telegram API is open for developers, should yous desire to build your own applications for other platforms.
Q: Who are the people behind Telegram?
Telegram is supported by Pavel Durov and his brother Nikolai. Pavel supports Telegram financially and ideologically while Nikolai's input is technological. To make Telegram possible, Nikolai developed a unique custom data protocol, which is open up, secure and optimized for piece of work with multiple data-centers. As a outcome, Telegram combines security, reliability and speed on any network.
See also: articles well-nigh Telegram
Q: Where is Telegram based?
The Telegram development team is based in Dubai.
Nigh of the developers behind Telegram originally come from St. Petersburg, the city famous for its unprecedented number of highly skilled engineers. The Telegram team had to go out Russia due to 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 local regulations change.
Q: Volition you have ads in my private chats and groups? Or sell my data? Or steal my beloved and enslave my children?
No. Encounter this postal service for details.
Q: How are you going to make money out of this?
We believe in fast and secure messaging that is too 100% gratuitous.
Our founder and CEO Pavel Durov, who financed Telegram throughout most of its history, has outlined a strategy to make Telegram sustainable in this postal service.
While Telegram will introduce monetization in 2021 to pay for the infrastructure and developer salaries, making profits will never be an end-goal for us.
Q: What are your thoughts on internet privacy?
We call up that the two most of import components of Internet privacy should be:
- Protecting your private conversations from snooping third parties, such as officials, employers, etc.
- Protecting your personal information from 3rd parties, such every bit marketers, advertisers, etc.
Telegram's aim is to create a truly free messenger, with a revolutionary privacy policy.
Q: What about GDPR?
The General Information Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into forcefulness in Europe on May 25, 2018. Since taking dorsum our right to privacy was the reason we made Telegram, in that location wasn't much we had to change. We don't utilise your information for ad targeting, nosotros don't sell it to others, and nosotros're not function of any mafia family unit "family of companies."
Telegram only keeps the information it needs to function as a feature-rich cloud service. For example, your deject chats – so that you can access them from any devices without using 3rd-party backups, or your contacts – so that you can rely on your existing social graph when messaging people on Telegram. Please encounter our Privacy Policy for more information.
Y'all tin use @GDPRbot to:
- Request a copy of all your data that Telegram stores.
- Contact us about Data Privacy.
Q: There's illegal content on Telegram. How do I have it down?
All Telegram chats and group chats are individual among their participants. We practice not process whatever requests related to them.
But sticker sets, channels, and bots on Telegram are publicly available. If you lot find sticker sets or bots on Telegram that y'all think are illegal, delight ping us at abuse@telegram.org.
You can too use the 'report' buttons right within our apps, see this post on our official @ISISwatch aqueduct for details.
Notation: If a scammer is pretending to be y'all, contact @NoToScam
Q: A bot or channel is infringing on my copyright. What practise I do?
All Telegram chats and group chats are private amongst their participants. We practise not procedure any requests related to them. But sticker sets, channels, and bots on Telegram are publicly available.
If you see a bot, channel, or sticker ready that is infringing on your copyright, kindly submit a complaint to dmca@telegram.org. Please note that such requests should but be submitted by the copyright owner or an agent authorized to deed on the owner'southward behalf.
Q: Await! 0_o Do you process accept-downwards requests from tertiary parties?
Our mission is to provide a secure means of communication that works everywhere on the planet. To do this in the places where it is most needed (and to continue distributing Telegram through the App Store and Google Play), we have to process legitimate requests to take down illegal public content (e.1000., sticker sets, bots, and channels) inside the app. For example, nosotros can have down sticker sets that violate intellectual property rights or porn bots.
User-uploaded stickers sets, channels, and bots past third-party developers are non part of the core Telegram UI. Whenever we receive a complaint at abuse@telegram.org or dmca@telegram.org regarding the legality of public content, we perform the necessary legal checks and take information technology down when accounted advisable.
Please note that this does non utilize to local restrictions on freedom of speech. For example, if criticizing the government is illegal in some state, Telegram won't be a part of such politically motivated censorship. This goes against our founders' principles. While nosotros do block terrorist (e.m. ISIS-related) bots and channels, we volition not block anybody who peacefully expresses alternative opinions.
Q: My bot or sticker set up was banned unfairly, what do I do?
If you think nosotros banned your bot, channel, or sticker prepare for no apparent reasons, drib u.s. a line at abuse@telegram.org.
Q: Do you process data requests?
Secret chats apply cease-to-end encryption, cheers to which we don't have whatever data to disembalm.
To protect the data that is non covered past terminate-to-end encryption, Telegram uses a distributed infrastructure. Deject chat information is stored in multiple data centers effectually the globe that are controlled past different legal entities spread across unlike jurisdictions. The relevant decryption keys are split up into parts and are never kept in the same place as the information they protect. As a result, several court orders from different jurisdictions are required to force us to give upwards whatever data.
Thanks to this structure, we tin ensure that no single government or cake of like-minded countries can intrude on people's privacy and freedom of expression. Telegram can be forced to give upward information only if an event is grave and universal enough to pass the scrutiny of several different legal systems around the world.
To this day, nosotros have disclosed 0 bytes of user information to third parties, including governments.
Telegram Basics
Follow our Tips Channel to acquire more about Telegram features.
Q: Who can I write to?
You tin write to people who are in your phone contacts and have Telegram. Another manner of contacting people is to type their Telegram username into the search field – you don't need to know their phone number to do this.
Q: Who can contact me?
People can contact you on Telegram if they know your telephone number or if you message them first.
If they don't know your phone number, they can find you in these cases:
- When you both are members of the same group.
- If you prepare a public username. Others can employ Global Search and find y'all by your username.
- If yous 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 Telegram?
Your contacts, who have Telegram, are shown at the top of your Contacts. They also accept pictures.
Q: How do I invite my friends?
iOS: The basic invitations are uncomplicated SMS letters. They volition be charged equally standard outgoing SMS by your carrier (unless sent via iMessage). Naturally, y'all have other options to bring your friends here. Endeavour sending them a download link via any other messaging service: email, Facebook, WhatsApp, an actual telegram — yous name it. The link: https://telegram.org/dl/
Android: Open the app bill of fare (swipe right in conversation listing) > Invite Friends. So cull an application via which yous would like to transport out invitations.
Y'all tin give your friends a t.me link with your username then that they tin can hands find you on Telegram even if they don't have your phone number.
Q: What exercise the bank check marks mean?
One check — bulletin delivered to the Telegram cloud and your friend has been notified if he allows notifications.
Two checks — message read (your friend opened Telegram and opened the conversation with the message).
We don't have a 'delivered to device' condition for letters because Telegram tin can run on as many devices every bit you want. And then which particular one would that cheque hateful?
Q: Tin I hide my 'final seen' time?
You lot tin choose who sees this info in Privacy and Security settings.
Remember that you won't meet Concluding Seen timestamps for people with whom you lot don't share your own. You lot will, however, see an approximate last seen value. This keeps stalkers away but makes information technology possible to sympathize whether a person is reachable over Telegram. At that place are four possible judge values:
- Terminal seen recently — covers anything between one second and ii-three days
- Last seen within a week — between 2-three and seven days
- Final seen inside a month — betwixt half-dozen-7 days and a calendar month
- Last seen a long time ago — more a month (this is also always shown to blocked users)
Q: Who can see me 'online'?
The last seen rules apply to your online status also. People can but see you online if yous're sharing your last seen status with them.
There are some exceptions considering sometimes information technology is obvious that y'all are online. Regardless of the concluding seen settings, people will see you online for a brief period (~thirty seconds) if you do the post-obit:
- Send them a message in a one-on-one chat or in a group where you both are members.
- Read a message they sent you in a one-on-one chat.
- Broadcast a "typing…" status to their chat with you lot or to a group where you both are members.
If y'all're not sharing your last seen timestamp with someone and don't do anything of the above, they'll never run into you online. Another way of achieving this is to block that person.
Q: What is People Nearby?
People Nearby is an optional feature that allows Telegram users to explore local groups, find friends to chat with in their area, or speedily exchange contacts with people who are close.
Yous can find it in Contacts > Detect People Nearby, as well as directly in the side bill of fare on Android.
While you have the People Nearby section open on your screen, people who are very close will be able to see you lot there. If yous don't open the section, others volition never see you lot in 'People Nearby'.
Notation: People Nearby is never turned on by default – users must manually enable it. If you are receiving messages from someone you don't know, see Q: Who can contact me?
You tin can also cull to permanently add your profile to the listing of nearby people past tapping Brand Myself Visible. After becoming visible, you tin can remove your profile from the list at any time by tapping Stop Showing Me.
To protect user privacy, 'People Nearby' always shows distances to approximate locations. As of Feb 2022, these distances are offset by 700 meters (previously 100 meters).
Q: Can I delete my messages?
Yes. You tin can always delete whatsoever messages you sent or received for both sides in whatsoever one-on-1 conversation (in groups, it's still your own messages only). Yous can also clear the entire conversation history on both ends. On Telegram, deleted messages do non go out a marking in the conversation.
Together with privacy settings for forwarded messages, this makes exchanging Telegram messages like to talking face to face (without a tape recorder). As a result, users no longer demand to worry nearly the information accumulating in their chats over the years. Both parties in a chat have full control over what does and what doesn't belong to their online identity.
Q: Can I make calls via Telegram?
Yes! Yous can make end-to-finish encrypted Voice Calls and Video Calls.
If you want more participants, try starting a Vocalization Chat in one of the groups you created. Vocalization Chats add a live layer of imperceptible talk to the group. They can be used equally virtual office spaces for teams or informal lounges for any community. While Voice Chats are not group calls, they can accomplish similar goals.
Q: How can I utilize emoticons?
Type ane discussion in your input field to get relevant emoji suggestions. You can also type ":" followed by whatever keyword to open up emoji search – like :heart.
You can propose missing keywords for emoji in your language using this interface (this will open suggestions for English, don't forget to change to your linguistic communication in the left carte).
Groups and Channels
Q: What makes Telegram groups cool?
Telegram groups can have up to 200,000 members each and are extremely powerful communication tools. Hither are a few primal features that make them stand up out in the messaging world:
Unified history
Edit your messages later posting, delete them so that they disappear for anybody.
Cross-platform availability
Access your messages anytime, from whatsoever number of your mobile or desktop devices.
Instant search
Find the message yous're looking for, even amid millions. Filter by sender to make searching easier.
Replies, mentions, hashtags
Easily trace a conversation and proceed advice efficient, no matter the group size.
Smart notifications
Mute the group to get notifications only when people mention y'all or reply to your messages.
Pinned messages
You can pin any message to be displayed at the top of the chat screen. All members will get a notification — even if they muted ordinary messages from your group.
Moderation tools
Appoint administrators that can mass-delete messages, control membership, and pin of import messages. Define their admin privileges with granular precision.
Grouping permissions
Set default permissions to restrict all members from posting specific kinds of content. Or even restrict members from sending letters altogether – and allow the admins chat among themselves while everybody else is watching.
File sharing
Ship and receive files of any type, upward to 2 GB in size each, access them instantly on your other devices.
Public groups
Get a brusk link for your group and make it public, like t.me/publictestgroup. This way, anybody tin can view the group's entire chat history and join to post messages.
Customization via bots
Create custom tools for whatever specific needs using our Bot API and Inline Bots.
Q: What'southward the difference between groups and channels?
Telegram groups are ideal for sharing stuff with friends and family unit or collaboration in small teams. Only groups can also grow very big and support communities of up to 200,000 members. Yous can brand any group public, toggle persistent history to command whether or not new members have admission to earlier messages and appoint administrators with granular privileges. You lot can also pin important messages to the summit of the screen and then that all members can see them, including those who have just joined.
Channels are a tool for broadcasting messages to large audiences. In fact, a channel can accept an unlimited number of subscribers. When you postal service in a channel, the message is signed with the channel'south name and photo and non your own. Each message in a channel has a view counter that gets updated when the bulletin is viewed, including its forwarded copies.
Read more virtually channels in the Channels FAQ »
Q: How do I create a group?
iOS: Beginning a new message (tap the icon in the meridian correct corner in Chats) > 'New Group'.
Android: Tap the circular pencil icon in the conversation list > 'New Group'.
Telegram Desktop: Click the card button in the top left corner > 'New Group'.
Q: Can I assign administrators?
You can add administrators to help you manage your group and define their privileges with granular precision.
iOS: Go to Group Info (tap the photo in the meridian right corner on the group'due south chat screen) > Edit > Administrators.
Android: Go to Group Info (tap the name in the header) > the pencil icon (in the elevation correct corner) > Administrators.
Telegram Desktop: When in the grouping, click '…' in the elevation right corner > Manage group > Administrators.
Q: How practise I add more members? What's an invite link?
You tin add your contacts, or using search by username.
It is like shooting fish in a barrel to drift existing groups to Telegram past sending people an invite link. To create an invite link, go to Group Info > Add Member > Invite to Grouping via Link.
Anyone who has Telegram installed will exist able to bring together your group by following this link. If you choose to revoke the link, it volition stop working immediately.
Read more about invite links in our web log »
Usernames and t.me
Q: What are usernames? How practise I get one?
You can fix a public username on Telegram. It then becomes possible for other users to observe you past that username — you lot volition appear in contacts search nether 'global results'. Please notation that people who detect you will be able to send you messages, even if they don't know your number. If you are non comfortable with this, we advise confronting setting up a username in Telegram.
You lot tin set up a username in Settings and use the universal search box in the conversation listing to search for chats, messages, and usernames.
Q: How does t.me piece of work?
Once you've prepare upwardly a username, you can give people a t.me/username link. Opening that link on their phone will automatically fire up their Telegram app and open a chat with you. You tin can share username links with friends, write them on business cards or put them up on your website.
This way people tin can contact you on Telegram without knowing your phone number.
Q: What tin can I apply as my username?
You can apply a-z, 0-nine and underscores. Usernames are instance-insensitive, but Telegram will store your capitalization preferences (e.thousand. Telegram and TeleGram is the same user). The username must be at least v characters long.
Q: Do I need a username?
You don't have to go ane. Retrieve that Telegram usernames are public and choosing a username on Telegram makes information technology possible for people to discover you lot in global search and send you messages even if they don't have your number. If you are not comfortable with this, nosotros advise against setting up a username.
Q: If someone finds me by username, messages and I reply — will they know my number?
No. Neither party volition see some other's phone number (unless this is permitted by your privacy settings). This is similar to the case when yous message a person who y'all've met in a Telegram group.
Q: How do I delete my username?
Go to Settings and save an empty username. This volition remove your username; people will no longer be able to find you lot via search. This will not affect existing conversations.
Q: What practice I do if my username is taken?
Telegram usernames are distributed on a start come — get-go serve basis.
We understand that certain usernames are part of an online identity for some of u.s.. If your desired username is already taken, nosotros will be happy to assistance yous acquire it for your business relationship or channel, provided that you have that same username on at least two of these services: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Due to the fact that one account tin can register multiple bot and channel usernames, we reserve the right to remember usernames assigned to unused bots and channels, too equally openly squatted usernames.
To request a username, contact @Username_bot.
Q: What if someone is pretending to be me?
If a scammer is pretending to be you, please contact @NoToScam.
Security
If you are an avant-garde user, you may notice our FAQ for the Technically Inclined useful likewise.
Q: How secure is Telegram?
Telegram is more secure than mass market messengers similar WhatsApp and Line. We are based on the MTProto protocol (see description and advanced FAQ), congenital upon time-tested algorithms to brand security compatible with high-speed commitment and reliability on weak connections. Nosotros are continuously working with the customs to meliorate the security of our protocol and clients.
Q: What if I'one thousand more paranoid than your regular user?
We've got you lot covered. Telegram's special secret chats utilise terminate-to-finish encryption, get out no trace on our servers, support self-destructing messages and don't allow forwarding. On elevation of this, secret chats are not part of the Telegram deject and can only be accessed on their devices of origin.
Q: So how do you lot encrypt data?
We support two layers of secure encryption. Server-customer encryption is used in Deject Chats (private and grouping chats), Secret Chats use an additional layer of client-customer encryption. All information, regardless of type, is encrypted in the same way — be it text, media or files.
Our encryption is based on 256-bit symmetric AES encryption, 2048-fleck RSA encryption, and Diffie–Hellman secure key exchange. Y'all can discover more info in the Avant-garde FAQ.
See as well: Exercise you lot process information requests?
Q: Why should I trust you?
Telegram is open up, anyone can cheque our source lawmaking, protocol and API, see how everything works and brand an informed conclusion. Telegram supports verifiable builds, which allow experts to independently verify that our code published on GitHub is the exact same lawmaking that is used to build the apps yous download from App Store or Google Play.
We welcome security experts to audit our system and appreciate any feedback at security@telegram.org.
On top of that, Telegram'southward chief focus is non to bring a profit, and then commercial interests will never interfere with our mission.
See too: manufactures almost Telegram
Q: Do I demand to trust Telegram for this to be secure?
When it comes to surreptitious chats, you don't — just make sure that the visualized key of your hugger-mugger chat matches the one in your friend's secret chat settings. More virtually this below.
Q: What if my hacker friend says they could decipher Telegram messages?
Anyone who claims that Telegram messages can be deciphered is welcome to prove that claim in our competition and win $300,000. You can bank check out the Dandy Competition Description to learn more.
Whatsoever comments on Telegram's security are welcome at security@telegram.org. All submissions which result in a change of lawmaking or configuration are eligible for bounties, ranging from $100 to $100,000 or more than, depending on the severity of the issue. Please note that we can not offering bounties for bug that are disclosed to the public earlier they are fixed.
Q: Can Telegram protect me confronting everything?
Telegram tin can help when it comes to information transfer and secure communication. This means that all data (including media and files) that yous send and receive via Telegram cannot be deciphered when intercepted by your internet service provider, owners of Wi-Fi routers you connect to, or other third parties.
Simply please think that nosotros cannot protect you from your own mother if she takes your unlocked telephone without a passcode. Or from your It-department if they access your computer at work. Or from whatever other people that get physical or root access to your phones or computers running Telegram.
If y'all have reasons to worry about your personal security, nosotros strongly recommend using merely Cloak-and-dagger Chats in official or at least verifiable open-source apps for sensitive information, preferably with a self-destruct timer. We also recommend enabling 2-Step Verification and setting up a potent passcode to lock your app, you will observe both options in Settings > Privacy and Security.
Q: How does ii-Step Verification work?
Logging in with an SMS code is an industry standard in messaging, but if you're looking for more security or have reasons to doubt your mobile carrier or government, nosotros recommend protecting your deject chats with an additional password.
You can do this in Settings > Privacy and Security > ii-Step Verification. In one case enabled, you lot will need both an SMS code and a password to log in. You lot can also gear up a recovery email address that will assistance regain access, should you forget your password. If you do then, please retrieve that it'due south important that the recovery email account is also protected with a strong password and two-Pace Verification when possible.
Check this out for tips on creating a potent password that is piece of cake to call back.
Q: Why can jailbroken and rooted devices be dangerous?
Using a rooted or jailbroken device makes it easier for a potential aggressor to gain full authoritative control over your device — root access.
A user with root access tin easily bypass security features congenital into the operating organisation, read process memory or admission restricted areas, such as the internal storage. One time an attacker has root access, any efforts to mitigate threats become futile. No application tin exist called safe under these circumstances, no affair how strong the encryption.
Secret Chats
Q: How are secret chats unlike?
Hugger-mugger chats are meant for people who want more secrecy than the boilerplate fella. All messages in secret chats use end-to-end encryption. This ways only you and the recipient tin can read those letters — nobody else can decipher them, including us here at Telegram (more on this hither). On pinnacle of this, Letters cannot be forwarded from secret chats. And when you delete messages on your side of the conversation, the app on the other side of the cloak-and-dagger chat will be ordered to delete them likewise.
Y'all can order your letters, photos, videos and files to self-destruct in a set amount of time after they accept been read or opened by the recipient. The message will so disappear from both your and your friend's devices.
All clandestine chats in Telegram are device-specific and are not office of the Telegram cloud. This means you can only admission messages in a clandestine chat from their device of origin. They are prophylactic for as long as your device is safe in your pocket.
Q: How practise I commencement a cloak-and-dagger conversation?
Open the profile of the user you want to contact. Tap on '…', so 'Start Secret Chat'.
Retrieve that Telegram secret chats are device-specific. If you get-go a secret chat with a friend on one of your devices, this conversation will only be available on that device. If yous log out, you lot will lose all your secret chats. You tin create as many different hole-and-corner chats with the same contact equally yous like.
Q: How do self-destructing messages work?
The Self-Destruct Timer is available for all messages in Surreptitious Chats and for media in private cloud chats.
To set the timer, simply tap the clock icon (in the input field on iOS, summit bar on Android), and so cull the desired time limit. The clock starts ticking the moment the message is displayed on the recipient's screen (gets two check marks). As before long as the time runs out, the message disappears from both devices. Nosotros volition try to transport a notification if a screenshot is taken.
Please annotation that the timer in Secret Chats only applies to messages that were sent later on the timer was ready. It has no effect on earlier messages.
Q: Can I be certain that my conversation partner doesn't take a screenshot?
Unfortunately, there is no bulletproof way of detecting screenshots on sure systems (most notably, some Android and Windows Phone devices). We will make every effort to alarm you lot about screenshots taken in your Secret Chats, merely it may withal be possible to featherbed such notifications and accept screenshots silently. Nosotros advise to share sensitive data only with people you trust. After all, nobody can stop a person from taking a picture of their screen with a unlike device or an former schoolhouse camera.
Q: What is this 'Encryption Key' thing?
When a secret chat is created, the participating devices commutation encryption keys using the and then-chosen Diffie-Hellman key commutation. Subsequently the secure end-to-finish connection has been established, nosotros generate a picture that visualizes the encryption key for your conversation. You lot can and then compare this image with the one your friend has — if the two images are the aforementioned, you can be sure that the hush-hush chat is secure, and no homo-in-the-middle assault can succeed.
Newer versions of Telegram apps will testify a larger film along with a textual representation of the fundamental (this is non the central itself, of grade!) when both participants are using an updated app.
Always compare visualizations using a channel that is known to exist secure — it's safest if you do this in person, in an offline meeting with the chat partner.
Q: Why not just make all chats 'secret'?
All Telegram messages are ever securely encrypted. Messages in Secret Chats use client-client encryption, while Cloud Chats utilize client-server/server-client encryption and are stored encrypted in the Telegram Cloud (more here). This enables your cloud letters to be both secure and immediately accessible from any of your devices – fifty-fifty if you lose your device altogether.
The problem of restoring access to your chat history on a newly connected device (e.g. when y'all lose your phone) does not have an elegant solution in the finish-to-end encryption paradigm. At the same time, reliable backups are an essential feature for any mass-market place messenger. To solve this problem, some applications (like Whatsapp and Viber) allow decryptable backups that put their users' privacy at take a chance – even if they do not enable backups themselves. Other apps ignore the need for backups altogether and leave their users vulnerable to data loss.
We opted for a third approach by offering two distinct types of chats. Telegram disables default system backups and provides all users with an integrated security-focused backup solution in the class of Cloud Chats. Meanwhile, the separate entity of Secret Chats gives yous total control over the data yous do not want to exist stored.
This allows Telegram to exist widely adopted in wide circles, not just by activists and dissidents, so that the simple fact of using Telegram does not mark users every bit 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 pop messaging application.
See likewise: Why Telegram isn't End-to-Terminate Encrypted "by Default"
Your Business relationship
Q: Who can see my telephone number?
On Telegram, you tin send messages in private chats and groups without making your phone number visible. By default, your number is but visible to people who you've added to your accost book equally contacts. You tin further alter this in Settings > Privacy and Security > Phone Number.
Annotation that people will e'er encounter your number if they know it already and saved information technology in their accost book.
Q: I have a new telephone number, what do I do?
Each telephone number is a divide account on Telegram. You have several options if you lot are using multiple phone numbers:
- If you volition no longer utilise the former number (e.g., yous moved to a new state or inverse your number for practiced), only go to Settings and change the number continued to your Telegram business relationship to the new number. Important: brand sure you have access to your continued phone number – otherwise you risk losing access to your business relationship.
- If you will use the new number for a limited time (e.thousand., you lot're on a trip or vacation), at that place's no need to practice anything.
- If you want to continue using both numbers (e.g., you lot have a work phone and personal phone), choose one as your Telegram number. Y'all may create some other Telegram account on the second number likewise, for case, if you want to keep work and personal chats separated. It is possible to log in to ane Telegram app with up to three different accounts at once.
Q: How do I log out?
Virtually users don't demand to log out of Telegram:
- You can use Telegram on many devices at the same fourth dimension. Only utilize the same phone number to log in on all devices.
- You can go to Settings > Information and Storage > Storage Usage> Clear cache to free upwardly space on your device without logging out.
- If you use Telegram with multiple phone numbers, y'all can switch between accounts without logging out.
- If you utilize Telegram on a shared device, you can prepare a passcode in Settings > Privacy and Security to make certain only you have access to your business relationship.
If yous practice want to log out for some reason, hither'south how yous do that:
iOS: Go to Settings > Edit > Log out.
Android, Telegram Desktop: Go to Settings > … (in the top right corner) > Log out.
If you log out, you will keep all your deject letters. Even so, y'all volition lose all your Undercover Chats and all letters inside those hush-hush chats when you lot log out.
Note that logging out does not trigger remote deletion of your cloak-and-dagger chat messages on your partner'due south device — to exercise that, choose 'Clear History' offset.
Q: How do I change my telephone number?
You lot can modify your number in Telegram and keep everything, including all your contacts, messages, and media from the Telegram cloud, too as all your Secret Chats on all devices.
To change your number, get to Settings, so tap on your phone number (just in a higher place the username), then 'Change Number'. If y'all already have a different Telegram business relationship on the target number, y'all'll need to delete that account outset.
Q: How do I delete my account?
If yous would similar to delete your account, you lot can do this on the deactivation page. Deleting your account permanently removes all your letters and contacts. All groups and channels that you lot've created are orphaned and left without a creator but admins retain their rights.
This activity must be confirmed via your Telegram account and cannot be undone.
We recommend using a non-mobile browser for this process.
Notation that you lot'll receive the code via Telegram, non SMS.
Q: What happens if I delete my account?
Every bit was just mentioned to a higher place, all your data will be flushed from our system: all messages, groups, and contacts associated with your business relationship will exist deleted. That said, your contacts will still be able to chat in the groups that you have created, and they will still have their copy of the letters you sent them. Then if you desire to send messages that can vanish without a trace, attempt using our self-destruct timer instead.
Termination of a Telegram business relationship is irreversible. If you lot sign upward again, y'all will announced as a new user and will not get your history, contacts or groups back. People, who have your telephone number in their contacts, will be notified. The new user volition be displayed equally a split conversation in their messages list and their conversation history with this new user volition exist empty.
Q: How does account cocky-destruction work?
Telegram is not a commercial organization, and we value our deejay space greatly. If you lot stop using Telegram and don't come online for at least half dozen months, your business relationship will be deleted along with all messages, media, contacts and every other piece of data y'all shop in the Telegram cloud. You lot can change the verbal menses after which your inactive account volition cocky-destruct in Settings.
Q: My phone was stolen, what do I do?
First of all, sorry about your phone. Unfortunately, the phone number is the only style for us to identify a Telegram user at the moment. Nosotros don't collect boosted information about you lot, so whoever has the number, has the account. This means we can't help you unless yous accept access either to the phone number or to Telegram itself on any of your devices.
I have access to Telegram on another device
- Go to Telegram Settings > Privacy and Security and plough on Two-Step Verification. This way the phone number lonely will not exist enough to log in to your business relationship.
- Get to Settings > Devices (or Privacy & Security > Active Sessions) and terminate your Telegram session on the onetime device. Whoever has your phone will not be able to log in again, since they don't know your password.
- Contact your telephone provider, and then that they block your old SIM and issue a new ane with your number.
- If you make up one's mind to switch to a new phone number, don't forget to go to Settings, tap on your phone number and change your Telegram number to the new ane.
I don't take admission to Telegram on whatever other devices
- First and foremost, you demand to contact your telephone provider, so that they block your old SIM and outcome a new one with your number.
- Wait till you receive your new SIM with the old number, log in to Telegram, then go to Settings > Devices (or Privacy & Security > Active Sessions) and terminate your Telegram session on the quondam device.
Removing sensitive data
Mutual thieves usually throw out the SIM card immediately (the phone is harder to locate this mode), so wipe the devices and sell them, so there isn't much risk for the data in case of regular niggling theft. Simply if you have reasons to worry about the information on the device and are unable to log out the other device, information technology is best that yous wipe it remotely. You lot can read more about it here: Apple iOS, Android. Unfortunately, this requires you to have prepared in advance for this scenario.
You tin delete your Telegram account if you are logged in on at least one of your other devices (mobile or desktop). Note that inactive Telegram accounts self-destruct automatically later a menstruation of time — 6 months being the default setting.
Bots
If you're a developer, you lot may discover our Bots FAQ more than useful.
Q: What are bots?
Bots are like small programs that run right inside Telegram. They are made by 3rd-political party developers using the Telegram Bot API.
Q: How practice I create a bot?
Creating Telegram bots is super-easy, just you will need at least some skills in computer programming. If you lot're sure you're upward to information technology, our Introduction for Developers is a good place to start.
Unfortunately, there are no out-of-the-box ways to create a working bot if you are not a programmer. But nosotros're certain yous'll soon discover plenty of bots created past other people to play with.
Q: A bot is sending me messages, how do I brand it stop?
If you don't want a bot to send yous letters, feel free to block it – same as you would block a human user. Some Telegram clients have a 'Cease Bot' push button right in the bot's profile.
That said, most bot developers offering commands that silence the bot, bank check its /help for clues.
Q: Are bots safe?
Aye. Bots are no unlike from human users that you run into in groups for example. They tin run into your public name, username, and profile pictures, and they tin can encounter letters you send to them, that'due south it. They can't access your concluding seen status and don't encounter your telephone number (unless you decide to give it to them yourself).
Naturally, whatsoever bot should be treated every bit a stranger — don't give them your passwords, Telegram codes or bank account numbers, even if they inquire nicely. Also, be careful when opening files sent by bots, aforementioned as you would deal with ordinary humans. Example: If a bot sent united states a file chosen OpenMe.exe, nosotros probably wouldn't open it.
Q: If I add a bot to my group, tin it read my messages?
Bots tin work in two modes when you add together them to groups. By default, bots only run into messages that are meant for them. In this case, you'll come across 'has no access to letters' in the group members listing next to the bot.
Some bots need more information to work, so developers may disable the privacy way. In this case, the bot volition see all messages sent to the group, and you lot volition see 'has access to messages' in the members list next to the bot.
Learn more than near privacy mode for bots »
If your group contains very sensitive information, maybe it'south better to avoid adding bots you don't trust 100%.
Q: Are bots fabricated by Telegram?
No. While we have some official bots for specific purposes (like @gif or @GDPRbot), we don't usually brand bots. Bots are made by 3rd-party developers using the Telegram Bot API and platform.
Q: Where can I find more bots?
There is no official shop at the moment, and so you'll have to ask your friends or search the web for now. We're pretty sure you'll find some bots to play with.
Deeper questions
Q: Can I get Telegram's server-side code?
All Telegram client apps are fully open source. We offer verifiable builds both for iOS and Android – this technology allows to independently verify that the application you download from the app stores was built using the verbal aforementioned code that we publish.
By contrast, publishing the server code doesn't provide security guarantees neither for Hush-hush Chats nor for Cloud Chats. This is considering – unlike with the client-side lawmaking – there'south no way to verify that the same lawmaking is run on the servers.
As for Underground Chats, you don't need the server-side code to bank check their integrity – the bespeak of end-to-finish encryption is that information technology must be solid regardless of how the servers part.
In a post on his channel, Pavel Durov explained why Telegram hasn't published the server lawmaking, even as a publicity stunt.
The encryption and API used on Telegram's servers are fully documented and open up for review by security experts. Nosotros welcome any comments at security@telegram.org
Q: Tin I run Telegram using my own server?
Our architecture does non support federation yet. Telegram is a unified deject service, and so creating forks where two users might end upward on ii different Telegram clouds is unacceptable. To enable you to run your own Telegram server while retaining both speed and security is a task in itself. At the moment, we are undecided on whether or not Telegram should become in this direction.
Q: Can I use the Telegram API?
Yeah. Developers for all platforms are welcome to use our protocol, API and fifty-fifty source code. Check out the Getting started section of the docs.
Don't forget about our Bot API that lets you build cool stuff on our platform.
Q: Do yous have a Privacy Policy?
Sure. Cheque 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 there is vague and can be misleading. You can run across a detailed explanation of Telegram'due south sheet here.
Q: Why practise you accept ii apps in the Mac App Store?
One is our app for macOS, the other is Telegram Lite, the macOS version of our multi-platform customer. Both apps are official. Both started out as unofficial applications past ii different developers and vary in design and functionality.
Telegram for macOS supports many platform-specific features, such every bit the MacBook Pro Touch Bar, gesture navigation, integration with the Mac'southward Share menu and more. It has every feature from the iOS version of the app including Hole-and-corner Chats.
Telegram Lite is a lightning-fast app, optimized for work-related tasks and handling large communities. It offers a iii-column interface, perfect for multitasking and quick access to media, files and links shared in your chats. This app tin can also be used to export your Telegram data and chats.
Q: Can I interpret Telegram?
Telegram is officially available in English, Spanish, High german, Dutch, Italian, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Korean, Malay, Russian and Ukrainian on most platforms, and we are gradually expanding the list of languages built into the apps.
If you don't like how a specific chemical element in Telegram's interface is translated in your language, or would like to help us maintain the translation, check out our localization platform. Anybody can suggest translations and vote for the all-time ones, making Telegram localization a community-driven effort.
If yous're looking to go across suggestions for private phrases and would like to help usa maintain the official translation to your language on a continuous ground, you lot tin can contact @TelegramAuditions. Please include a hashtag with the English language name of your language (due east.g. #Albanian) and a few links to phrases on this platform with your translation suggestions or comments. Exist sure to read the Style Guide carefully earlier yous apply.
Q: Can I assist?
Yes, we are e'er looking for volunteers to assistance us with user back up. If you would exist interested in answering questions virtually Telegram to users from your state, contact our auditions account.
Before yous use, please check out the Telegram Support Initiative.
Passport
Telegram Passport is a unified authorization method for services that require personal identification. With Telegram Passport, you can upload your documents once, and then instantly share your data with services that require real-globe ID (finance, ICOs, etc.).
Your identity documents and personal data will be stored in the Telegram cloud using Finish-to-Cease Encryption. To Telegram, this information is just random gibberish, and we have no access to the data yous store in your Telegram Passport. When you lot share data, information technology goes direct to the recipient.
Y'all tin can observe more information virtually Telegram Passport on our blog.
If you're a programmer or owner of a service that requires existent-life ID, kindly have a wait at this manual. You can as well try requesting Telegram Passport data using this folio.
Troubleshooting
Login and SMS
Delight make certain yous are inbound your mobile phone number in the international format.
I.e.: +(country lawmaking)(city or carrier lawmaking)(your number)
If you are having registration or login problems, please contact usa using this form.
Getting a code via a phone call
For security reasons, login codes dictated via a telephone call are but available for accounts that accept two-step verification enabled (Settings > Privacy & Security > 2-Step Verification).
Please besides note that Telegram accounts tin can only be continued to a mobile number. We currently don't support landline numbers.
Getting a lawmaking via Telegram
If you have recently used one of our apps on another device (it could also be a unlike app on the same device), nosotros may send the login code via Telegram instead of SMS.
To receive such a code, just check Telegram from any of your connected devices. You volition find information technology in the chat with Telegram, a verified profile with a blue check:
Login code sent via Telegram
Alert! Please annotation that getting codes via Telegram should not be considered an alternative to using an up-to-date phone number. In case of a modify in numbers, always make sure Telegram is continued to a phone number yous control, otherwise you gamble losing admission to your business relationship forever.
Notification problems
If the tips below don't help, check out this detailed guide on Troubleshooting Notification Bug.
ANDROID
- Become to Telegram Settings — Notifications and Sounds, make sure that notifications are ON and Importance is set to "High" or greater.
- Cheque whether contact or group is muted.
- Make sure Google Play Services are installed on your phone.
- Check notification priority for Telegram in Android settings, it can be chosen Importance or Behaviour depending on your device.
- If your phone uses some bombardment saving software, make sure that Telegram is whitelisted in that awarding.
Notation: Huawei and Xiaomi devices have evil task killer services that interfere with the Telegram notification service. For our notifications to work, you need to add Telegram to allowed apps in those devices' security settings. Huawei: Telephone Manager App > Protected Apps > Add Telegram to the list. Xiaomi: Services > Security > Permissions > Autostart, notice Telegram and enable autostart.
iOS
- Go to Telegram Settings — Notifications and Sounds, brand sure that notifications are ON in Telegram.
- Bank check that notifications are ON in phone Settings.
- Bank check, whether contact or group is muted.
- Shut downwards Telegram (go to home screen, double tap home push button, swipe upwards on Telegram), and then go to phone settings, set the alarm style for Telegram to NONE. Relaunch Telegram, become to phone settings, set alert fashion back to banners.
Problems with contacts
If y'all know your friends have Telegram, only you can't see them — or they appear as numbers instead of names.
Android:
- Brand sure you are using the latest version of the app.
- Relaunch the app (by terminating it from processes listing and launching again).
- Temporarily change the proper name of the contact in phone contacts (add a few symbols, then change back again).
- If that didn't help, re-login. Call back that logging out kills your Secret Chats.
iOS:
- Strength quit the app (double tap dwelling button, then swipe up on Telegram), then relaunch and check if it helped.
- If that doesn't aid, temporarily modify the name of the contact in phone contacts (add together a few symbols, then alter back again).
- If that doesn't piece of work, re-login: Settings > Edit > Log Out. Remember that logging out kills all your Secret Chats. And so log in again.
Deleting contacts on Android
To delete a contact, open up a chat with the person, tap the title in the top expanse of the conversation screen to open up their contour, then tap on (⋮) in the peak right corner > 'Delete contact'.
If you want to delete the contact completely, make sure you as well delete them from your phone contacts. Telegram stays in sync and volition add together the contact dorsum if you don't.
Where did my Hush-hush Chat messages go?
Secret Chats are established between the two devices they were created on. This means that all those messages are not available in the cloud and cannot be accessed on other devices.
Moreover, Secret Chats are also tied to your electric current login session on the device. If you log out and in again, you volition lose all your Secret Chats.
Tin't send messages to not-contacts
When users report unwanted messages from a Telegram account, we utilize a limit: Reported accounts tin only send messages to people who have their number saved equally a contact.
This means that if you randomly contact people you don't know and transport them annoying letters, y'all may lose the power to do and so in the future.
If you think that this limit was applied to your account wrongly, please visit this page.
Telegram uses the photographic camera or microphone in the groundwork!
Telegram tin can use the microphone in the background if you minimize the app when making a call, recording a video, or recording a voice/video bulletin.
Permission monitors on Samsung and Xiaomi can inadvertently flag and notify you that Telegram requested admission to camera in the background. This happens when the app requests info about the camera — information technology isn't using the camera. Unfortunately it may look the same to the Samsung and Xiaomi permission monitors.
Photographic camera info is requested past the app when you tap on the attachment push, or start recording a video or a video message. If you practice this and quickly close the app, the already initiated request may attempt to run asynchronously when the app is already in the background, or exist sent when the system wakes upward the app to show a notification nigh a new message. In whatever example, these requests are only for the photographic camera info, the app never uses the camera itself in the background.
Anyone tin can bank check Telegram'southward open source lawmaking and confirm that the app is not doing anything behind their back. We also offer reproducible builds that can aid you show that the version yous downloaded from App Store or Google Play is built from the exact same source lawmaking nosotros publish.
Telegram Support
If you lot have whatsoever other questions, please contact Telegram Support (in Telegram go to Settings — Ask a question). Note that we rely on volunteers for support.
If y'all can't log in to your account, please use this grade.
For media requests, please contact @PressBot on Telegram.
Twitter?
Yes. Follow the states! @telegram
Our twitter account in Spanish: @telegram_es
In Italian: @telegram_it
In Korean: @Telegram_kr
In German: @de_telegram
For users from Brazil: @Telegram_br
Our Standard arabic-speaking users may observe @telegram_arabic more interesting.
@SmsTelegram, login help on Twitter
We have a special business relationship that can help you with login problems, @smstelegram. This account is official. Don't exist afraid to DM information technology the number you use for Telegram, nosotros demand this info to investigate problems.
Be conscientious, we don't take whatever other support accounts on whatsoever social media platforms.
Facebook or other platforms?
If anyone on Facebook or any other platform is telling yous they're us, they are not.
Source: https://telegram.org/faq
Post a Comment for "A Server Error Has Occurred. Contact the Faa Helpdesk or Try Again Later."