Telegram for Beginners: The Complete Guide

Telegram is a free messaging app that works on your phone, computer and browser at the same time, with your chats stored in the cloud. To start, install it, sign up with your phone number, set a username and your privacy settings, and turn on two-step verification. Then learn the four kinds of chat, private chats, groups, channels and bots, because almost everything in Telegram is one of them.

This guide takes you from installation to confident everyday use, in the order a new user actually needs it.

What Telegram is, and how it differs from other messengers

Telegram does the usual things: messages, photos, voice notes, calls and group chats. Three things make it feel different once you use it.

• It is cloud-based. Your normal chats are stored on Telegram's servers, so you can log in on a new phone or a laptop and see your history straight away. The exception is secret chats, explained below.
• It is built for large audiences as well as friends. Groups can hold up to 200,000 members, and channels can have an unlimited number of subscribers. That is why so many news outlets, creators and communities use it.
• It is open to bots and mini apps. Developers can build tools that run inside Telegram, from reminders to shops to games.

If you are coming from another app, our comparisons of Telegram and WhatsApp channels and Telegram and Signal explain the main differences in privacy and features.

Step 1: install Telegram

Download Telegram only from an official source:

• Android: Google Play, or the version on Telegram's own website.
• iPhone and iPad: the App Store.
• Computer: Telegram Desktop from Telegram's website, or the Mac version from the Mac App Store.
• Browser: Telegram's official web versions, which need no install.

Avoid modified versions from unknown websites. Some look identical and steal accounts. Official third-party clients exist, but they are a topic for later; see third-party Telegram clients if you are curious.

Step 2: sign up

1. Open the app and choose to start messaging.
2. Enter your phone number with the right country code.
3. Telegram sends a login code, usually as a message in Telegram on another device you are logged in to, or by SMS for a new account.
4. Enter the code.
5. Add your first name and, optionally, a last name and profile photo.

That is all you need to begin. If the code does not arrive, our guide to Telegram not sending a login code covers the usual causes.

Your phone number is not your public identity

People often worry that signing up with a phone number means everyone can see it. They cannot, if you set your privacy settings, which is the next step. You can also choose who can find you by your number. Our guide on hiding your phone number shows each setting.

The one rule to learn on day one

Never share your login code with anyone. Not a friend, not "Telegram support", not a person who says they sent it by mistake. Telegram will never ask you for it. Anyone who has your code can take your account. Read never share your Telegram login code once, so you recognise the trick when it comes.

Step 3: set up your profile

Open Settings and tap your name or photo.

• Name. Use whatever you want people to see.
• Username. An @name that lets people find and message you without your phone number. It also gives you a t.me link. Choose something you are happy to share. See how to change your Telegram username.
• Bio. A short line about you. Optional.
• Photo. Optional. You can choose who sees it in privacy settings.

A username is the safest way to give your contact details to people you do not know well, because you can change or remove it at any time.

Step 4: set your privacy and security

Spend ten minutes here before you join anything. It prevents most problems new users run into.

Privacy settings

Go to Settings, then Privacy and Security. For each item, you choose Everybody, My Contacts or Nobody, and you can add exceptions.

• Phone number: who can see it, and who can find you by it.
• Last seen and online: who sees when you were last active. Our guide to last seen recently explains what others see when you hide it.
• Profile photos: who sees your photo.
• Forwarded messages: whether your name links to your account when someone forwards your message.
• Calls: who can call you.
• Groups and channels: who can add you to groups. Setting this to My Contacts stops strangers adding you to spam groups.
• Messages: depending on your app, options to limit who can message you.

Our Telegram privacy settings checklist goes through every option with a recommended choice.

Two-step verification

This adds a password on top of the login code. Even if someone gets a code, they cannot log in without the password. Set a password you will remember and add a recovery email you can access. Follow how to set up two-step verification.

Active sessions

In privacy and security settings, look at the list of devices logged in to your account. You should recognise every one. End any you do not.

Step 5: understand the four kinds of chat

Everything in your chat list is one of these.

Private chats

One-to-one conversations. You can send text, photos, videos, files, voice and video messages, and make voice or video calls.

Secret chats

A special kind of one-to-one chat with end-to-end encryption. Only the two devices involved can read it, and it is not stored in Telegram's cloud. Secret chats work only on the device where you started them and offer a self-destruct timer. Normal chats are cloud chats. Our guide to secret chats and our explainer on whether Telegram is end-to-end encrypted explain the trade-off clearly.

Groups

Chats where many people talk together. Small groups work like any group chat. Large groups can have admins, rules, slow mode, topics and moderation bots.

Channels

One-way broadcasts. Admins post, subscribers read. Subscribers can usually react, and some channels allow comments in a linked discussion group. Channels are where most news, creators and brands publish on Telegram. Our guide to channels vs groups explains when each is used.

Bots and mini apps

Bots are automated accounts that respond to commands. Mini apps are small web apps that open inside Telegram. Both are built by developers, not by Telegram itself, apart from a few official ones such as @BotFather, which creates bots. Learn the basics in what are Telegram bots and Telegram mini apps explained.

Step 6: send your first messages

Finding people

• From your contacts. If you allow Telegram to read your phone's contacts, people who use Telegram appear automatically.
• By username. Search for their @name in the search bar.
• By link or QR code. Someone can share their t.me link or show a QR code from their profile.

What you can send

• Text, with formatting such as bold, italic and spoilers. See the text formatting guide.
• Photos and videos, compressed for speed or sent as files to keep full quality.
• Files of almost any type. Size limits apply and differ for Premium users; see Telegram file size limits.
• Voice messages, by holding the microphone button.
• Round video messages, by tapping the microphone to switch to the camera and holding.
• Stickers, GIFs and emoji from the panel next to the text box.
• Polls, locations and contacts from the attachment menu.

Useful message actions

Long-press, or right-click on a computer, any message to:

• Reply to it, so your answer is linked.
• Forward it to another chat.
• Edit your own message after sending.
• Delete it, for yourself or, in many cases, for everyone.
• Pin it to the top of the chat.
• Translate it, if translation is turned on; see translate messages on Telegram.

What others see when you edit or delete

An edited message shows a small "edited" label, so people know it changed, but not what it said before. Deleting a message for everyone removes it from the other person's screen too, without leaving a note in private chats. In groups, ordinary members can delete their own messages, and admins with the right permission can delete anyone's. Remember that someone may already have read, copied or screenshotted a message before you delete it, so deletion is not a guarantee that it was never seen.

Understanding ticks

One tick means your message reached Telegram's servers. Two ticks mean the other person has read it. More detail is in one tick and two ticks explained.

Scheduling and silent messages

Hold the send button to schedule a message for later or send it without a notification sound. Handy when someone is asleep. See scheduled messages and silent messages.

Step 7: find channels and groups worth joining

This is where Telegram becomes more than a messenger.

Ways to find them

• Telegram's search. Type a topic and look under the channel and group results.
• Links shared on websites, social media and by friends.
• Directories. Ours lets you browse by category, see the best Telegram channels ranked by real subscriber count, and check top rated listings rated by readers. Every listing is reviewed by a person before it appears.

Our guide on how to find Telegram channels covers more methods.

Joining

Open a channel or group and tap Join. Some private chats need an invite link, and some ask an admin to approve you first. See how to join a Telegram channel.

Judging a channel before you trust it

• Look at how long it has been posting and how regularly.
• Compare its subscriber count with how many views its posts get. A huge count with few views can mean bought subscribers.
• Be careful with channels promising guaranteed profits, investment signals or giveaways that ask you to pay first.

On our directory, channel pages show measured figures, such as average views per post and engagement rate, read from the public posts Telegram shows. Nothing there is estimated. Our guide on reading a channel page explains each one.

Leaving and muting

You can leave any channel or group from its menu. If you want to stay but not be disturbed, mute it instead.

Step 8: keep your chat list under control

New users often join a lot of chats in the first week, and the list becomes noisy.

• Mute chats you read occasionally.
• Archive chats you rarely open. They move out of your main list.
• Pin your most important chats to the top.
• Use folders to split your list into tabs, such as Friends, Work, News and Unread.

See how to pin, mute and archive chats and how to use Telegram folders.

Step 9: tune notifications

In Settings, under notifications, you can set different sounds and previews for private chats, groups and channels, and turn off message previews on your lock screen for privacy. Each chat also has its own notification settings. If notifications stop arriving, our guide to Telegram notifications not working covers the phone settings that usually cause it.

Step 10: use Telegram on more than one device

Because your chats live in the cloud, you can use Telegram on your phone, computer and browser at once.

1. Install Telegram Desktop or open the web version.
2. Choose to log in by QR code.
3. On your phone, open Settings, then Devices, and scan the code.

Your chats appear on the new device. Secret chats stay on the device where they were started. See how to use Telegram on desktop and web and Telegram Desktop vs Web vs mobile.

Step 11: create your own group

Sooner or later you will want a chat for family, friends or a club.

1. Tap the pencil or new message button and choose New Group.
2. Pick the people to add. You can add up to 200 contacts while creating it, and invite more later by link.
3. Give the group a name and, if you like, a photo.
4. Create it.

Afterwards, open the group's info to:

• Create an invite link for people who are not in your contacts. See the invite links guide.
• Add admins who can help manage it.
• Set permissions, such as who may send media or add members.
• Turn on topics if the group needs separate threads for different subjects.

Small private groups need almost no setup. If yours grows, read how to moderate a large Telegram group.

A quick tour of the settings that matter

Settings looks long at first. These are the parts most worth knowing.

Data and storage

• Automatic media download decides which photos, videos and files download on their own, separately for mobile data, Wi-Fi and roaming. Turning off videos on mobile data saves both data and space.
• Storage usage shows how much space Telegram uses on your device and lets you clear cached media. Clearing cache removes downloaded copies, not your chats; anything in the cloud downloads again when you open it. See how to clear Telegram cache.
• Keep media sets how long downloaded media stays on your device before it is cleared.

If you cannot find a file you downloaded, see where Telegram downloads go.

Appearance

Themes, night mode, text size and chat backgrounds. Bigger text is the single most useful change for many readers.

Language

Telegram's interface is available in many languages, and you can switch without reinstalling.

Power saving

Options to reduce animations and background activity when your battery is low. If stickers stop moving or videos stop autoplaying, check here first.

Devices

All the places your account is logged in, and the QR scanner for logging in on a computer.

Troubleshooting first-week problems

Most early frustrations have simple causes.

• You cannot find a friend by name. They may not have a username, or their privacy settings hide their number. Ask them to send you their t.me link.
• You cannot send messages in a group. The group may restrict new members, use slow mode, or allow only admins to post. See can't send messages in a Telegram group.
• The app says "connecting" forever. Check your internet, any VPN or proxy, and then follow Telegram stuck on connecting.
• Downloads are slow. See slow download speed.
• A t.me link does not open. See Telegram links not opening.
• You keep getting "contact joined Telegram" alerts. These can be turned off; see stopping contact joined notifications.
• A channel says it cannot be displayed. That is a restriction on that channel, not your account; see this channel can't be displayed.

Features you will discover next

You do not need these on day one, but you will come across them.

Saved Messages

A private chat with yourself. Use it for notes, links, forwarded posts and files you want to keep. See Saved Messages tips.

Calls and video calls

Tap the phone icon in a private chat for a voice or video call. Groups can start voice chats and live streams; see voice chats and live streams.

Stories

Short posts that disappear after a set time, shown at the top of your chat list. See Telegram stories explained.

Stickers

Large expressive images in packs. Add packs from any sticker you receive, or make your own with our sticker pack guide.

Auto-delete timers

Chats can be set to delete messages automatically after a period; see auto-delete messages.

Multiple accounts

Telegram apps let you add more than one account and switch between them; see using multiple accounts.

Telegram Premium, Stars and other paid extras

Telegram is free. Two optional paid things exist.

• Telegram Premium is a subscription that adds extras such as larger uploads, faster downloads, more folders and pinned chats, voice-to-text and custom emoji. Prices vary by country and platform; the current price is shown in the app's Premium screen. See Telegram Premium vs free.
• Telegram Stars are an in-app currency for digital goods, paid posts, reactions and subscriptions inside Telegram. See Telegram Stars explained.

You can use Telegram fully without either. Be wary of anyone selling "cheap Premium" outside the app or official channels.

Staying safe: scams that target new users

Telegram is popular, so scammers are too. These are the patterns new users meet most often.

• The login code trick. Someone asks you to send them a code "sent by mistake". It is your login code.
• Fake support. An account with an official-looking name messages you first about a "problem" with your account. Telegram's real notifications come from the verified Telegram service account, and they never ask for codes or passwords.
• Investment and crypto offers. Promises of guaranteed returns, trading signals or doubling your money. See crypto scams on Telegram.
• Task and job scams. Easy money for liking posts or reviews, which ends in you paying a "deposit". See task and job scams.
• Romance scams. Someone builds a relationship, then asks for money. See romance scams.
• Fake giveaways and airdrops that ask you to connect a wallet or pay a fee.

If something feels off, block and report the account. Our guides on spotting scams and how to report on Telegram explain how.

Words you will keep seeing

Telegram has its own vocabulary. Knowing it makes everything else easier to follow.

• Admin: a person who manages a group or channel, with permissions the owner grants.
• Owner: the creator of a group or channel, with full control, including transferring it.
• Subscriber / member: people in a channel are subscribers; people in a group are members.
• Username and t.me link: the public @name and its web link, for people, channels, groups and bots.
• Invite link: a link that lets people join a group or channel, sometimes with an expiry or approval.
• Forward: sending someone else's message on, usually with a label showing where it came from.
• Reactions: emoji responses under a message, without writing a reply.
• Commands: words starting with a slash that you send to bots, like a start command.
• Mini app: a small app that opens inside Telegram, made by a developer.
• Boosts: a way for Premium users to support a channel or group, unlocking extra features for it. See boosts explained.
• Topics: separate threads inside a large group.
• Slow mode: a group setting that limits how often each member can send a message.

Good habits and etiquette

Telegram has no rulebook for manners, but these habits keep you welcome in groups and safe in general.

• Read the pinned message when you join a group. It usually holds the rules.
• Check before forwarding news. Channels spread things fast, including false claims. Look for the original source.
• Think before sending long voice messages to busy people. Many prefer text they can skim.
• Use replies in groups, so people know what you are answering.
• Respect privacy. Do not forward private conversations or screenshots without permission.
• Do not add people to groups without asking. It is one of the most common complaints, and it is why many people restrict who can add them.
• Mute rather than complain about a busy group you still want to follow.

A first-week plan

If you want a simple routine to get comfortable:

1. Day 1: install, sign up, set a username, adjust privacy settings, turn on two-step verification.
2. Day 2: message a few friends, try a voice message and a photo, and set up Saved Messages.
3. Day 3: find five channels about things you care about and join them.
4. Day 4: mute the noisy ones and create one or two folders.
5. Day 5: log in on your computer by QR code.
6. Day 6: review your active sessions and leave anything you joined by accident.
7. Day 7: explore one new feature, such as stories, polls or a useful bot.

Example: setting up for a parent

An illustrative example. Ana helps her father join Telegram to follow his local football club's channel. She installs it from the App Store, signs him up, and sets his phone number to visible to My Contacts only. She sets who can add him to groups to My Contacts, turns on two-step verification with a password he writes on paper, and adds her own email as a second recovery option only after he agrees. She joins the club's channel, mutes everything else, and tells him one rule: never send anyone a code. A month later, he receives a message from "Telegram Support" asking for a code. He ignores it and calls her.

Common mistakes

• Skipping privacy settings, then being added to spam groups or seen by strangers.
• Sharing a login code with someone claiming to need it.
• Not setting two-step verification, or setting it without a recovery email.
• Joining everything and then ignoring Telegram because it is too noisy. Mute and archive instead.
• Trusting subscriber counts alone when choosing channels.
• Installing modified apps from unofficial websites.
• Storing passwords or recovery phrases in chats. Anyone who gets into the account gets them too.
• Assuming every chat is end-to-end encrypted. Only secret chats are.

What to do next

• If you want to start your own channel, read how to create a Telegram channel, and when it is ready, submit it to our directory for free.
• If you want to run a group, read how to write Telegram group rules.
• If you are curious about safety in depth, read is Telegram safe.

FAQ

Is Telegram free?

Yes. All core features are free. Telegram Premium is an optional subscription for extra features, and Stars are an optional in-app currency.

Can people see my phone number on Telegram?

Only the people your privacy settings allow. You can set it to Nobody and share your username instead.

Do I need a phone number to use Telegram?

A phone number is normally needed to sign up. There are alternatives such as anonymous numbers sold on Fragment; see using Telegram without a phone number.

Are my Telegram messages private?

Normal chats are encrypted between your device and Telegram's servers and stored in the cloud. Secret chats are end-to-end encrypted and stored only on the two devices.

What happens if I lose my phone?

Log in on a new device with your number and your two-step verification password. Your cloud chats come back. Secret chats on the lost phone do not. See moving Telegram to a new phone.

What is the difference between a channel and a group?

A group is a conversation where members talk. A channel is a broadcast where admins post and subscribers read.

Summary

Install Telegram from an official source, sign up, set a username, and fix your privacy settings and two-step verification before anything else. Learn the four kinds of chat: private chats, groups, channels and bots, plus secret chats for end-to-end encryption. Find channels through search, links and directories, judge them by real activity rather than size, and keep your list tidy with mute, archive and folders. Never share a login code, and you will avoid the most common way new accounts are lost.