Telegram Privacy Settings: A Complete Checklist

The most important Telegram privacy settings are: hide your phone number and stop strangers finding you by it, limit who can add you to groups, decide who sees your last seen time and profile photos, turn on two-step verification and review your active sessions. Those five steps take about ten minutes and remove the most common ways strangers reach you or accounts are taken over. The rest of this checklist goes through every other setting, so you can tune Telegram to exactly the level of privacy you want.

Work through it with Telegram open. Settings are stored in your account, so a change you make on one device applies everywhere you are logged in.

The quick checklist

Use this list to keep track. Each item is explained in detail below.

• Phone number: who can see it
• Phone number: who can find you by it
• Username: whether you have one and what it reveals
• Last seen and online status
• Profile photos, including a public photo for people who cannot see your real one
• Bio and other profile details, such as a birthday if you added one
• Forwarded messages: whether they link to your account
• Calls: who can call you, and whether calls connect peer-to-peer
• Groups and channels: who can add you
• Messages from strangers: archiving, muting and limits
• Stories: who can see each one
• Two-step verification and recovery email
• Passcode lock on your devices
• Active sessions and automatic ending of old sessions
• Websites and apps logged in with Telegram
• Contact syncing and suggested contacts
• Saved payment details and cloud drafts
• Auto-delete timers for messages
• Automatic account deletion if you stop using Telegram
• Secret chats for your most sensitive conversations

Before you start

Where the settings are

On every official app, most of these settings are in the main settings under a section for privacy and security.

• Android: open the menu or your profile area, then settings, then the privacy and security section.
• iPhone and iPad: tap the settings tab at the bottom, then the privacy and security section.
• Desktop: open the menu, then settings, then the privacy and security section.
• Web: open the menu, then settings, then the privacy and security section.

Telegram renames and reorganises menus occasionally, and new options appear in new versions. If something in this checklist is missing or worded differently, update the app first. If it is still missing, the option may have moved, been renamed or not yet reached your app or region.

How most settings work

Most privacy settings follow the same pattern. You choose a main audience, usually everybody, your contacts or nobody, and then add exceptions: people who are always allowed and people who are never allowed. Exceptions can include individual users and, for some settings, whole groups.

That pattern gives you a lot of control. For example, you can show your profile photo to your contacts, never to one particular contact, and always to the members of your hobby group.

What "contacts" means

On Telegram, "my contacts" means people saved in your Telegram contacts. If you sync your phone's address book, everyone in it with Telegram becomes a contact, including old landlords, former colleagues and anyone else you once saved. Before setting things to "my contacts", it is worth checking who that actually includes.

Your phone number

Your phone number is the most sensitive item on your profile. It can link your Telegram account to your real identity, your other accounts and your location.

Who can see my phone number

What it controls. Whether people can see your number on your profile.

Recommended. Nobody, or my contacts. If you join public groups, choose nobody.

Trade-off. People who already have your number saved can still recognise you, depending on the next setting. Your contacts lose nothing important, because they already have your number.

Who can find me by my number

What it controls. Whether someone who has your number saved can find your Telegram account with it. When "who can see my phone number" is set to nobody, Telegram usually offers this second choice.

Recommended. My contacts.

Why it matters. If this is set to everybody, anyone with your number, including a scammer who bought a list of numbers, can see that it belongs to a Telegram account and view your public profile. Our guide on how to hide your phone number on Telegram covers both settings with examples.

Your username

A username lets people find and message you without your phone number. It is optional.

Recommended. Use one if you want people to reach you without your number, for example in communities or for work. Choose a name that does not include your full real name, birth year or other details you would not share with a stranger.

Trade-off. A public username makes you findable by search. If you do not want strangers to find you at all, do not set one. You can remove or change it later, though someone else may then claim the old one.

Last seen and online

What it controls. Whether people see when you were last active or that you are online now.

Options. Everybody, my contacts or nobody, with exceptions.

How it works. If you hide your exact last seen time, people see an approximate status instead, such as recently, within a week or within a month. Telegram applies a fairness rule: if you hide your last seen time from people, you generally cannot see theirs either. Telegram Premium has offered ways around that rule for subscribers, and the rules for read times are linked to this setting. Read the explanation shown on the setting screen in your version.

Recommended. My contacts, with "never share with" exceptions for anyone you would rather not inform. If you join many public groups, this stops strangers tracking your activity.

Our guide on what "last seen recently" means explains the approximate statuses in detail.

Profile photos

What it controls. Who can see your profile pictures.

Recommended. My contacts, if you are in public groups or receive messages from strangers.

The public photo option. Telegram lets you set a separate public photo shown to people who cannot see your real one. This is useful if you want contacts to see your face but strangers to see a logo, an avatar or a neutral image.

Remember. Your old profile photos remain in your photo history unless you delete them. Open your profile and remove any old photos you would not want seen.

Bio, birthday and other profile details

Bio. The short text on your profile. Depending on your version, there may be a separate privacy setting for who can see it. Keep it free of personal details such as your workplace, address or school if strangers can see it.

Birthday. If you add a date of birth to your profile, Telegram offers a setting for who can see it. Contacts only, or nobody, is sensible. A full date of birth is a common piece of identity verification elsewhere.

Gifts and other profile extras. Newer profile features, such as gifts shown on your profile, may have their own visibility settings. If you receive gifts, check who can see them on your profile.

Forwarded messages

What it controls. When someone forwards a message you wrote, whether the forward links back to your account.

Recommended. My contacts or nobody, if you write in public groups. With nobody, forwards show your name but not a clickable link to your profile.

Trade-off. Your name still appears as text, and people can still see what you wrote. This setting reduces how easily someone can jump from a forwarded message to your profile.

Calls

Who can call me

Recommended. My contacts. Add exceptions for anyone else you want to allow.

Why. Unwanted calls from strangers are a common form of spam and pressure in scams.

Peer-to-peer connections

What it controls. Whether calls connect directly between devices or through Telegram's servers. A direct connection can give better call quality, but it can also expose your IP address to the other person.

Recommended. My contacts, or nobody if you want to keep your IP address private from everyone. Calls still work through Telegram's servers when peer-to-peer is off; quality may sometimes be slightly lower.

Groups and channels

What it controls. Who can add you directly to groups and channels.

Recommended. My contacts.

Why. This is one of the most effective spam and scam protections on Telegram. With it set to everybody, anyone can add you to a group full of crypto offers or fake jobs. With contacts only, strangers can only send you an invite link, which you can ignore.

Messages from strangers

Telegram has added several tools over time to control new conversations from people you do not know. Depending on your version and account, you may see:

• An option to archive and mute new chats from non-contacts, so first messages from strangers go quietly into your archive instead of your main list.
• Settings for who can send you messages, which may limit new private chats to your contacts and certain other users.
• Settings for who can send you voice or video messages, which may depend on Telegram Premium.

Recommended. If you receive spam or unwanted messages, turn on the archive and mute option and check whatever message limits your version offers. Then deal with any unwanted first message using the report and block bar at the top of the chat. Our guide on how to block or restrict someone on Telegram explains the options.

Stories

What it controls. Who can see each story you post.

How it works. When you post a story, you choose its audience, such as everyone, your contacts, close friends or selected people, and you can exclude specific people. Telegram remembers your choice for the next story.

Recommended. Check the audience each time you post, especially if you usually share with close friends only. A story posted to everyone by mistake can be seen by anyone who can find your profile. Viewers can also take screenshots, and depending on your settings some may be able to share or repost a story, so treat the audience setting as the main control and assume anything posted can travel further.

Security: two-step verification

What it does. Adds a password that is needed, along with the login code, when someone logs in to your account on a new device.

Recommended. On, with a strong password you do not use anywhere else, and a recovery email you control.

Why it matters. Login codes can be stolen through phishing, fake support messages or SIM swaps. Without two-step verification, a stolen code is enough to take over your account. With it, the attacker also needs your password. Our step-by-step guide on how to set up two-step verification takes a few minutes.

Important. Telegram never asks for your login code or password in a chat. Anyone who does is trying to steal your account.

Security: your phone number and login email

Your Telegram account is tied to your phone number, so the security of that number matters too.

• Protect the SIM. Set a SIM PIN on your phone, and ask your mobile carrier whether it offers extra protection against someone transferring your number to a new SIM. A hijacked number can receive your login codes.
• Keep your number current. If you change numbers, change it in Telegram before giving up the old one. A recycled number in someone else's hands is a route into an abandoned account.
• Login email. Telegram may ask some accounts to add an email address that can receive login codes. If you have one set, treat that mailbox as part of your Telegram security: use a strong password and two-factor protection on the email account too.

Security: passcode lock

What it does. Locks the Telegram app on a device with a passcode, and on many phones with your fingerprint or face, after a period of inactivity.

Recommended. On, if other people use or could pick up your phone or computer.

Note. A passcode lock is per device. It does not protect your account from being logged in elsewhere; that is what two-step verification is for. If you forget the passcode, you usually have to log out of the app on that device and log back in, which can lose secret chats stored there.

Security: active sessions

What it shows. Every device and app currently logged in to your account, with approximate locations and last activity.

What to do.

1. Open the list of active sessions or devices.
2. Look for any device, app or location you do not recognise.
3. End any unknown session. If in doubt, end all other sessions and log back in on your own devices.
4. Set the option to end sessions automatically if they have been inactive for a period, if your version offers it.

Why it matters. A session stays logged in until it is ended. If an attacker or a malicious app ever got one, it shows up here. Checking this list now and then is one of the most valuable privacy habits on Telegram.

Websites and apps logged in with Telegram

Some websites let you log in with your Telegram account. Each one you approve can see some of your profile details, and may be able to message you through a bot.

What to do. Review the list of connected websites in your privacy and security settings and disconnect any you no longer use or do not recognise.

Contacts and data settings

Contact syncing

What it does. Uploads your phone's address book to Telegram to find which of your contacts use it.

Recommended. Turn it off if you do not want your address book stored on Telegram's servers, and use the option to delete previously synced contacts. You can still add people by username or by sharing contacts manually.

Suggested frequent contacts

What it does. Shows people you message often in search and sharing screens.

Recommended. Turn it off if others use your device or if you would rather not see suggestions. Telegram also offers to delete the stored data.

Payment and shipping details

If you have bought things through bots, Telegram may have stored your shipping information or payment details for faster checkout. Delete them in the data settings if you do not want them saved.

Cloud drafts

Unsent drafts sync across your devices. If you share a device or want a clean slate, delete cloud drafts from the data settings.

Auto-delete timers

What they do. Automatically delete messages in a chat after a set time. You can set a default timer for all new chats or set timers chat by chat.

Recommended. Use them for chats where you do not want a permanent record, such as practical arrangements or sensitive conversations. Remember that the other person can still save or screenshot messages before they vanish. Our guide on Telegram auto-delete messages explains the details.

Automatic account deletion

What it does. Deletes your account, with all messages and contacts, if you do not come online for a period you choose.

Recommended. Choose a period that matches how you use Telegram. A longer period protects against losing your account during a break; a shorter one ensures nothing lingers if you abandon it. If your account owns valuable channels or groups, make sure other admins exist and think carefully before choosing a short period. Our guide on what happens when you delete a Telegram account explains the consequences.

Secret chats

Settings protect your profile. For the content of your most sensitive conversations, use secret chats. They are end-to-end encrypted, one-to-one, stored only on the two devices involved, and support self-destruct timers. Normal chats are cloud chats, encrypted between your device and Telegram's servers but not end to end. See is Telegram end-to-end encrypted for when each type makes sense.

Privacy in groups and channels you run

If you administer groups or channels, a few more settings protect you and your members.

• Anonymous admin posting in groups. Group admins can be set to post as the group rather than under their own name. This helps when admins want to enforce rules without becoming personal targets.
• Post signatures in channels. Channels can show which admin wrote each post, or not. If your admins prefer privacy, leave signatures off. Our guide on Telegram channel post signatures explains the trade-offs.
• Restricting saved content. Groups and channels can stop members forwarding messages and saving media. It makes copying harder, but it cannot stop screenshots or photos of the screen, so treat it as a deterrent rather than protection.
• The member list. Depending on the group's size and Telegram's current options, admins may be able to hide the list of members from other members, which protects members from being scraped and messaged by spammers.
• Invite links with approval. For private groups, invite links that require admin approval let you check who is joining before they can see anything.

What your settings cannot hide

Privacy settings control what other users see. They do not make you invisible, and it is worth knowing their limits:

• Your messages in groups. Anything you write in a group is visible to its members, and in a public group to anyone who opens it. Your display name appears beside it.
• What others save. Screenshots, forwards and saved media are outside your control once someone has seen them, even with auto-delete timers.
• What Telegram itself holds. Telegram knows your phone number and stores your cloud chats in order to sync them across devices. Its privacy policy explains what it keeps and why; read it if this matters to you.
• Your IP address to Telegram's servers. Turning off peer-to-peer calls hides your IP address from other users, not from Telegram. A proxy changes what Telegram sees, but brings its own trust questions. See our guide to setting up a Telegram proxy.
• Your display name. The name on your account is visible wherever you message or post. If you want more anonymity, choose a name that does not identify you.

Knowing these limits helps you decide what to say where, which is the part of privacy no setting can do for you.

Recommended setups for different people

These are starting points, not rules. Adjust them to your situation.

Example: a private person who mainly talks to friends and family

Example.

• Phone number visible to: my contacts. Findable by number: my contacts.
• No public username, or one that does not reveal your real name.
• Last seen, profile photos, bio and birthday: my contacts.
• Calls and group invites: my contacts.
• Two-step verification on, passcode lock on.

Example: someone active in public groups and communities

Example.

• Phone number visible to: nobody. Findable by number: my contacts.
• A username that does not reveal your real name.
• Last seen: my contacts or nobody. Profile photos: my contacts, with a neutral public photo.
• Forwarded messages: nobody. Calls: my contacts, peer-to-peer off.
• Group invites: my contacts. Archive and mute new chats from non-contacts: on.
• Two-step verification on, and check active sessions monthly.

Example: a channel owner or community admin

Example.

• Everything in the previous setup, plus:
• A strong, unique two-step verification password and a recovery email you check.
• At least one trusted second admin on every channel and group you own.
• Regular checks of active sessions, since a hijacked owner account can lose you the channel.
• A separate account for testing bots and unfamiliar apps. See how to add admins to a Telegram channel for setting up backup admins.

Example: someone being harassed or stalked

Example.

• Phone number: nobody. Findable by number: nobody, if your version allows it, or contacts only.
• Remove or change your username.
• Last seen, photos, bio, birthday, forwards: nobody, or contacts with exceptions.
• Calls: nobody, with exceptions for trusted people. Peer-to-peer: nobody.
• Group invites: my contacts. Archive and mute non-contacts: on.
• Stories: close friends only.
• End all other sessions, change your two-step verification password, and check connected websites.
• Save evidence of harassment and report it; contact the police if you feel unsafe.

Keeping it up to date

Privacy is not a one-time task. A short routine keeps things in order:

1. Every month: check active sessions and end anything unfamiliar.
2. After any app update with new features: look at the privacy and security section for new options.
3. After a bad experience: tighten the relevant settings straight away and review your contacts list.
4. Every few months: review who is in your contacts, since "my contacts" settings depend on that list.
5. When you change phones: make sure the old device is logged out and appears nowhere in your sessions.

Common mistakes

• Hiding your number but leaving "find me by number" open to everybody. Anyone with your number can still confirm your account.
• Leaving group invites open. This is the most common way people end up in scam groups.
• Forgetting old profile photos. Changing your current photo does not remove the old ones from your profile history.
• Treating the passcode lock as account security. It protects one device, not your account. Two-step verification protects your account.
• Never checking active sessions. It is the main way to spot a compromised account.
• Syncing a huge address book and then setting everything to "my contacts". That may include far more people than you think.
• Assuming a username is harmless. It makes you searchable. Choose it with that in mind.
• Assuming hidden settings hide everything. People in your groups can still see your messages and name there.

FAQ

What is the single most important privacy setting on Telegram?

For account security, two-step verification. For privacy from strangers, hiding your phone number and limiting who can add you to groups. Together they block the most common problems.

Can people see my phone number if I message them?

Not if your phone number visibility is set to nobody or to your contacts and they are not one of them. They see your name, username if you have one, and whatever profile details your settings allow.

Why can't I see other people's last seen time?

Probably because you hid yours. Telegram generally applies the same rule both ways, so hiding your status from someone also hides theirs from you. Premium has offered ways around this for subscribers; check the setting's explanation in your app.

Do my privacy settings apply in groups?

Your profile settings apply wherever someone opens your profile, including from a group. Your messages in a group are visible to its members regardless of your settings, and in public groups they are visible to anyone who can open the group.

Do I need Telegram Premium for good privacy?

No. All the core privacy and security settings in this checklist are available to every account. Premium adds some extra controls, but you do not need it to protect yourself well.

Can I change these settings on desktop?

Yes. The desktop and web apps have the same privacy and security section, and changes apply to your whole account.

Summary

Start with the five changes that matter most: hide your phone number, limit who can find you by it, restrict group invites to contacts, decide who sees your last seen time and photos, and turn on two-step verification while reviewing your active sessions. Then work through calls, forwarded messages, stories, connected websites, contact syncing, auto-delete timers and automatic account deletion. Use secret chats for sensitive conversations. Choose a setup that matches how you use Telegram, and recheck it whenever the app updates or something goes wrong.