Where Is Telegram Banned or Restricted?

Telegram has been blocked for years in a few countries, most notably China and Iran, and restricted or ordered blocked at various times in others, including Russia, Vietnam and Nepal. Elsewhere, courts have briefly suspended it, and some governments ban it only on official devices. The picture changes often, so treat any list, including this one, as a starting point and check current news for your country.

This guide explains the kinds of restriction that exist, the countries where they have been reported, why governments do it, and what it means for you as a user, a traveller or a channel owner.

Why there is no simple list

Searching for "countries where Telegram is banned" brings up confident tables that disagree with each other. There are good reasons for that.

• Restrictions change quickly. A block can be ordered, enforced unevenly, challenged in court and lifted within weeks. Pages written a year ago may be wrong today.
• "Banned" means different things. A full network block, slowed traffic, removal from an app store, and a ban on government phones are all reported as "bans".
• Enforcement varies. An official order may be applied by some internet providers and not others, or only on mobile networks.
• Official statements are rare. Many blocks are noticed by users and researchers before any authority confirms them, and some are never confirmed.

So rather than a single table, this guide groups countries by the kind of restriction that has been reported, with the period it applies to. Check the current status before you rely on it.

The kinds of restriction

Understanding the type matters more than the country name, because each type affects you differently.

Full network block

Internet providers are ordered to stop traffic to Telegram's servers and websites. The app fails to connect, t.me links do not load, and new users usually cannot receive login codes. This is the most severe kind.

Throttling or partial blocking

Traffic is slowed rather than stopped, or certain features are targeted. Text may still arrive slowly while photos, videos or calls fail. Users often mistake this for a problem with their own connection. Our guide to Telegram stuck on connecting helps tell local faults apart from network-level ones.

Temporary or event-based shutdowns

Some governments block messaging apps, or the whole mobile internet, during exams, elections, protests or security operations. These typically last hours or days.

Court-ordered suspensions

A court orders the service suspended over a specific dispute, such as a failure to hand over data or to remove certain content. These have tended to be short, often lifted once Telegram responds or a higher court intervenes.

App store removals

The app disappears from Apple's App Store or Google Play in a country, while the service itself may still work for people who already have it. This is a distribution restriction, not a network block.

Bans on official devices

Governments or institutions forbid Telegram on work phones used by officials, soldiers or civil servants, usually citing security concerns. Ordinary citizens can keep using it.

Restrictions on specific channels

Telegram itself can restrict individual channels, groups or bots in a particular country after a legal request, or on certain app versions to meet app store rules. The rest of Telegram keeps working. Readers see a notice that the channel cannot be displayed. Our guide to why a channel can't be displayed covers this in detail.

How blocks are enforced, and why they leak

Knowing the mechanics explains why some features fail before others, and why blocks are often incomplete.

The usual techniques

• Blocking domain names. Providers stop resolving or serving addresses such as telegram.org and t.me. Websites and links fail first.
• Blocking server addresses. Providers drop traffic to the IP addresses Telegram's servers use. The app then cannot connect.
• Inspecting traffic. More advanced systems look at the pattern of the traffic itself and slow or drop anything that looks like Telegram, even on unfamiliar addresses.
• Slowing selected traffic. Instead of blocking, the network delays heavy data such as media and calls, which makes the app feel broken while text trickles through.

Why blocks leak

Telegram's apps can connect through many addresses and fall back to others when one fails. In Russia's 2018 attempt, the company moved traffic onto large cloud hosting networks. The regulator responded by blocking huge ranges of cloud addresses, which knocked out many unrelated websites and services while Telegram kept working for most users. That episode is a large part of why the first Russian block was lifted.

Countries with deeper control over their networks, using traffic inspection rather than address lists, have generally made blocks stick more effectively.

What fails first

In a partial block, people typically notice in this order: links and the website stop opening, media and calls struggle, then new logins fail. Already logged-in apps with text chats are often the last to break.

Countries with long-standing blocks

These are the cases most widely and consistently reported.

China

Telegram has been blocked in mainland China since 2015. It sits behind the country's broader internet filtering, along with many other foreign services. The app has also been unavailable in China's Apple App Store. Hong Kong and Macau have separate internet rules, and Telegram has generally been reachable there, though rules can change.

Iran

Iran's judiciary ordered Telegram blocked in 2018, after it had become one of the most used messaging apps in the country. It has remained officially blocked since, while many people in Iran have continued to reach it through proxies and VPNs, which carry their own legal risks there. Telegram has added built-in proxy support partly because of situations like this.

Countries with significant restrictions in recent years

These cases are more recent or have changed over time. Check current news before relying on them.

Russia

Russia's history with Telegram has several phases:

• 2018 to 2020: a court ordered Telegram blocked after the company refused to provide encryption keys to the security services. The block was widely seen as ineffective; the app kept working for most users. The regulator lifted the restriction in 2020.
• 2025: Russia's communications regulator announced partial restrictions on calls in Telegram and another foreign messenger, citing fraud and other crimes.
• 2026: the regulator confirmed it had begun slowing Telegram nationwide, again citing legal violations. Independent media then reported plans and steps toward a much wider block, and users reported widespread failures without workarounds.

The situation in Russia has been changing quickly. If it matters to you, follow current reporting rather than any fixed summary.

Vietnam

In 2025, Vietnam's technology ministry ordered telecom operators to block Telegram, saying many local channels and groups broke the law and that the company had not cooperated with investigations. Telegram disputed the characterisation. Reports since then have differed on how fully the block was applied, so check current conditions.

Nepal

In 2025, Nepal's telecom regulator ordered providers to block Telegram, citing rising online fraud and money laundering. Telegram said it had responded to the country's legal requests and was surprised by the decision. Nepal has since seen wider disputes over social media regulation, and the status of individual platforms has shifted.

Pakistan

Pakistan has restricted Telegram at various times, sometimes alongside other platforms during periods of unrest or under content regulation disputes. These restrictions have often been temporary and uneven.

Short court-ordered suspensions

Several democracies have seen courts order Telegram suspended, usually briefly.

Brazil

Brazil's courts have ordered Telegram suspended more than once. In 2022, a Supreme Court justice ordered a suspension after the company failed to respond to court orders. It was lifted within days once Telegram complied. In 2023, a federal court ordered a temporary suspension over a dispute about handing over data on certain groups, and that was also reversed within days.

Spain

In 2024, a judge at Spain's National Court ordered Telegram temporarily suspended in a copyright case brought by media companies. The judge put the order on hold within days, after criticism that it would affect millions of ordinary users for a dispute about specific content.

These cases show a pattern: in countries with independent courts, a suspension tends to be a pressure tactic that ends once the company responds or a higher authority reviews it.

Bans on government and military devices

Some countries do not restrict Telegram for the public but forbid it on official equipment.

Ukraine

In 2024, Ukraine's national security council banned Telegram on official devices used by state officials, military personnel and staff at critical infrastructure, citing security risks. Personal use was not banned, and Telegram remains widely used there, including by official bodies running their own channels.

Other governments and large organisations have similar internal rules about which apps may be installed on work phones. These policies are rarely published in full. If you work for a public body or a regulated company, check your organisation's device policy before installing Telegram on a work phone.

School, office and public Wi-Fi

Many "Telegram is banned" reports turn out to be local. Schools, universities, offices, hotels and public Wi-Fi networks often filter messaging and social apps on their own networks. Telegram then fails on that Wi-Fi but works on mobile data a few metres away. This is the network owner's rule, not a national ban. If you need Telegram there, ask the network's administrator what is allowed, and follow the organisation's acceptable use policy rather than trying to bypass it.

Why governments restrict Telegram

The reasons given tend to fall into a few groups. Knowing them helps you judge news about a new restriction.

• Encryption and data access. Authorities want access to user data or messages that the company does not provide.
• Content moderation. Officials say channels spread illegal content, extremism, misinformation or calls to protest, and that the company does not remove enough of it.
• Crime and fraud. Scams, drug sales and money laundering on public channels are cited as reasons for action. Our guide to spotting Telegram scams shows how common these are.
• Political control. In some cases, restrictions coincide with elections, protests or a push toward state-approved apps.
• Exams and security operations. Short shutdowns are sometimes used to stop exam leaks or coordinate security operations.
• Copyright. Rights holders have sought blocks over channels sharing pirated material.

Telegram's own position has generally been that it responds to valid legal requests for public content, does not give governments access to private messages, and resists blanket blocks. Its approach to cooperation with authorities has also shifted over time, particularly after its founder was placed under investigation in France in 2024. Our guide to who owns Telegram covers that history.

Features that are limited by country, even where Telegram works

Even in countries with no block at all, parts of Telegram can be unavailable. This is a separate issue from a government ban, and it confuses many people.

• Payments and money features. Buying Stars, using third-party wallets inside Telegram, or withdrawing earnings can depend on financial rules where you live. A wallet may tell you its service is not available in your country, while chats work normally.
• Ad revenue sharing. Telegram's eligibility rules for channel ad revenue include where the channel owner and audience are. See Telegram ad revenue requirements.
• Content filters on app store versions. Some channels are hidden on apps downloaded from app stores, to meet store rules, while other versions show them. Our guide to the sensitive content filter explains the setting.
• Phone number sign-up. In places where SMS delivery is unreliable or filtered, new users may struggle to receive login codes even without a formal block. See Telegram not sending a login code.
• Local legal requests. Individual channels may be restricted for readers in one country after a request from its authorities.

If one feature fails and everything else works, look at these causes before assuming a ban.

When a restriction ends

Blocks are often lifted quietly. When access returns:

1. Update Telegram from the official app store or Telegram's website, since older versions may lack newer connection methods.
2. Turn off any proxy you added during the block if you no longer need it. A dead proxy makes Telegram look offline.
3. Check that your notifications and downloads work normally again.
4. If you are a channel owner, look at your statistics for the period and tell readers you are back to normal posting.

Advice for organisations

Schools, companies and public bodies that use Telegram for announcements should plan for disruption.

• Keep an official website or email list as the primary record, with Telegram as a fast, convenient extra.
• Check whether your sector or government has rules about which messaging apps staff may use.
• Make sure more than one person can post to your channel, from different devices. See run a Telegram channel as a team.
• Write down how you will reach people if Telegram becomes unavailable, before you need it.

How to check the status in your country

Rather than trusting a list, check directly.

1. Look for official sources. National telecom regulators, ministries and court announcements are the most reliable signal that a restriction is real.
2. Check reputable local and international news. Search for Telegram with your country's name and the current month.
3. Look at internet measurement projects. Independent researchers publish tests of which services are reachable in which countries. Their data is often the first evidence of a block.
4. Test on more than one network. If Telegram fails on mobile data but works on home broadband, or the reverse, that suggests a provider-level or targeted restriction rather than a fault on your phone.
5. Rule out your own device. Before deciding it is a block, work through Telegram stuck on connecting and Telegram links not opening.

Signs it is a block, not your phone

• Several people on different devices see the same failure at the same time.
• The problem starts suddenly on a specific day for everyone in your country.
• Other foreign services fail too.
• Telegram works when you travel abroad or on a different network.

Signs it is your phone or account

• Friends on the same network can use Telegram normally.
• Only one feature fails, such as notifications or downloads.
• You see an error about your account, rather than a connection that never completes. See Telegram account banned if you see a message about your account.

What a restriction means for your account

A country-level block does not delete or freeze your Telegram account. Your messages are stored in Telegram's cloud, apart from secret chats, which live only on the devices involved. When the restriction ends, or when you connect from somewhere it does not apply, your chats are still there.

There are practical side effects, though:

• Login codes. If you log out, you may struggle to log back in, because codes may not arrive. Do not log out of a working device during a restriction.
• Two-step verification. Make sure you know your password and have a recovery email set. It protects you if you have to log in from an unusual place. See setting up two-step verification.
• Account inactivity. Telegram deletes accounts after a period of inactivity that you choose in privacy settings. If you expect a long block, check that setting.
• Contacts and channels. People outside the restricted country keep using Telegram as normal, and your channel keeps existing.

Proxies, VPNs and the law

Telegram supports connecting through a proxy, both its own MTProto proxy type and the common SOCKS5 kind. This exists partly so people in restricted networks can still connect. Our proxy setup guide explains how the setting works.

Whether using a proxy or VPN is legal depends entirely on where you are. Some countries tolerate it, some restrict VPNs to approved providers, and some punish circumvention. This guide is general information, not legal advice. Check the law where you live, and think about the risk before you act.

Also be careful about which proxy you use. A proxy operator can see that you connect to Telegram and when, though not the content of your messages, which are encrypted between your app and Telegram's servers. Free proxies posted publicly are shared by many people and often stop working within hours.

If you are travelling

Plan before you go to a country where Telegram is blocked or restricted.

1. Check current news for that country in the week before you travel.
2. Make sure your account has two-step verification with a recovery email you can access.
3. Stay logged in on your phone and, ideally, on a second device such as a laptop.
4. Tell important contacts how else to reach you while you are there.
5. Respect local law. Some countries treat the use of blocked services seriously, especially for visitors who post publicly.
6. If you run a channel, schedule posts in advance; see how to schedule messages on Telegram.

What it means for channel owners

If a large part of your audience lives in a country that restricts Telegram, your channel feels it, even though you did nothing wrong.

What you will notice

• Views fall because readers there cannot load posts, or load them late.
• Subscriber numbers may stay flat or drop as some readers give up.
• Comments and reactions thin out from that region.

Before blaming your content, check whether a restriction lines up with the date your numbers changed. Our guides on views dropping and subscribers dropping walk through the other causes.

What you can do

• Keep a second channel of contact with your audience, such as an email newsletter or a website, so a block does not cut you off entirely. Our comparison of Telegram channels and newsletters explains how the two work together.
• Back up your channel so your posts are not trapped if access becomes difficult; see how to back up a Telegram channel.
• Avoid content that would trigger channel-level restrictions in the countries your audience lives in, where you can do so without compromising your work.
• Do not promise readers ways around a block in your posts. Laws differ, and you may put them at risk.

How it affects our directory

Channel pages on our directory show figures measured from the public posts Telegram displays on a channel's web preview: subscribers, average and median views, engagement rate, posting rate and a growth chart built from real daily counts. If your audience is hit by a restriction, those measured figures will show the dip honestly. They are not estimated or adjusted. Our guide to how we measure channel statistics explains exactly where they come from.

Example scenarios

These are illustrative examples, not real cases.

A business traveller

Priya flies to a country where Telegram is blocked for a week of meetings. Before leaving, she checks current news, confirms her two-step verification password and recovery email, and tells colleagues to reach her by email while she is away. She stays logged in on her phone, does not try to work around the block, and catches up on her chats when she lands back home. Nothing is lost.

A channel owner whose readers are cut off

Marco runs a cooking channel with many readers in one country. One week his average views drop sharply while subscriber numbers barely move. He checks the news and finds that the country began slowing Telegram that week. Instead of changing his content, he posts a short note with his website address, starts a simple email list, and keeps posting on his usual schedule. When access improves, views recover without any other change.

A student abroad

A student living abroad keeps in touch with family through Telegram. When the family's country orders a block, messages from home stop arriving. The student agrees with the family on a backup app that is allowed there, and keeps Telegram for friends elsewhere. When the block is lifted months later, the old chat history is still there in the cloud.

A public body

A city council uses a Telegram channel for service alerts. After a national rule bans Telegram on official devices, staff can no longer post from work phones. The council moves alerts to its website and SMS service first, and decides separately whether to keep the channel, run from approved equipment, as an extra.

Common mistakes

• Trusting an old list. Restrictions change. Check the date and current news.
• Calling every outage a ban. Most connection problems are local and fixable.
• Logging out during a block. You may not get a login code to come back.
• Ignoring local law about VPNs and proxies. The legal risk can be greater than the inconvenience.
• Using a random public proxy for sensitive work. You do not know who runs it.
• Assuming a ban on official devices applies to everyone. It usually does not.
• Panicking about lost data. A country block does not delete your cloud chats.

Related questions people ask next

• Is Telegram safe to use in countries where it is legal? See is Telegram safe and is Telegram end-to-end encrypted.
• Which apps do people use where Telegram is blocked? It varies by country and by what is allowed there. Our comparisons, such as Telegram vs Signal and Telegram vs WeChat, explain how the main alternatives differ.

• Can my channel still be listed in a directory like ours if my country blocks Telegram? Yes. The channel keeps existing for readers elsewhere. Listing it is free, and every submission is reviewed by a person; see submit a channel.
• Does Telegram warn readers when a single channel is restricted? Readers in the affected place see a notice instead of the posts, often naming the reason in general terms.

FAQ

Is Telegram banned in the United States, the UK or the EU?

No country-wide ban has been in place in these places at the time of writing. Spain's court ordered a brief suspension in 2024 that was put on hold within days. Some public bodies limit which apps staff may install on work devices.

Which countries have blocked Telegram the longest?

China, since 2015, and Iran, since 2018, are the most consistently reported long-term blocks.

Is Telegram blocked in Russia?

Russia blocked it from 2018 to 2020, then lifted the block. It restricted calls in 2025 and began slowing the service nationwide in 2026, with reports of wider blocking after that. Check current news, because the situation has been changing quickly.

Will my account be deleted if Telegram is blocked in my country?

No. A network block does not delete accounts. Your account can still be deleted by Telegram's own inactivity rule if you do not use it for the period set in your privacy settings.

Is it legal to use a proxy or VPN to reach Telegram?

It depends on your country. Some allow it, some restrict it and some punish it. Check local law; this guide is not legal advice.

Why can't I see one channel while the rest of Telegram works?

That is a channel-level restriction, applied in some countries or on some app versions. It is different from a country-wide block.

Summary

Telegram has long been blocked in China and Iran, has faced shifting restrictions in Russia, and was ordered blocked in Vietnam and Nepal in 2025. Courts in Brazil and Spain have ordered short suspensions, and Ukraine bans it on official devices. Restrictions take many forms, from full blocks to throttling, app store removals and channel-level limits, and they change often. Check official and current sources for your country, keep two-step verification set up, stay logged in during disruptions, and respect local law on proxies and VPNs.