Telegram Help

[Mike]

Telegram FAQ
This FAQ provides answers to basic questions about Telegram.
Check out our Advanced FAQ for more technical information.


General

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

Telegram Basics

• Who can I message?
  
  
• Who has Telegram?
  
  
• Inviting friends
  
  
• What do the green checks mean in Telegram?
  
  
• Can I hide my ‘last seen’?
  
  
• Who can see me ‘online’?
  
  
• Can I delete my messages?
  
  
• Voice calls
  
  
• Using emoticons on iOS
  
  
  

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 do I get one?
  
  
• How does t.me work?
  
  
• What can I use as my username?
  
  
• Do I need a username?
  
  
• Will people know my number?
  
  
• How do I delete my username?
  
  
• What do I do if my username is taken?
  
  
• What if someone is pretending to be me?
  
  
  

Security

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

Secret Chats

• What is a secret chat?
  
  
• Starting a secret chat
  
  
• Using the self-destruct timer
  
  
• Screenshot alerts
  
  
• Encryption key picture
  
  
• Why not make all chats ‘secret’?
  
  
  

Your Account

• Who can see my phone number?
  
  
• I have a new phone number, what do I do?
  
  
• Log out of Telegram
  
  
• Change your phone number
  
  
• Delete your Telegram account
  
  
• How does account self-destruction work?
  
  
• My phone was stolen. What do I do?
  
  
  

Bots

• How do I create a bot?
  
  
• How do I get rid of a bot?
  
  
• Are bots safe?
  
  
• Where can I get more bots?
  
  
  

Deeper Questions

• Why not open source everything?
  
  
• Can I use my own server?
  
  
• Can I use the Telegram API?
  
  
• Do you have a Privacy Policy?
  
  
• Why do you have two apps in the Mac App Store?
  
  
• Can I translate Telegram?
  
  
• Can I help?
  
  
  

Troubleshooting

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

Source