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How safe is telegram app


10 simple tips for safe and secure chats

By Jon Gilbert and Alessandro Mascellino

Updated

Minimize security risks and increase your privacy on Telegram

Using a secure messaging app is a great way to keep your Android phone secure. However, Telegram has notorious vulnerabilities that can open your messages to third parties. Unlike other privacy-focused messaging apps, Telegram offers different levels of safety and security based on your settings. Here are some essential tips to get you started.

How to use secret chats

While we love Telegram's cloud capabilities and multi-device sync, these come with a privacy trade-off. Regular chats on Telegram are not end-to-end encrypted, meaning third parties can intercept and read your messages. Telegram provides end-to-end encryption in its "secret chat option." However, if you're using Telegram across multiple budget Android phones, you won't be able to move secret chats between them.

To start a secret chat, follow these steps:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Tap the pencil icon (new chat) in the lower-right of your screen.
  3. Tap New Secret Chat.
  4. Select a contact to start a secret chat.

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How to enable two-step verification

Enabling two-step verification (2SV) is a good security practice, no matter which app you use. Once activated, you'll enter a password every time you log in to Telegram from a new device. If you forget your 2SV password, you can recover it through your email.

Here's how to enable two-step verification on Telegram:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Tap the menu button in the upper-left corner of your screen.
  3. Tap Settings.

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  4. Tap Privacy and Security.
  5. Tap Two-Step Verification.
  6. Enter a password.

How to disable active sessions

Having multiple Telegram sessions open simultaneously can be helpful, especially if you own multiple devices. Occasionally, you may have to use Telegram on devices you do not own. It's easy to forget what devices you're logged into, so Telegram lets you view and terminate active sessions from one device.

To view and disable active Telegram sessions, follow these steps:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Tap the menu button in the upper-left corner of your screen
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap Privacy and Security.

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  5. Tap Active Sessions.
  6. Tap Terminate all other sessions.

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How to send self-destructing media

Self-destructing media disappears from a chat after a certain amount of time. (for example, Snapchat images are self-destructing media). You can send self-destructing media both within regular and secret conversations.

Here's how to enable self-destructing media on Telegram:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Select a chat.
  3. Tap the Attach icon in the lower-right corner of your screen.
  4. Choose an existing image or take a new one.

    2 Images

  5. Tap the stopwatch button next to the Send button.
  6. Select how long you wish your media to last.
  7. Tap the Send button.

How to delete messages

Telegram allows you to delete your messages and those sent to you in one-to-one chats. While not ideal for socializing, this feature is a plus for privacy, particularly if you have lost one of your devices and want to make sure no one can read your private messages.

Here's how to delete messages:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Open a chat.
  3. Long-press on any chat message.
  4. Tap the Delete button in the upper-right corner of your screen.

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  5. Select the Also delete for checkbox to delete it for the other person.
  6. Tap Delete.

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How to lock chats

Some Android phones allow you to set up app-specific locks via a password, PIN, or biometric authentication. If your Android phone does not have this feature, Telegram has got you covered.

To lock chats:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Tap the menu button in the upper-left corner of your screen.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap Privacy and Security.

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  5. Tap Passcode Lock.
  6. Tap Enable passcode.
  7. Choose a passcode, and then tap Confirm.

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How to set up a proxy server

There are many great VPNs available for Android, but you may not want or be able to use one. Fortunately, Telegram has a feature that lets you hide your IP address behind a proxy server.

Here's how to set up a Telegram proxy server:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Tap the menu button in the upper-left corner of your screen.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap Data and Storage.

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  5. Scroll down and tap Proxy settings.
  6. Tap Add Proxy.

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How to check group permissions

Being added to random groups with thousands of users is always a bad idea from a security standpoint. Telegram lets you specify who can add your account to groups.

Here's how change your group permissions:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Tap the menu button in the upper-left corner of your screen.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap Privacy and Security.

    2 Images

  5. Tap Groups.
  6. Change Everybody to My Contacts.

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Some business accounts on Telegram that are run by bots allow you to complete payments directly within the app. We recommend exercising caution when providing personal details via Telegram.

If you decide to share your payment and shipping information, delete them as soon as possible by following these steps:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Tap the menu button in the upper-left corner of the app.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap Privacy and Security.

    2 Images

  5. Tap Clear Payment and Shipping Info.
  6. Select the Shipping info and Payment info checkboxes.
  7. Confirm your changes by tapping Clear.

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How do I adjust Telegram's 'delete my account' timer?

Last, it's good to think about what might happen should you lose access to your account. Telegram comes with a "delete my account" feature designed precisely for scenarios like this.

Follow these instructions to set up a timer after which Telegram will permanently delete your account:

  1. Open Telegram.
  2. Tap the menu button in the upper-left corner of your screen.
  3. Tap Settings.
  4. Tap Privacy and Security.

    2 Images

  5. Tap If away for under the Delete my Account heading.
  6. Choose a period of time.

    2 Images

Have fun and be safe

Chat safely and securely with Telegram. These Telegram tips will help you chat with peace of mind. If you want to improve your security on any app, use a 2FA app like Google or Authy to secure your accounts. While not every app has 2FA support, most popular shopping and messaging apps do.

Is Telegram safe? Here’s what security experts have to say about the app

Telegram is a messaging app that surged in popularity in 2021 after WhatsApp announced changes to its privacy policy that would allow it to share information with parent company Meta. But, is Telegram any better at handing your data? 

Telegram is a free messaging app that works across multiple devices, offering no limits on media sizes, end-to-end encryption via “secret chats” and a whopping 200,000 person group chat capacity. The app even has a Bot API, allowing developers to create their own bots for their chats.  

Telegram is so confident its messages can’t be deciphered that it’s actually run contests in the past challenging users to try to crack its encryption with a $300,000 prize at stake. The app also has an ongoing bug bounty programme in place to reward anyone who can spot a big enough flaw in Telegram’s app or protocol. 

We reached out to security experts to learn more about Telegram, end-to-end encryption and how the app deals with your data. If you’re interested in their thoughts on other messaging apps, you can visit our guides to Is WhatsApp Safe? and Is Signal safe? 

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Is Telegram safe? 

Antony Demetriades, VP at McAfee, told Trusted Reviews, while the app been around since 2013, its only recently that Telegram has become more of a household name.  

“If you hadn’t heard of Telegram until 2021, you wouldn’t be alone”, said Demetriades. 

“The messaging and social media platform has risen from relative anonymity to become one of the biggest players in the ‘secret messaging’ business in less than a year. With WhatsApp revealing a change to its T&Cs which informed users that their data would be shared with new parent company Meta, many people ‘jumped ship’ in search of a less intrusive messaging option”. 

However, just because Telegram has a more trustworthy reputation than WhatsApp, that doesn’t mean your messages are automatically protected. End-to-end encryption is crucial to keeping your messages private and this is a level of protection that Telegram only offers in specific areas of its app. 

“Telegram has positioned itself as an app committed to private and secure messaging. However, the fact that end-to-end encryption is not automatically used on messages sent in Telegram means it’s not as secure as privacy-focused messaging platforms such as Signal, which offers end-to-end encryption for all communications”, explained Demetriades.  

Searchlight Security CTO and co-founder Dr. Gareth Owenson added that Telegram’s encryption also has its flaws. 

“Telegram has a reputation as a secure messaging app but this is largely due to the feature set it offers rather than the strong encryption. Research by Royal Holloway recently found vulnerabilities in the cryptography used by Telegram”, said Dr. Owenson. 

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While any app can be targeted by the wrong people, Telegram’s secure reputation and lax moderation has also been known to attract criminals in the past. 

“Telegram is also popular amount darkweb criminals and other malicious actors due to its perceived security”, said Dr. Owenson. 

Demetriades agreed, suggesting the service also has a very hands-off moderation approach is causing ongoing issues.

“One of the biggest issues with Telegram is the content shared in the app and the company’s “hand off” approach to moderation. Telegram’s unique combination of messaging and social media, plus its publicly relaxed content moderation strategy means it attracts a certain style of user who may have been outed from more mainstream online platforms”, said Demetriades.  

“A quick Google search will produce multiple examples of how Telegram has been widely used by fringe political groups, while in 2017 security experts also acknowledged that it is in fact the app of choice for terrorist organisations. While this might make the platform appear unattractive, its user experience shows users aren’t exposed to controversial content given they haven’t gone looking for it”. 

Telegram vs other messaging apps 

So, how does Telegram compare to other popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal? F-Secure’s Global Partner Product Advocate Fennel Aurora told Trusted Reviews from a technical standpoint there is a clear winner.

“Signal is mostly seen as the security and privacy standard for this kind of messaging app, and it is what I use primarily myself”, said Aurora. 

“That said, there are cases where Signal can be less private and less safe depending on your definition – for example Signal requires use a phone number for connection with other users, which can have significant physical safety risks for many people who are targeted by stalkers. Telegram for example allows the use of a username instead which can be significantly safer for many people”. 

Comparitech Privacy Advocate Paul Bischoff added that Telegram also requires users to opt-in to end-to-end encryption by creating a secret chat. The lack of end-to-end encryption by default can be its own privacy issue. 

Telegram chats are not encrypted end-to-end by default. Encrypted chats cannot be accessed from multiple devices”, said Bischoff, explaining that the latter does make them more secure but less convenient than WhatsApp. 

Bischoff added, “Telegram has bots, which are powerful tools but can be used for scams and cyberattacks”, though the expert also noted that all three apps have shown documented cybersecurity vulnerabilities over the years. 

Tom Gaffney, Security Consultant at F-Secure added that Telegram’s data handling is comparable to WhatsApp, in some instances.

“WhatsApp and Telegram both work by building communities of users, collecting data on the user related to their device using fingerprinting (phone numbers, device data etc)”, said Gaffney.  

“Additionally, Hackers target both platforms for scams and phishing URLs. Signal by default makes this much more difficult as it’s encryption process requires you to actively accept another user before messaging”. 

When it comes down to it, Gaffney wouldn’t recommend using Telegram (or WhatsApp, for that matter) over the likes of Signal. 

“WhatsApp and Telegram both have had a rocky relationship with user data. Both were implicated in the Snowden leaks and both have not provided evidence of independent code audit or security analysis. They have opaque terms related to data usage and in Whatsapp case, the parent company Facebook derives most of its money from using data it collects. So from a privacy perspective absolutely not as safe as Signal. Security companies such as F-Secure would not recommend them for truly private and confidential messaging”.

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Telegram and your data 

We also asked the experts how exactly Telegram handles your data. 

“If you signed up for Telegram in the UK, your data will be stored in ‘rented’ data centres in the Netherlands”, assured Demetriades. 

“This means the data centres are run by third-parties but a space is rented to Telegram, so personal data is not shared with the data centres only stored using the servers. According to the platform’s privacy policies, all data is stored heavily encrypted so that local Telegram engineers or physical intruders cannot gain access”. 

VP of European Enterprise Research at IDC, Duncan Brown told Trusted the app also refrains from showing ads in chats, which users will also appreciate.

“The company has promised never to advertise to users in private chats”, said Brown.  

Should you move your chats to Telegram? 

The general consensus from those we spoke to was that it’s safe to move your chats to Telegram, but Signal is better. 

“With the availability of end-to-end encryption for private chats, Telegram can protect your private chats, but you cannot encrypt your group chats, one of the app’s most popular features. But if you’re looking for a top-notch end-to-end encrypted messaging app, then there are definitely better options around”, said Demetriades. 

However, Consumer Privacy Champion at Pixel Privacy, Chris Hauk noted, Signal is less popular than other messaging apps, which could have you tempted to join Telegram if that’s where all your contacts are. 

“Many users are not concerned about their messaging app’s privacy offering, instead they usually use the messaging apps used by their friends and family”, said Hauk. 

“However, anyone who messages about more than “do we need milk?” should consider using one of the three messaging services (Telegram, Signal and WhatsApp), while also encouraging their friends and family to also use the apps”.  

There’s also no reason to leave Telegram if you’re already using it, according to Brown. 

“All messenger apps are subject to geo-political moves, such as bans and sanctions, and Telegram has been subject to these over the years. But as it stands Telegram is safe and stable. If you’re worried about data sharing, then Telegram should be a safe place for you”.

As ever, Trusted Reviews recommends any privacy conscious user invest in a reliable VPN to help protect their data. You can see a list of the best VPNs we’ve tested in the attached guide.

Is Telegram really secure?

12/16/2020

Author: CHIP

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Is Telegram really safe?

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Telegram is trying to prove that it is the most secure messenger in the world that will never leak your data to anyone. To what extent this is true and how to protect privacy when working with the application, we understand the article.

Telegram: how secure is this messenger

Telegram is a communication app whose creators assure users of a high level of security.

This is only partially true. Although end-to-end encryption is used for voice and video calls, it is not enabled by default for regular chat messages. Only if you use "Secret Chat" messages are encrypted end-to-end. This is only possible in private, not group chats.

Messages are encrypted between client and server by default - however, this makes the data available to the operator or potential attacker. Accordingly, Telegram, compared to other instant messengers such as WhatsApp, does not provide much security at all.

Another security aspect is the phone number. It is necessary for registration in Telegram. However, you can hide your number when contacting other users. Of course, this is an important advantage compared to the same WhatsApp.

  • Operation

    How to set up an autoresponder in WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and Facebook

How to communicate safely on Telegram

To communicate using Telegram as safely as possible, use our tips:

  • When you communicate with other users, use "Secret Chat". However, please note that all messages created there will not be stored on the server and will therefore only be available on one end device.
  • To hide your phone number from others, hide it. This can be done in the menu "Settings" - "Privacy" - "Phone Number".
  • You can also hide your online status so that you cannot be seen online.

Read also:

  • 9 useful Telegram features that many people don't know about
  • Smartphone rating 2021: top 10 best models = "content_internal_link">

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Is the Telegram Messenger app safe? -- Parent Guide

What is the Telegram Messenger app?

Telegram, launched in 2013, is a messaging app similar to Whatsapp and Facebook Messenger. This allows users to send messages over Wi-Fi or mobile data. In October 2021, the number of users increased and this figure continues to grow as people abandon applications owned by large companies in order to stay safe on the Internet.

How the Telegram app works

The app is a cloud-based messaging app that can be accessed on any device. This makes it easy to track your posts. Users can send files of any type, make video calls and participate in group chats. To use the Telegram app safely, users can enable encryption and disappear messages.

Users quickly and easily register with their mobile numbers to access all of the app's features.

What is the age rating?

Telegram is safest for people aged 16 and over. Terms of Service. However, the Apple App Store has it set for those 17 years of age or older, while the Google Play store simply rates it as requiring parental controls. Users are not asked for their age upon registration.

What are the privacy and security settings in Telegram?

Telegram prides itself on its security features, which include the ability to encrypt messages between users or make them disappear after a certain amount of time. There are also several privacy settings that users can use. Just go to Settings > Privacy & Security Settings to get started.

Phone number

When a user registers, this is automatically configured so that contacts can see the mobile number of the user they registered with. Other options include allowing everyone or no one to see the number. In addition, users can add exceptions. For example, a parent can see their child's number, but no one else can.

Last seen and online

The user's last seen time is automatically set to visible to everyone, but can be set to only contacts or no one. You can also add exceptions here for those who will never see this information.

Profile photo

Everyone can automatically view user profile photos. This can be changed to contacts only except for those who can never see the profile picture.

Forwarded messages

Users can control whether messages forwarded from them refer to their profile. This setting automatically allows everyone to link to the user's profile, but can be configured to allow only contacts or no one, except in cases.

Calls

Users can control who can call them. It is automatically configured so that anyone can call the user, but it can be changed to contacts only or everyone. Users can also add exceptions here in addition to the option to allow peer-to-peer calls. This is automatically set for use with the user's contacts, but can also be set for anyone and everyone. Using this means that calls between one user and another will be able to communicate as usual with good call and video quality. Turning it off means that calls will instead be made entirely through Telegram's servers, meaning that the caller's IP address will not be visible. This also means that call and video quality is not as good.

Groups

Users can specify who is allowed to add them to a group chat that can accommodate up to 200,000 different people. This is automatically set for everyone, but can only be changed for contacts. Exceptions can also be made here for certain users who will never be able to add you.

Lock Code

Users can secure their Telegram account and app with a password set and known only to them.

Two-Step Verification

Users can set a password that is required when logging in to a new device in addition to a code sent via SMS text message.

Active Sessions

This allows users to see where their account is still being used and on which devices. There is also an option to log out of all other sessions to make sure your Telegram account is not being used anywhere else.

What are the advantages of Telegram?

Millions of people use Telegram as an alternative to other messaging apps owned by larger companies. In October 2021, after various Facebook apps crashed, the app gained over 70 million new users.

Using the chat features that other popular apps already have, Telegram also has desirable security features. It does not share user information with third parties and is very easy to use with its clean appearance, high quality video calls and group chat features.

What to look out for in Telegram

While many praise Telegram's security features over other major apps, users are still required to register using a mobile phone number. This feature reduces the security of the application.

Users can also join groups, which can contain up to 200,000 members, most of whom don't know each other personally. Anyone can be invited by mobile phone number or username to join the group. If there is no restriction in privacy settings on who can see a user account, then anyone in that group can see if someone is online and any other information that is available.

Also, while users must be over 16 years of age to join the app, according to the Telegram Terms of Service, the app does not ask for age verification when downloading and registering.

How can parents or guardians keep children and young people safe?


  • Regularly Chat with your child about what they use to communicate with others online.
  • Check with whom they communicate online and what information they share.
  • Help your teen with privacy settings to keep them safe and happy online.
  • Do regular mobile health checks to ensure their devices and apps have the latest security settings.

Last updated

December 30, 2021: