If you’re new to Telegram, I’m pretty sure you have a lot of questions running through your mind, like: what exactly is Telegram? How safe and secure is it? How does it handle your messages? Why does it ask for a phone number? and a lot more. Don’t worry — I’m going to answer all your questions and clear up any doubts you may have in this post.
What is Telegram?
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It’s an instant-messaging application, similar to WhatsApp. It was founded in 2013 (later than WhatsApp) by brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov, who previously founded the Russian social network VK. As of May 2025, Pavel Durov is the founder and CEO of Telegram, serving as the public face and primary decision maker for the company, while Nikolai Durov serves as a co-founder and technical lead, focusing on technical aspects of the platform.
Telegram does pretty much everything WhatsApp can, and it also has a host of super exciting features that make it a lucrative choice for millions of people. Among those includes unlimited cloud storage, massive user limits for channels/groups, large file-sharing limits, scheduled messages, and access to bots.
But more important than features are the privacy and security of a messaging platform, which we’ll look at in detail.
Telegram security and privacy: explained
We’ve divided it into three sections. The first is the sign up process, where we’ll talk about the data you give to Telegram for creating an account, and how they use it. In the next section, we’ll talk about the end-to-end encryption on the platform, and lastly the privacy controls.
Part #1. Sign-up process
As you open Telegram for the first time, you’ll be required to sign up using a phone number. There’s no other way around it (no Google or email sign-in options). The phone number is used to verify that you’re a real person, helping the platform reduce spam and bots. It also serves as an easy way to find someone on the platform.
If you are uncomfortable using your personal number on Telegram, a great way to deal with it is to use a virtual phone number. We’ve a complete guide on how to use Telegram without your phone number.
Even if you sign up using your personal number, you can choose to hide it from anyone else from Telegram settings. Not to mention, WhatsApp also needs your phone number, but it doesn’t allow you to hide it.
Part #2. End-to-end encryption
End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) means only you and the other person you’re chatting with can see the message — not even the platform. This is the highest level of protection for messaging apps as the platforms themselves do not hold the encryption key.
WhatsApp has E2EE enabled for all chats by default, but not on Telegram. Only Secret Chats on Telegram have end-to-end encryption. Regular one-to-one chats and all group chats do not have E2EE. Instead, they use client-server/server-client encryption, which means the messages are encrypted between your device and Telegram’s servers, but Telegram holds the encryption key. So, technically, Telegram can read the messages.
But, why doesn’t Telegram use E2EE or all chats? Because it’s a cloud-based model designed for multi-device access, real-time sync, server-side search, and large file storage, which are not possible if only the users hold the encryption keys.
In short, regular chats do not have end-to-end encryption because Telegram’s cloud-based model is designed for convenience, cloud storage, and multi-device access, while Secret Chats are meant for maximum security.
Part #3. Privacy features
Telegram offers extensive privacy features to safeguard your account. You can choose not to share your phone numbers with anyone you chat with on the platform. You can also set Telegram to not allow others (except your contacts) to find you on the platform using the phone number. You can use Telegram username instead to still allow someone to find you without sharing the phone number.
Telegram also offers Secret Chats, which are end-to-end encrypted. This is perhaps more secure than typical E2EE chats as the secret chats are only available on the devices where they were started and do not sync across devices. You can also set messages to self-destruct after a chosen time. Another cool thing about Secret Chats is that Telegram notifies you when the other person takes a screenshot.
Telegram also allows you to control who can see your last seen, profile photo, and who can call you or add you to groups. You can also set your Telegram account to automatic deletion after a chosen period of inactivity. The platform also offers passcode lock and two-factor authentication for added security.
Related: 4 easy ways to add someone on Telegram
Is Telegram safe to use?
Telegram is generally considered a safe and secure messaging platform. It offers a wide range of privacy and security features to protect your account.
If you’re uneasy about sharing your real phone number, try signing up with a virtual number. Once you’re comfortable, you can switch to your real number or continue as you are.
Regarding data privacy, the regular chats are not end-to-end encrypted because of Telegram’s cloud-based model (we discussed it above). But if you want true privacy, Secret Chats are a great option.
I hope this guide helped answer your questions. If there’s anything you’re still unsure about, feel free to drop a comment below. We’ll try to respond at the earliest.
More Telegram Guides:
1. Telegram vs Telegram X: speed, features, and security compared
2. How to use Telegram without phone number (5 methods)
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