Telegram Code Not Arriving: SMS, In-App Code or Phone Call

First, read where the code was sent

Telegram does not always send the login code by SMS. The code screen says where it went, and that one line decides what to do next:

The code screen says	Where the code is	What to do
"Check your Telegram messages" or "We've sent the code to the Telegram app on your other device"	In the Telegram app on a phone, tablet or computer where you are already logged in	Open that device and look in the chat from Telegram
"We've sent an SMS with an activation code to your phone"	Your phone's text messages	Check the inbox and the spam or blocked folder
"Telegram will call you in …"	A phone call that comes after the countdown	Wait for the timer to finish
A message about your email	The email address you added as a login email	Check that inbox, including spam

Most "the code never came" problems are the first row: the code arrived, just not on the phone the person was watching.

The code is waiting in another Telegram app

Telegram's FAQ explains that if you have recently used Telegram on another device, or in a different app on the same device, the code may be sent through Telegram instead of SMS. Open Telegram on that other device and look for the chat from Telegram, a verified profile with a blue check (some apps name it Telegram Notifications). The code is the newest message there.

This catches people out in three common situations:

• You are setting up a new phone, and the old one is still logged in, in a drawer.
• You use Telegram Desktop at work and are logging in on your phone at home.
• You reinstalled the app on a phone that also has a second Telegram app, such as a business account.

If you have no other device to hand, wait for the timer on the code screen to finish and tap Didn't get the code? to see your other options, such as an SMS. Getting your code in the Telegram app on another device walks through this case in detail.

Check how you typed the number

The FAQ asks for the number in international format: a plus sign, the country code, then the number. If the country code is wrong, Telegram sends the code to a different number that may not exist.

• Pick your country on the login screen, or type the country code after the plus sign.
• Drop the leading zero that you use when dialling inside your own country. In the United Kingdom, for example, 07700 900123 becomes +44 7700 900123.
• Read the number back on the code screen; it is printed there.

If it is wrong, tap Edit number and start again. 'Invalid phone number' covers the format errors one by one.

When it really should be an SMS

If the screen says an SMS was sent and nothing arrives, the message is usually being held somewhere between Telegram and you:

1. Spam and blocked folders. Codes come from short or international sender numbers, which phones and carriers often file as spam.
2. Carrier filters. Some plans block messages from abroad or from short codes. The Android app's help text also asks you to check your cellular data settings.
3. Signal and roaming. No coverage means no SMS; if you are abroad, getting codes while roaming covers dual-SIM and roaming cases.
4. Too many requests. Each extra tap on resend can push you further back. Wait for the timer, ask once, then wait. 'Too many attempts' explains how long the wait can be.

If sign-up asks you to pay before it will send an SMS at all, that is a separate case: see when sign-up asks you to pay.

Other ways to get the code

Phone call

According to the FAQ, codes read out in a phone call are only available on accounts that have Two-Step Verification switched on. Telegram also does not support landline numbers. Getting the code by phone call explains when the call comes.

Login email

If you added a login email, the code can go there instead. It is worth setting up before you need it; adding a login email shows how.

If none of this works, the FAQ points to Telegram's support form for registration and login problems. Next step: 'Too many attempts' and how long to wait.