Delete Uploaded Contacts and Stop Telegram Contact Sync

Turning sync off is not the same as deleting

Telegram's privacy policy says Telegram asks your permission before syncing your contacts, and stores your up-to-date contacts so it can tell you when one of them joins and show their names properly in notifications. It needs, and stores, only the number and the first and last name.

There are two separate controls, and people often use only the first:

So the order matters: switch sync off first, then delete. Done the other way round, sync uploads everything again straight away.

Where both controls are

Both are in the Contacts section near the bottom of Privacy and Security, one above the other. Contact syncing is a phone feature, so the computer apps do not have these controls.

1. Turn Sync Contacts off.
2. Tap Delete Synced Contacts and confirm.
3. If you use Telegram on more than one phone, turn sync off on each of them. Any phone with sync on uploads its contacts again.

What changes afterwards

• Your Contacts list empties of people who came from your phone. Chats with them stay, and you can still message them.
• You stop hearing when people from your phone join Telegram, because Telegram no longer knows who they are.
• Names in notifications may show the names people chose for themselves instead of the names you saved.
• Others are not affected. People who have your number in their contacts still see you. Whether your sign-up shows up for them depends on their phone, not yours; see the 'joined Telegram' notice.

Removing just one person

To remove one contact, open their profile and choose Delete contact from the menu. Telegram's FAQ adds an important step: also delete them from your phone's contacts. Telegram stays in sync and will add the contact back if you don't.

Next step: can't save or forward a channel's media.