Telegram Disconnects in the Background: Battery Limits

What background disconnects look like

Telegram works fine while it is open, but as soon as you switch to another app or lock the phone, things stop: an upload pauses, a message stays on the clock, a voice chat drops, notifications arrive late. When you come back, it shows "Connecting…" for a moment and then catches up.

That pattern means the phone is restricting Telegram in the background to save battery or data. It is the same cause as late notifications, and the fixes overlap; see late notifications on Android.

Android

1. Allow background usage for Telegram in the phone's settings for the app, under battery.
2. Remove Telegram from sleeping-app lists and, on Xiaomi phones, enable Autostart; on Huawei, add it to Protected Apps, as Telegram's FAQ advises.
3. Allow background data for Telegram if data saver is on.
4. In Telegram, turn on Keep-Alive Service and Background Connection under Notifications, in the Other section. They keep a light connection open while the app is in the background.

iPhone

• Background App Refresh on for Telegram in the iPhone's Settings.
• Low Power Mode off, or expect delays while it is on; it limits background activity for all apps.
• Low Data Mode on Wi-Fi or mobile data also pauses background tasks.

iOS gives apps only a short time in the background. A big upload may pause until you open Telegram again, even with everything set correctly. For long uploads, keep Telegram open until they finish.

Practical habits

• Wait for big sends to finish before switching apps; see uploads that stall.
• Do not swipe Telegram away from the recent apps screen. On many phones that closes it completely until you open it again.
• Calls continue in the background as calls; if they drop when you switch apps, check the battery settings above.

Next step: how to delete your Telegram account.