The short answer
- 1Telegram does not log you out at random; something ends the session.
- 2Rarely used devices: the 'If inactive for' setting at the bottom of Devices.
- 3Daily devices: a session ended elsewhere, or app data wiped by a cleaner or browser.
In this article
Find out which kind of log-out it is
Telegram does not log you out on a schedule by itself. When a device keeps landing on the login screen, something ended its session: a setting, another device, or something that wiped the app's data. Each leaves a different trail:
| What you notice | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| A device you rarely open is logged out after months | Automatic termination of old sessions |
| Logged out suddenly while using it daily | The session was ended from another device |
| Logged out after a phone clean-up, update or "boost" | The app's data was cleared |
| Telegram Web logs out each time you close the browser | The browser deletes site data on exit |
| Telegram Desktop logs out after a PC clean-up | The program's data folder was deleted |
A device you rarely use: the inactivity setting
At the bottom of Devices is Automatically terminate old sessions, with the option If inactive for. A device that does not open Telegram for that long is logged out automatically. That protects you from forgotten logins, but it also signs out the tablet in a drawer.
Swipe to see more ›
- If inactive for - a device you have not opened for this long is logged out automatically
If you want an occasional device to stay logged in, choose a longer period. If the device is shared or you may not see it again, keep it short.
A device you use every day
If you were logged out while actively using a device, open Devices on another device and look:
- Someone in your household or at work tapped "Terminate All Other Sessions" on another device. It logs out everything except the device it was pressed on.
- You ended it yourself while tidying up the list, picking the wrong entry.
- Someone else has your account. If there are devices you do not recognise, end them, turn on Two-Step Verification and change the password. See checking active sessions and spotting a fake login alert.
The app's data was wiped
- Android: "Clear storage" or "Clear data" in the phone's app settings logs Telegram out. Cleaner and booster apps sometimes do this. To free space, use Telegram's own cache settings instead, which keep you logged in. See what logging out removes.
- iPhone: deleting and reinstalling the app logs you out. Offloading the app may keep your data, but reinstalling from scratch does not.
- Telegram Desktop: the login lives in the program's data folder (named tdata). Clean-up tools that delete it, or a portable copy moved without that folder, start logged out.
- Telegram Web: the session is stored in the browser. Private windows, "clear cookies on exit" and some privacy extensions remove it every time. Use a normal window, or the desktop app.
Make logging back in painless
Whatever the cause, keep at least one device logged in so codes arrive as messages, and add a login email so you are not dependent on SMS. See adding a login email. Next step: 'You have been logged out on another device'.
FAQ
Why does Telegram keep logging me out?
A session ends for a reason: the inactivity timer in Devices, someone ending it from another device, or the app's data being cleared.
How do I stop Telegram logging out an unused device?
At the bottom of Devices, set If inactive for to a longer period.
Why does Telegram Web log me out every time?
The browser deletes the site's data when it closes, as in private windows or with clear-cookies-on-exit.
Sources
At a glance
- 1Inactive device
Devices > If inactive for: choose a longer period.
- 2Sudden log-out
Check Devices for unknown sessions; turn on Two-Step Verification.
- 3Data wiped
Avoid clear data, cleaner apps and clear-cookies-on-exit.
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