People Nearby Is Gone From Telegram: What to Use Instead

What happened to People Nearby

People Nearby was a screen that listed Telegram users and local groups close to you, based on your location. If you are looking for it in the Contacts tab or the menu, it is no longer there: today the Contacts tab opens with Invite Friends and Recent calls, then your contacts.

Pavel Durov, Telegram's founder, explained the removal in his channel: the feature was used by less than 0.1% of Telegram users and had issues with bots and scammers. He said it would be replaced by a section showing legitimate, verified businesses nearby. Older guides and videos that tell you to open People Nearby describe a screen your app no longer has.

What to use instead, for each old use

You used People Nearby to	Use this now
Add someone standing next to you	Show or scan a QR code, or tell them your @username
Swap contacts with a group at an event	Share one group invite link or its QR code
Find a local group or community	Search for public groups and channels by name or topic
Show a friend where you are	Send a location, or share your live location for a limited time
Meet new people around you	No direct replacement; meet through groups you choose to join

Adding someone in the same room

The quickest way is a QR code. The other person opens their own QR code, you scan it, and their profile opens so you can message or add them. No phone number changes hands.

The same screen has Scan QR Code at the bottom, so whoever is holding the phone can do either side. Telegram Desktop cannot scan codes; on a computer, share your username or your t.me link instead. If the code shows a countdown, you have no username yet and the code only works for a few minutes; your Telegram username explains how to create one.

Without a camera, say your username out loud. The other person types it into search and your profile comes up. Finding your friends on Telegram covers contacts, usernames and QR codes in more detail.

Getting a whole group in touch at once

At a meetup, a class or an event, adding people one by one was always the slow part. Create a group, then share a single invite link, or show its QR code on a screen. Everyone who joins can see each other in the group without exchanging numbers. Inviting friends to Telegram shows where to find the link and how to limit how long it works.

To find an existing local group instead, use search: groups and channels with a public link come up when you type a place name or topic. Searching for public groups and channels explains how, and what to check before joining one.

Sharing where you are, on your terms

The location features that remain work the other way round: instead of a list of strangers seeing you, you choose one chat and send your location there. Open a chat, tap the paperclip, and pick Location.

• Send selected location sends one fixed point, once. It does not change if you move.
• Share My Live Location for... keeps updating as you move, for 15 minutes, 1 hour, 8 hours, or until you turn it off. The time limit is the safety net; choose the shortest one that does the job.

Share your location only in chats with people you already know. A live location shared in a group is visible to every member of that group, including people who joined later. Sharing live location shows how to stop it early.

The location permission on your phone

On a phone, Telegram needs your permission before it can read your location at all, and the phone asks the first time you open the Location tab.

If you rarely send locations, choose Only this time, so access ends when you leave the app, and pick Approximate unless you need to point at an exact door. Choosing Don't allow does not break Telegram; it only means the app cannot see or send where you are. You can change your answer later in the phone's settings, under the apps list and Telegram's permissions.

Next step: inviting friends to Telegram with links, usernames and QR codes.