How to Hide Telegram Secret Chat Notifications

Why secret chats can still show up on the lock screen

A secret chat is end-to-end encrypted and stays on your device, but its notifications are still drawn on your phone's screen. If the lock screen shows the sender and the first line of the message, anyone holding the phone can read it without unlocking. That has nothing to do with encryption; it is a display setting.

Notification content is controlled in two places, and you usually need both: Telegram's own setting, and your phone's lock screen setting.

1. In Telegram: turn off message previews

• Android: Private Chats, Groups and Channels each have their own Show Message Previews switch. Secret chats are one-to-one, so the private chats switch is the one to turn off.
• iPhone: Telegram also has Names on Lock Screen. The app explains that to hide names you must also set "Show Previews" to "When Unlocked" or "Never" in iOS Settings, Telegram, Notifications.
• Telegram Desktop: Show sender name and Show message preview can be switched off separately.

To be sure, ask the other person to send a test message while your phone is locked, and look at what appears.

2. On the phone: limit what the lock screen shows

With previews off in Telegram, a notification may still say who it is from. To hide that, use the phone's own setting:

• Android: phone Settings, Notifications, the option for notifications on the lock screen. Choose to hide sensitive content, or not to show notifications there at all. Wording varies by manufacturer.
• iPhone: iOS Settings, Telegram, Notifications, Show Previews: When Unlocked or Never.

If only one chat is the problem, use Add Exception in the same Telegram screen to change previews for that chat alone.

3. Add a passcode for the app

Hidden notifications do not help once the phone is unlocked and in someone else's hands: they can simply open Telegram. A passcode lock asks again before the app opens. See turning on passcode lock.