The short answer
- 1Sign up on your phone: Start Messaging, your number, then the code Telegram sends.
- 2Some numbers are asked for a login email; codes then come by email, not SMS.
- 3Add a first name and you land on Chats. Nobody from Telegram ever asks for your code.
In this article
What signing up actually needs
A Telegram account is tied to a phone number. There is no separate username and password to invent at the start: you enter your number, Telegram sends a code to it, and the code proves the number is yours. Your name comes next, and that is the whole sign-up.
| You need | Why |
|---|---|
| A phone number that can receive a text or a call | The first code is sent to it |
| The phone or tablet you will use most | New accounts are created on mobile; the computer app signs in to an existing account |
| An email address you can open (sometimes) | In some cases Telegram asks for a login email and sends codes there instead of by SMS |
Install the app first from an official source; where to download official Telegram apps lists them.
Step 1: open the app and tap Start Messaging
The first screen of the app is a short tour with one button, Start Messaging. Tap it. On Android the app may then ask for permission to send notifications and to read your contacts; you can say no to contacts and still use Telegram.
Step 2: enter your phone number
The next screen is titled Your phone number on Android and says "Please confirm your country code and enter your phone number." Check the country first. Telegram guesses it from your SIM or your connection, and if you are travelling or on a VPN the guess can be wrong. Then type the number without the leading 0 that some countries use for local calls.
- Country — check it; Telegram guesses from your SIM or connection
- Phone number — the number that will receive the code
- Sync Contacts — decide now; it can be changed later in Privacy settings
- Next — tap only when the number is right
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Below the number is a Sync Contacts box. Ticked, the app uploads the names and numbers saved in your phone's contacts so it can show you who already uses Telegram. Leave it ticked if you want that, untick it if you would rather add people yourself. Either way it can be changed later under Privacy and Security, and finding your friends covers the other ways to add people.
Step 3: enter the code
Telegram now sends a short code. For a brand-new account it usually arrives by SMS ("We've sent an SMS with an activation code to your phone"); if it does not come, the screen offers another route such as a phone call. Type the code into the Enter code screen. Many phones fill it in by themselves.
Two other things you may see here:
- Choose a login email. Some numbers are asked for an email address at this point. The screen explains: "You will receive Telegram login codes via email and not SMS." Use an inbox you will still have in a year; it becomes how you sign in on new devices.
- "We've sent the code to the Telegram app on your other device." This means the number already has an account. You are signing in, not signing up, and the code is in the Telegram chat on the device that is already logged in.
Step 4: your name and photo
A new account asks for a name: on Android the screen is Your Name, with First name (required) and Last name (optional). This is the name people see in chats, and you can change it at any time. A photo is optional too. You do not choose a @username here; that comes later, and choosing a name and username explains the difference.
Some versions show a link to the Terms of Service on this screen. Continuing creates the account.
Step 5: meet the first screen
You land on Chats. For a new account it is almost empty: perhaps a message from Telegram itself and, if you synced contacts, a note that friends have joined. On Android a bar along the bottom holds the four main screens.
Swipe to see more ›
- Chats — the screen you land on after signing up
- Contacts — people from your phone who use Telegram
- Settings — language, notifications, privacy, devices
- Profile — how others see you
- Chats is where every conversation lives. The round button at the bottom right starts a new one.
- Contacts lists people from your phone who use Telegram.
- Settings is where you change the language, notifications and privacy.
- Profile shows how others see you.
The names and order of these tabs are not the same on every device, and on a computer there is no bottom bar at all; the first screens on each device compares them.
Five minutes that are worth it now
The account works as soon as you see Chats. These four settings are easier to do on day one than after something has gone wrong:
- Language, if the app did not pick yours: how to change the language.
- Who sees your phone number. By default it can be shown to people who have it saved: how to hide your phone number.
- Two-Step Verification, a password on top of the code, so a stolen SMS is not enough to take your account: how to turn it on.
- Check Devices. There should be only the phone you just used.
- Main menu (☰)
- Settings
- Privacy and Security
- Active sessions
- Settings tab
- Devices
- Bottom Settings tab
- Devices
When sign-up does not go smoothly
| What you see | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The code never arrives | Wrong country or a typo in the number, or the text is delayed | Go back and check the country and number, wait for the timer, then choose the call option if it is offered. |
| "Code sent to the Telegram app on your other device" | The number already has an account | Open Telegram on the device that is logged in and read the code there. If you have no such device, wait for the SMS option. |
| The computer app will not create an account | New accounts start on a phone or tablet | Sign up on the phone first, then scan the QR code shown on the computer. |
| Your old chats are missing on a number you used before | An account left unused for a long time is deleted, and a new one is made | Nothing can bring the old chats back; set up the new account as above. |
FAQ
Can I sign up on a computer?
Not for a new account. Telegram Desktop asks you to register from your phone or tablet first; after that you sign in on the computer with a QR code.
Do I have to upload my contacts?
No. Untick Sync Contacts on the phone number screen, or turn it off later under Privacy and Security. You can still add people by username or QR code.
Can I sign up without a phone number?
An account needs a number. If you do not want to use your own SIM, an anonymous number bought on Fragment can be used instead; it receives its codes on Fragment, not by SMS.
Someone is asking me for the code I just got. What do I do?
Do not give it. Telegram never asks for login codes; anyone who does is trying to take over the account.
Sources
At a glance
- 1Number, then code
Check the country, type the number, enter the code from SMS or email.
- 2Name and first screen
First name is required. Chats, Contacts, Settings and Profile are the tabs.
- 3Four settings on day one
Language, who sees your number, Two-Step Verification, Devices.
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