The short answer
- 1Chatting by username does not reveal either person's phone number.
- 2Who sees your number is set in Privacy and Security, Phone Number.
- 3Someone who already had your number still knows it, whatever the setting.
In this article
The official answer: no
Telegram's FAQ asks exactly this question: if someone finds you by username, messages you and you reply, will they know your number? The answer is no. Neither person sees the other's phone number, unless their privacy settings allow it. Telegram compares it to messaging someone you met in a group.
A username is the safe way to be reachable: people can start a chat with you without ever learning your number, and you can change or remove the username later. A phone number cannot be taken back once it is known.
The setting that decides it
Whether anyone sees your number on your profile depends on one setting:
- Settings
- Privacy and Security
- Phone number
- Settings
- Privacy and Security
- Phone Number
- Settings
- Privacy and Security
- Phone Number
- Who can see my phone number - who sees it on your profile, including people you chat with by username
- Who can find me by my number - whether someone who already has your number can find you with it
| Option | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Who can see my phone number? | Who sees the number on your profile. With Nobody, people who reach you by username or in a group do not see it |
| Who can find me by my number? | Whether someone who already has your number can find your account with it. My Contacts stops strangers who only know the number |
| Add exceptions | Always share with, or never share with, particular people or groups, overriding the choice above |
The app adds one more rule: "Users who add your number to their contacts will see it on Telegram only if they are your contacts." In other words, saving your number is not enough on its own to show it on Telegram.
The number setting is one of several that people leave on the default; see the privacy settings most people get wrong.
When the other person still knows your number
The setting controls what Telegram shows. It cannot unteach a number someone already has:
- They already had it. If your number is in their phone contacts from before, they know it regardless of Telegram.
- Your setting allows it. With Everybody, anyone you chat with can see it; with My Contacts, your contacts can.
- You sent it. Typing your number in a chat, or sharing your contact card, gives it away.
FAQ
If I message someone by username on Telegram, can they see my number?
No. Neither side sees the other's number unless privacy settings allow it, according to Telegram's FAQ.
How do I hide my phone number on Telegram?
Open Settings, Privacy and Security, Phone Number, and set Who can see my phone number to Nobody.
Why can someone still see my Telegram number?
They may already have it saved, your setting may allow it, or you shared it in a chat.
Sources
At a glance
- 1Username chats
Numbers stay hidden unless settings allow.
- 2Setting
Who can see my phone number: Nobody.
- 3Limits
Numbers they already have, or you send, are known.
Updated
