Telegram Privacy and Security Settings: A Practical Checklist

1. Enable Two-Step Verification

Two-Step Verification adds a password in addition to the login code. Find it under Settings → Privacy and Security → Two-Step Verification, then follow Telegram's prompts to set a recovery email. Protect that email account too.

Never share login codes, your Two-Step Verification password or recovery details with anyone.

2. Review phone-number visibility

Under Settings → Privacy and Security → Phone Number, review who can see your number and who can find you by it. A public username lets people contact you without first knowing your number, but it does not remove every privacy risk.

3. Check active sessions

Open Settings → Devices and review signed-in phones, computers and browsers. Terminate sessions you do not recognize or no longer use, especially after using a shared computer.

4. Protect the app and device

Set an app passcode and keep your phone's system screen lock enabled. An app lock does not replace operating-system updates or protection against access to an unlocked device.

5. Understand Secret Chats

Regular Cloud Chats are not end-to-end encrypted by default. Secret Chats use end-to-end encryption and remain available only on participating devices. If you need end-to-end encryption for a particular conversation, start a Secret Chat and keep both devices secure.