How to Hide Your Phone Number on Telegram and Stay Anonymous

Telegram is known for its security and privacy features, but by default, it uses your phone number for account registration. This guide shows you how to hide your number from other users so you can stay anonymous and protect your personal information.

1. Why Hide Your Phone Number on Telegram?

There are several reasons to keep your phone number private on Telegram:

Privacy: Prevent strangers or unwanted contacts from seeing your personal number.
Security: Reduce the risk of targeted spam or social engineering attacks.
Professional Boundaries: Keep your personal and work communications separate.

2. Adjust Your Privacy Settings

Telegram allows you to control who can see your phone number. Here’s how to adjust these settings:

Open Telegram: Tap the hamburger menu (top-left) on Android or the Settings tab on iOS.
Go to Settings > Privacy and Security: Look for the “Phone Number” section.
Who Can See My Phone Number? Select Nobody if you want complete anonymity. Alternatively, choose My Contacts if you only want people in your phone contacts to see your number.
Who Can Find Me by My Number? Choose whether people can find you via your phone number. Set this to Nobody or My Contacts based on your preference.

        Tip: If you select Nobody under “Who Can See My Phone Number?” but keep “Who Can Find Me by My Number?” to My Contacts, your number remains hidden to non-contacts.
      

3. Use a Username Instead of Your Number

Telegram allows you to create a unique username so others can contact you without needing your phone number. To set up a username:

Open Settings in Telegram.
Tap on Username (or Account > Username) and enter your desired handle.
Make sure it’s unique and easy to remember. Now, you can share your username instead of your phone number.

4. Consider Using a Secondary Number

If you need to keep your real phone number private during registration, you have two options:

Virtual Number Services: Some reputable services provide temporary or secondary numbers for Telegram sign-up.
SIM Card for Telegram Only: Get a separate SIM card to use exclusively for your Telegram account.

Both methods can help keep your primary number hidden and maintain anonymity.

5. Additional Tips for Staying Anonymous

Beyond hiding your phone number, here are some best practices to maintain privacy:

Limit Profile Photo Visibility: Adjust Settings > Privacy and Security > Profile Photo to My Contacts or Nobody.
Use Secret Chats for Sensitive Conversations: Telegram’s secret chats offer end-to-end encryption and self-destruct timers.
Be Cautious with Group Links: Joining public groups can expose your profile to strangers. Consider using a secondary username or limiting your personal info.

Conclusion

Hiding your phone number on Telegram is an effective way to protect your personal information and maintain anonymity. By adjusting privacy settings, using a username, or even registering with a secondary number, you can ensure that only the people you trust have access to your real phone number. Combine these tips with mindful usage and robust security practices to keep your Telegram experience both private and secure.