How to Hide Your Phone Number on Telegram
Set Who Can See My Phone Number to Nobody, then limit who can find you by number. What stays visible, how usernames help, and Telegram without a SIM.
To hide your phone number on Telegram, open Settings, then Privacy and Security, then Phone Number, and set Who Can See My Phone Number to Nobody. A second option then appears. Set Who Can Find Me By My Number to My Contacts, so strangers who save your number can't match it to your profile. One thing no setting changes, Telegram says: "people will always see your number if they know it already and saved it in their address book."
We read Telegram's FAQ and blog on October 24, 2026.
About 8,100 people search "how to hide phone number on telegram" each month, and 8,100 more search for Telegram without a phone number.
How do you hide your number on Telegram?
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy and Security, then Phone Number.
- Under Who Can See My Phone Number, choose Nobody.
- Under Who Can Find Me By My Number, which appears once you pick Nobody, choose My Contacts.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Who Can See My Phone Number | Who sees your number on your profile. The default is your contacts |
| Who Can Find Me By My Number | Whether people who save your number can match it to your account |
| No setting | Hides your number from someone who already saved it, so they still see it |
Telegram FAQ, "Who can see my phone number?," and Telegram blog, September 5, 2019, read October 24, 2026.
The second setting arrived on September 5, 2019. Telegram said it ensures that "random users who add your number as a contact are unable to match your profile to that number." In a later recap, it added that the setting can stop "random users (or government organizations)" from matching a number to your account.
Who can see your number by default?
Your contacts. "By default, your number is only visible to people who you've added to your address book as contacts," Telegram says. You can "send messages in private chats and groups without making your phone number visible."
Telegram lists four ways people can contact you: they know your number, you message them first, you're both in the same group, or you've set a public username.
Do usernames show your phone number?
No. If someone finds you by username and you reply, "Neither party will see another's phone number (unless this is permitted by your privacy settings)," Telegram says.
A username does make you findable. You'll show up in Telegram's global search, and "people who find you will be able to send you messages, even if they don't know your number." If you'd rather not be found, Telegram advises against setting one.
- Set one: in Settings, under your username.
- What you can use: "a-z, 0-9 and underscores." Usernames aren't case-sensitive.
- Share it: a t.me/username link opens a chat with you.
- Remove it: save an empty username. "This will not affect existing conversations."
No username and a hidden number? Since December 2022 you can make a temporary QR code that lets people add you without knowing your number.
Can you use Telegram without a phone number?
Yes, since December 6, 2022, with an anonymous number. "You can have a Telegram account without a SIM card and log in using blockchain-powered anonymous numbers available on the Fragment platform," Telegram announced.
Fragment delivers your login code, so no text message is needed. These numbers are collectibles, and Fragment stopped selling them directly in 2022. Today you buy one from another user on Fragment.
What if you change your phone number?
"Each phone number is a separate account on Telegram," the FAQ says. If you're moving to a new number for good, change it in Settings while you can still get codes on the old one. Telegram warns that losing access to your connected number can cost you your account.
Frequently asked questions
Can people see my phone number on Telegram?
Only your contacts, by default. Set it to Nobody to hide it from everyone, except people who already have it saved.
Does Telegram show my number in groups?
No. You can chat in groups without showing your number.
If someone finds me by username, will they see my number?
No, unless your privacy settings allow it.
Can you use Telegram without a SIM card?
Yes, with an anonymous number bought on Fragment.
How do I delete my Telegram username?
Save an empty username in Settings.
What characters can a Telegram username use?
Letters a to z, numbers 0 to 9, and underscores.
More Telegram guides: how to join a Telegram group, Telegram Premium and how to delete a Telegram account. Hclout sells Telegram members, so weigh our advice the way you'd weigh any seller's.
Sources
- Telegram FAQ, "Who can see my phone number?," "Who can contact me?," "What are usernames? How do I get one?" and related answers, read October 24, 2026
- Telegram blog, "Scheduled Messages, Reminders, Custom Cloud Themes and More Privacy" (September 5, 2019), "Celebrating 6 Years of Telegram" and "No-SIM Signup, Auto-Delete All Chats, Topics 2.0 and More" (December 6, 2022), read October 24, 2026
- Fragment, "How does Fragment work?," read October 24, 2026
- Web searches for Telegram's phone number and no-SIM pages, October 24, 2026
- Google Ads Keyword Planner, worldwide, read October 24, 2026
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