Your cart is currently empty!
Telegram | Safety, Privacy & Phone Numbers
When going through the telegram account set up process you will notice some flagrant safety and privacy concerns. I figured we could sit today and talk through the tips and tricks I have used and learned to set up my multiple accounts and backup accounts.
The Phone Number Hurdle
when you are initially setting up telegram, your very first step is going to be in putting your phone number. That gives us a lot of concern because we don’t want our phone number associated with really much of anything that has to do with our content creation careers. So then the debate and the discussion comes in with deciding if we would prefer to use a VoIP or our actual phone number. A lot of people would generally prefer the VoIP for better safety and better privacy. Let’s just look at the two options side by side. This debate is going in with the concept that you do not have a hoe phone (phone dedicated to content creation) and are stuck using your personal phone.
VoIP vs Personal Number
| VoIP | Personal Number | |
|---|---|---|
| Increases overhead expenses | ✅ | 🚫 |
| Low risk of being banned or frozen by Telegram | 🚫 | ✅ |
| Increases personal safety and privacy | ✅ | 🚫 |
| Chance of your contacts seeing your account | 🚫 | ✅ |
VoIP Challenges and Tips
The biggest set back we see come up with VoIPs is telegram pretty much immediately freezing or banning the connected account. We know for certain most Google voice accounts do get banned. Sure, some don’t, but most do. Mine, which was a back up and only used between me and one other person, got the ban hammer as well.
To create my backups I use Burner app and the verified number option. I have her only and entirely for my backup account (which I also have as administrators on my Telegram channel for just in case! More on that here). I have had that account for over a year now, with mild interaction on it, and have had no problems. That being said, one other creator who also used it had her account almost immediately frozen. So take this recommendation with a grain of salt. It costs $9.99 monthly or $59.00 yearly.
The VoIP however is easier to set up as you do not have your personal contacts automatically synced, and there is no chance of goofing up the settings and accidentally having your personal number shown. For me it is a worth while expense and successful workaround to the restrictions.
Personal Number Challenges and Tips
When using a personal number you do still have options to hide that number and protect your privacy. However, upon account creation your contacts WILL be force synced to telegram. This will alert and by visible to your phone contacts who also have telegram accounts. There is a way to mitigate some of the damage. Not prevent, but mitigate.
- When you first make the account and you are choosing a username, choose a fairly anonymous yet not suspicious username. DO NOT USE YOUR STAGE NAME FIRST! Your contacts will see that your phone number signed up with that name. If you are keeping the two identities separate, consider like your initials.
- After the account is opened go immediately to your privacy settings, turn of syncing contacts, then delete all synced contacts.
- If any of your personal contacts had messaged you already, do not open the message, simply block the account and then delete the message. If anyone asks you about it, your number got phished. Or maybe you were checking it out after you heard someone at work mention it and you didn’t think it would be worth it to keep it. There are a million excuses you could use.
Hiding Phone Number
Though the default is to show your phone number publicly, one of the amazing aspects of telegram is their rock solid privacy features. One of those privacy features is the ability to hide your phone number from anyone other than specifically people who you choose, or groups of people. Here is how to do that step by step on an Android phone.
- Tap your three dot menu to open your side-bar
- Go to ‘settings’ with the gear icon
- Click ‘privacy and security’
- Scroll down to the privacy section and tap the option that is labeled ‘phone number’
- Select who your number can be shown to.
- For optimal security set it to where nobody can see your phone number, and only your contacts can find you by your number.
Final Thoughts
having a telegram account is a brilliant idea for everything when it comes to client interaction and management. It truly is a safer, more feature-rich and more customizable platform than any other that I have ever experienced. A lot of creators will either be putting themselves at risk, or giving up on the platform right at the beginning due to these telephone number hurdles when it comes to telegram account setup. I genuinely hope some of these safety tips and hacks I’ve shared here can help keep you safe, and help you absolutely flourish using the platform!
Have a Question or Comment? Join the Conversation!