How to self-destruct an account?
Posted: Mon Feb 10, 2025 11:01 am
We recommend using a non-mobile browser for this process. Please note that you will receive the code via Telegram and not SMS .
Q: What happens if I delete my account?
As mentioned above, all your data will be cleared from our systems: all messages, groups, and contacts associated with your account will be deleted. That said, your contacts will still be able to chat in groups you created, and they will still have a copy of the messages you sent them. So if you want to send messages that disappear without a trace, try using our self-destruct timer .
Termination of a Telegram account is irreversible. If you azerbaijan phone number list again, you will appear as a new user and your history, contacts or groups will not be restored. People who have your phone number in their contacts will be notified. The new user will appear as a separate conversation in their message list, and the conversation history with the new user will be empty.
Telegram is not a commercial organization and we take our disk space very seriously. If you stop using Telegram and haven't been online for at least six months, your account will be deleted along with all messages, media, contacts, and all other data you have stored in the Telegram cloud. You can change the exact period after which your inactive account self-destructs in Settings.
Q: Can I delete my data without deleting my account?
You can delete most of your data without deleting your Telegram account.
To delete individual messages or an entire chat from both parties at any time, simply tap a message (or press and hold to select any number of chats) and tap the Delete icon, then check the options to delete both parties.
Many relevant settings can be made in Settings > Privacy and Security (on iOS, there is an extra step > Data Settings), such as:
To delete synced contacts, select Delete synced contacts .
To delete your cloud drafts, select Delete all cloud drafts (on Android, this option is in Settings > Data & Storage).
To remove suggested metadata about contacts and bots you frequently message, turn off Suggest Frequent Contacts .
For other data:
To delete your profile photo, open your profile > click on your profile photo > Android Menu> Delete.
To delete a story you posted, go to My Story , then hold down selection and tap the delete icon in the top right corner.
To delete call logs, go to Calls > Android Menu/ MenuiOS> Delete All Calls.
Q: My phone was stolen, what should I do?
First of all, sorry about your phone. Unfortunately, phone numbers are the only way we can currently identify Telegram users. We don't collect other information about you, so whoever has the number, owns the account. This means that unless you have access to the phone number or Telegram itself on any device, we can't help you.
I can access Telegram on another device
Go to Telegram Settings > Privacy and Security and turn on two-step verification. This way, your phone number alone will not be enough to log into your account.
Go to Settings > Device (or Privacy & Security > Active Sessions) and terminate the Telegram session on your old device. Someone with your phone won't be able to log in again because they don't know your password.
Contact your mobile phone provider so they can block your old SIM card and issue a new one with your number.
If you decide to switch to a new phone number, don't forget to go to Settings, tap your phone number, and change your Telegram number to your new one.
I can’t access Telegram on any other device
First, you need to contact your mobile phone provider so that they can block your old SIM card and issue a new one with your number.
Once you receive your new SIM card with your old number, log in to Telegram, then go to Settings > Device (or Privacy and Security > Active Sessions) and terminate the Telegram session on your old device.
Remove sensitive data
Common thieves usually throw away the SIM card immediately (this makes the phone harder to locate), then wipe the devices and sell them, so if it's a regular, small theft, your data isn't at much risk. But if you have reason to be concerned about the data on the device and can't deregister other devices , it's better to wipe it remotely. You can read more about this here: Apple iOS , Android . Unfortunately, this requires you to prepare for this situation in advance.
You can delete your Telegram account if you are logged in on at least one other device (mobile or desktop) . Note that inactive Telegram accounts will automatically self-destruct after a period of time - the default setting is 6 months.
robot
If you're a developer, you might find our bot FAQ more useful.
Q: What is a robot?
Bots are like small programs that run in Telegram. They are made by third-party developers using the Telegram Bot API .
Q: How do I create a bot?
Creating a Telegram bot is pretty easy, but you'll need at least some computer programming skills. If you're sure you're up to it, our developer profile is a good place to start.
Unfortunately, there is no ready-made way to create a working bot if you are not a developer. But we are sure you will soon find a lot of bots created by other people to play with.
Q: A bot is messaging me, how can I stop it?
If you don't want a bot to send you messages, feel free to block it - just like you would block a human user. Some Telegram clients have a "Stop Bot" button in the bot's profile.
That said, most bot developers will provide a command to mute the bot, check their /help for clues.
Q: Are robots safe?
Yes. Bots are no different than human users you might encounter in a group, for example. They can see your public name, username, and profile picture, and can see the messages you send them, but that's it. They don't have access to your last seen status, and they can't see your phone number (unless you decide to give it to them in person).
Of course, any bot should be treated as a stranger - don't give them your passwords, Telegram codes, or bank account numbers, even if they ask in good faith. Also, be careful about opening files sent by a bot, just as you would with a normal person. Example: If a bot sent us a file called OpenMe.exe , we probably wouldn't open it.
Q: If I add a bot to my group, can it read my messages?
When you add a bot to a group, they can work in two modes. By default, the bot will only see messages sent to them. In this case, you will see "No access to messages" in the group member list next to the bot.
Q: What happens if I delete my account?
As mentioned above, all your data will be cleared from our systems: all messages, groups, and contacts associated with your account will be deleted. That said, your contacts will still be able to chat in groups you created, and they will still have a copy of the messages you sent them. So if you want to send messages that disappear without a trace, try using our self-destruct timer .
Termination of a Telegram account is irreversible. If you azerbaijan phone number list again, you will appear as a new user and your history, contacts or groups will not be restored. People who have your phone number in their contacts will be notified. The new user will appear as a separate conversation in their message list, and the conversation history with the new user will be empty.
Telegram is not a commercial organization and we take our disk space very seriously. If you stop using Telegram and haven't been online for at least six months, your account will be deleted along with all messages, media, contacts, and all other data you have stored in the Telegram cloud. You can change the exact period after which your inactive account self-destructs in Settings.
Q: Can I delete my data without deleting my account?
You can delete most of your data without deleting your Telegram account.
To delete individual messages or an entire chat from both parties at any time, simply tap a message (or press and hold to select any number of chats) and tap the Delete icon, then check the options to delete both parties.
Many relevant settings can be made in Settings > Privacy and Security (on iOS, there is an extra step > Data Settings), such as:
To delete synced contacts, select Delete synced contacts .
To delete your cloud drafts, select Delete all cloud drafts (on Android, this option is in Settings > Data & Storage).
To remove suggested metadata about contacts and bots you frequently message, turn off Suggest Frequent Contacts .
For other data:
To delete your profile photo, open your profile > click on your profile photo > Android Menu> Delete.
To delete a story you posted, go to My Story , then hold down selection and tap the delete icon in the top right corner.
To delete call logs, go to Calls > Android Menu/ MenuiOS> Delete All Calls.
Q: My phone was stolen, what should I do?
First of all, sorry about your phone. Unfortunately, phone numbers are the only way we can currently identify Telegram users. We don't collect other information about you, so whoever has the number, owns the account. This means that unless you have access to the phone number or Telegram itself on any device, we can't help you.
I can access Telegram on another device
Go to Telegram Settings > Privacy and Security and turn on two-step verification. This way, your phone number alone will not be enough to log into your account.
Go to Settings > Device (or Privacy & Security > Active Sessions) and terminate the Telegram session on your old device. Someone with your phone won't be able to log in again because they don't know your password.
Contact your mobile phone provider so they can block your old SIM card and issue a new one with your number.
If you decide to switch to a new phone number, don't forget to go to Settings, tap your phone number, and change your Telegram number to your new one.
I can’t access Telegram on any other device
First, you need to contact your mobile phone provider so that they can block your old SIM card and issue a new one with your number.
Once you receive your new SIM card with your old number, log in to Telegram, then go to Settings > Device (or Privacy and Security > Active Sessions) and terminate the Telegram session on your old device.
Remove sensitive data
Common thieves usually throw away the SIM card immediately (this makes the phone harder to locate), then wipe the devices and sell them, so if it's a regular, small theft, your data isn't at much risk. But if you have reason to be concerned about the data on the device and can't deregister other devices , it's better to wipe it remotely. You can read more about this here: Apple iOS , Android . Unfortunately, this requires you to prepare for this situation in advance.
You can delete your Telegram account if you are logged in on at least one other device (mobile or desktop) . Note that inactive Telegram accounts will automatically self-destruct after a period of time - the default setting is 6 months.
robot
If you're a developer, you might find our bot FAQ more useful.
Q: What is a robot?
Bots are like small programs that run in Telegram. They are made by third-party developers using the Telegram Bot API .
Q: How do I create a bot?
Creating a Telegram bot is pretty easy, but you'll need at least some computer programming skills. If you're sure you're up to it, our developer profile is a good place to start.
Unfortunately, there is no ready-made way to create a working bot if you are not a developer. But we are sure you will soon find a lot of bots created by other people to play with.
Q: A bot is messaging me, how can I stop it?
If you don't want a bot to send you messages, feel free to block it - just like you would block a human user. Some Telegram clients have a "Stop Bot" button in the bot's profile.
That said, most bot developers will provide a command to mute the bot, check their /help for clues.
Q: Are robots safe?
Yes. Bots are no different than human users you might encounter in a group, for example. They can see your public name, username, and profile picture, and can see the messages you send them, but that's it. They don't have access to your last seen status, and they can't see your phone number (unless you decide to give it to them in person).
Of course, any bot should be treated as a stranger - don't give them your passwords, Telegram codes, or bank account numbers, even if they ask in good faith. Also, be careful about opening files sent by a bot, just as you would with a normal person. Example: If a bot sent us a file called OpenMe.exe , we probably wouldn't open it.
Q: If I add a bot to my group, can it read my messages?
When you add a bot to a group, they can work in two modes. By default, the bot will only see messages sent to them. In this case, you will see "No access to messages" in the group member list next to the bot.