How to hide your phone number on Telegram
How to hide your phone number on Telegram: who can see it, who can find you by number, exceptions, what groups and bots see, whether a hidden number can be found, and how to go fully anonymous.
To hide your phone number on Telegram, open Settings → Privacy and Security → Phone Number and set "Who can see my phone number" to "Nobody". A second setting then appears, "Who can find me by my number" — set it to "My Contacts". One thing stays the same: according to Telegram's FAQ, people always see your number if they already know it and saved it in their address book.
How to hide your phone number on Telegram, step by step
- Open Settings and go to Privacy and Security.
- Tap Phone Number.
- Under "Who can see my phone number" choose Everybody, My Contacts or Nobody. By default, as Telegram's FAQ says, your number is visible only to people you added to your contacts.
- After you pick "Nobody", a section "Who can find me by my number" appears below. Choose "My Contacts": then only people in your contacts can find your account by your number.
- Optionally add exceptions — people or whole groups. They override the general choice, so you can hide your number from everyone and still leave it visible to two or three friends.
Menu wording differs slightly between the phone and desktop apps, but the order is the same: first "who can see", then "who can find".
"Who can see my number" vs "who can find me by my number"
These are two separate settings.
- Who can see my phone number — whether your number is shown on your profile.
- Who can find me by my number — whether someone who already has your number can find your Telegram account with it.
Telegram's FAQ says people can contact you if they know your number or if you message them first. Telegram Desktop shows a hint for this setting: for people who added your number to their contacts, it shows on Telegram only if they are also in your contacts.
What contacts, groups and bots see
- People who saved your number. The app says so directly: users who have your number saved in their contacts will also see it on Telegram. No setting can hide a number from someone who already has it.
- Groups and channels. Telegram writes that you can message people in private chats and groups without making your number visible. With the default settings your number is visible only to people you added as contacts and to those who already have it in their address book.
- Bots. They see your public name, @username, profile pictures and the messages you send them. They don't see your phone number unless you hand it over yourself.
Talk without a number: use a @username
People who message you by your username don't need your number. Telegram's FAQ says people can type your @username into the search field — they don't need to know your phone number. More in Telegram usernames.
Can you find out a hidden phone number on Telegram?
No. If someone hid their number from you, Telegram doesn't show it: only people they allowed, and people who saved it, see it. What you can do:
- ask the person to add you to their exceptions, or simply ask for the number;
- message them by @username or through a shared group — no number is needed for that.
Don't give a login code, account access or an advance payment to services and bots that promise to "look up" a hidden number: Telegram offers no such feature. These schemes are covered in Telegram scams.
When a bot asks for your number
A bot sees your number only if you press the share-contact button yourself. The Shiba Bank bot works this way: it asks you to confirm your number once, when you sell Stars (from your Telegram account or from the bot's wallet), through the "📱 Share phone number" button, and accepts only the contact of your own account; someone else's or a typed-in number won't do. Buying Stars or Premium by @username needs no number.
Full anonymity: a +888 number
The settings hide your number from other people, but the number is still tied to your account. If you want an account with no SIM card at all, there are anonymous +888 numbers sold on Fragment — see anonymous +888 number on Telegram. You can also switch to a new number in the app and keep your contacts, messages and media from the Telegram cloud, as Telegram's FAQ explains.
A related setting, last seen time, is hidden separately.
Frequently asked questions
How do I hide my phone number on Telegram?
Settings → Privacy and Security → Phone Number → "Who can see my phone number" → "Nobody". Then set "Who can find me by my number" to "My Contacts".
How do I hide my number on my Telegram profile?
Choose "Nobody" under "Who can see my phone number". By default only your contacts see it, and "Nobody" closes that too — except for people who saved your number themselves.
Why can someone see my number after I hid it?
Most likely they saved your number in their address book: such users see it regardless of your settings. Everyone else doesn't see it.
How do I hide my number from just one person on Telegram?
Add that person to the exceptions of the Phone Number setting, in the list of people your number is hidden from. Exceptions override the general choice.
How can I see a hidden number on Telegram?
You can't: Telegram shows it only to people who are allowed and to people who already saved it. Bots that promise to look it up are a red flag — never give them a login code.
A number is hidden on Telegram — how do I find the person?
Use their @username, a shared group, or ask them to message you. Searching by number works only if the person allowed it in "Who can find me by my number".
Can I use Telegram without a phone number?
Signing up needs a number, but it can be an anonymous one: a +888 number from Fragment needs no SIM card.
