# How to get Telegram Premium without buying it

A gift, channel giveaways, Stars from giveaways — and why mods won't help.

https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/premium-without-paying

Updated 2026-10-01 · 2 min read

Telegram Premium is a paid subscription, but you do not have to be the one paying for it. Here are the ways that work — and the things that only look like a way.

## Get Premium as a gift

Anyone can gift you Premium for 3, 6 or 12 months — in Telegram itself or in the Shiba Bank bot. The subscription arrives as a notification in Telegram, and the Premium badge appears next to your name. How Premium is gifted: [how to gift Telegram Premium](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/gift-telegram-premium).

## Win Premium in a channel giveaway

Channels give away Premium subscriptions to their subscribers with Telegram's built-in giveaway: Telegram picks the winners and hands out the subscriptions itself. These giveaways run in channels — look for them among the ones you follow. How giveaways work: [a giveaway in a Telegram channel](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/channel-giveaway).

## Pay for Premium with Stars from giveaways

In the Shiba Bank bot you can pay for Premium for yourself or a friend with Stars from the wallet in the bot. And Stars reach that wallet not only by buying: they are given away in chats, put into cheques and given away in channels — more in [how to get Stars without buying them](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/stars-without-buying). The bot shows how many Stars Premium costs before you pay.

[Buy Premium — Open the app](https://t.me/barboskich_stars_bot?startapp=site_ai_en_premium)

## Why "Premium mods" do not work

Premium is a subscription on Telegram's side: Telegram's servers check it, not the app on your phone. So no "mod", "cracked version" or APK "with Premium" can turn on a real subscription: at best the look changes on your own screen, while the limits, the download speed and the badge other people see stay as they were.

> **Important:** Unofficial apps that promise Premium can steal access to your account. Install Telegram only from the App Store, Google Play or telegram.org.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I get Telegram Premium without paying for it?
Yes, if someone gifts you the subscription or you win it in a channel giveaway. You can also pay for Premium with Stars from chat giveaways, cheques and channel giveaways in the Shiba Bank bot.

### Do Telegram Premium mods and cracked versions work?
No: Telegram's servers check Premium, and an app cannot turn it on. Such programs are also a danger to your account.

### Do boosts give you Premium?
No: a boost is a vote for a channel that a subscriber with Premium gives away, not something that gives Premium. More: [Telegram boosts](https://shiba-bank.com/en/guides/telegram-boosts).

### How do I know I really won Premium?
Telegram itself sends the winner a message with the gift. If a "prize" asks you to go to a website and enter a code or your account password, it is a scam.