Telegram · Without a phone number · Updated 2 October 2026
How to Use Telegram Without Giving Your Own Number
Telegram ties every account to a phone number, and the 5-digit login code is the only official way to create one. What you can change is who sees that number and which number you use. The sections below cover hiding it, official anonymous numbers, and temporary lines.
Telegram requires a number to create an account
Telegram has no email-only or username-only sign-up, and each new account starts with a phone number that receives a 5-digit code. The number acts as the account's login identity. Later you can add a username, a cloud password and a login email, yet the number stays attached. Sites that promise a number-free sign-up either rent a number behind the scenes or cannot deliver.
Hide your number from other people
The privacy settings let you choose who sees your phone number, and selecting Nobody keeps it off your profile for people outside your contacts. People who already saved your number still know it. A public username (@name) lets others find and message you without seeing your number at all. Share the username or an invite link when you add people or join groups.
Buy an anonymous number from Telegram's marketplace
Telegram's Fragment marketplace sells anonymous numbers with the +888 prefix that sign in to Telegram without a SIM card. They are paid for with TON cryptocurrency, so you need a wallet and a purchase. These numbers work for Telegram only, and the login code is delivered through Fragment instead of a mobile network. Prices and availability change, so check Fragment directly.
Read public channels with no account
Public Telegram channels have a web preview that anyone can read in a browser without a Telegram account or a phone number. Add s/ after t.me in the channel link (t.me/s/channelname) to open the preview. It shows recent posts only, with no way to comment, post or join private groups. For people who only follow news channels, that is often enough.
Use a temporary public number for a throwaway account
A free public line from this site can receive the 5-digit Telegram code when you need a test account and have no spare SIM. Open the Telegram number list, pick a line, enter it in the app and read the code in the shared live inbox. The inbox is open to everyone, so anyone can request a later code for that line and sign in to the account. Treat the account as disposable.
These lines receive SMS only. Telegram may refuse a number that many people already used, and then another line from the list is the next try. The code troubleshooting page covers silent lines.
Keep an account long term with a private number
A private number from our provider receives codes only for you, which suits a Telegram account with real contacts or admin rights. Cost and setup belong to the private number option, outside the free pool. After you register, add a cloud password and a username. Telegram can also move the account to another number through Change Number if your plans change.
Options that cause problems
Unofficial Telegram APKs and modified clients that claim to skip the number are a security risk, because they handle your login and messages. Telegram offers no official client that works without a number. A modified app can expose your session, contacts and messages to its author. Stay with the official apps from telegram.org or your app store.
Telegram sign-up, step by step
- Decide what you needReading channels needs no account, hiding your number needs only settings, and a new account needs some number.
- Set privacy rulesOpen Settings, then Privacy and Security, and set the phone number visibility to Nobody.
- Add a usernameCreate a public @username so people can reach you without your number.
- Choose a number typePick Fragment for an anonymous number, a public line for a test, or a private number for long use.
- Secure the accountTurn on the cloud password right after the first login.
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