Telegram is an increasingly popular messaging service, similar to the likes of WhatsApp and Messenger. It claims to be much faster and securer than the rest of the competition. Perhaps it is on paper, but still, it’s not ideal. As you need to provide a valid phone number to sign up for Telegram.
Other users can abuse the fact and access your phone number through this app. If you want to know how to check who saved your number on Telegram, you’re in the right place. Keep reading and you’ll find out exactly that, alongside some other useful information and safety tips.
How This Works
Using Telegram is really easy. First, you need to download the app from the official website. All major platforms support it. After that, the signup process is a breeze. You’ll notice straight away that you’re asked for a phone number. Then, you’ll have to verify the phone number itself.
OK, so what, many other apps ask you for your personal details when signing up. Well, this app claims to be extremely secure. Would a secure app give out their users’ phone numbers this easily? The answer is probably not.
If you don’t believe us you can test this. Actually, we’ll tell you how to see who has your number from Telegram, and how to disable this nonsensical feature. It seems highly unreasonable for such a safe app to give away your phone number to your contacts by default.
You should be careful online; people aren’t always who they claim to be. Don’t connect with just about anybody on apps like Telegram. Other users can see your phone number if you can see theirs.
How to Know for Sure
This sounds like a he said, she said situation, but it’s the reality. Telegram is giving everyone in your contact list your number, and you can see that yourself. Follow these steps:
- Launch Telegram on your device (computer, tablet, smartphone, it doesn’t matter).
- Tap the three lines in the top left corner of the screen.
- Click on Settings.
- Select Privacy and Security settings.
- Finally, look at Sync Contacts. If the slider isn’t gray (disabled), everyone in your contacts can see your number using Telegram. We highly recommend disabling this option. Move the slider next to Sync Contacts and make sure it’s off.
Just to be clear, if you added someone on Telegram using their username, instead of their phone number, you’re in the clear. It isn’t like the app is giving away your phone number to everybody.
However, you can use this to your advantage. If you see your friend’s phone number on Telegram, you can assume that they have your phone number as well. In case you can only see their username, this means that they haven’t saved your phone number.
More Telegram Safety Tips
Obviously, sharing your phone number with strangers isn’t a good idea. There are some other safety precautions you should take when using Telegram. One of the most important things is to use a VPN service, such as ExpressVPN.
Using a VPN, you’re hiding your IP address from prying eyes. You’ll also be able to avoid strict censorship laws, download torrents, etc. If you want to have a private conversation on Telegram, you can do that.
Just create a secret chat with a person, and set an auto-destruct timer. After a while, all the messages in this chat will be deleted. You can also add a passcode to your Telegram account for extra security. After all, you can never be too safe on the internet.
Stay Safe
Internet privacy is no joke. You should take good care when sharing your personal information online. If you’re using Telegram, it’s best to disable contact syncing. Sharing your number with your close friends is one thing, but sharing it with total strangers could be dangerous.
That’s why it’s also smart to use a VPN service to hide your online identity. A VPN is useful for all browsing and all use of online apps. Did our tips help you find out who took your number off Telegram?
If there’s anything else you’d like to add, feel free to do so in the comments section below.