How to Verify Telegram Without Your Personal Number

Why Use Telegram Without Your Personal Number?

Telegram is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, known for its strong encryption, large group capabilities, and channel features. With over 900 million monthly active users in 2026, it's become essential for communication, news, communities, and even business.

But like most messaging apps, Telegram requires a phone number to create an account. Your phone number becomes your identifier, and while Telegram offers more privacy features than most competitors, your number is still visible to anyone who has you as a contact or is in the same group as you.

Here are the most common reasons people want to use Telegram without their personal number:

• Privacy in groups and channels: When you join public groups or channels, your phone number can be visible to administrators. Using a virtual number keeps your real identity separate.
• Anonymous communication: Journalists, activists, whistleblowers, and privacy-conscious individuals often need to communicate without revealing their real phone number.
• Separate personal and professional accounts: If you use Telegram for both work and personal life, having separate accounts with different numbers keeps things organized.
• Avoiding spam: Once your number is in Telegram groups, it can end up on spam lists. A virtual number protects your primary number.
• Account security: If your Telegram account linked to your real number gets compromised, having a separate account on a virtual number provides a backup communication channel.

What You'll Need

Setting up Telegram with a virtual number requires very little:

• A smartphone or computer with Telegram installed
• An internet connection
• A virtual phone number provider — we recommend VerifySMS

The entire process takes about 5 minutes. Let's walk through it step by step.

Step-by-Step Guide: Verify Telegram with a Virtual Number

Step 1: Get VerifySMS

Download VerifySMS from the App Store and create your account. You'll need an email address to sign up, and the process takes about 30 seconds.

Step 2: Select Telegram as Your Service

In the VerifySMS app, browse the available services and select Telegram. This ensures you receive a number optimized for Telegram verification, which significantly improves your success rate.

Step 3: Choose a Country

Select the country for your virtual number. Telegram accepts numbers from virtually any country, so you have a lot of flexibility here. Popular choices include the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany, and many others. For the best rates, check our guide on cheapest virtual phone numbers by country.

Step 4: Receive Your Virtual Number

VerifySMS will instantly provide you with a phone number. Copy it — you'll need to enter it in Telegram.

Step 5: Start Telegram Registration

Open Telegram on your device. If it's a fresh installation, you'll be prompted to enter a phone number. If you're adding a second account, go to Settings and use the "Add Account" feature.

Enter the virtual number you received from VerifySMS. Make sure to select the correct country code.

Step 6: Receive the Verification Code

Telegram will send a verification code via SMS. Switch to the VerifySMS app — the code should appear within seconds. In some cases, Telegram sends the code through the Telegram app itself (if you have another Telegram session), but for new registrations, it will be sent via SMS.

Step 7: Enter the Code

Go back to Telegram and enter the verification code. Telegram will verify it and set up your account.

Step 8: Set Up Your Profile

Choose a display name and optionally set a profile photo. Importantly, go to Settings > Privacy and Security and configure who can see your phone number. Set it to "Nobody" to maximize your privacy.

Optimizing Your Telegram Privacy Settings

After creating your account, take a few minutes to configure your privacy settings properly:

Phone Number Visibility

Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Phone Number. Set "Who can see my phone number" to "Nobody" and "Who can find me by my number" to "My Contacts." This ensures your virtual number isn't exposed to strangers.

Username

Set up a Telegram username. This allows people to contact you and add you to groups without needing your phone number at all. Your username becomes your public identity on Telegram.

Two-Step Verification

Enable two-step verification (Settings > Privacy and Security > Two-Step Verification). Set a strong password and a recovery email. This is crucial when using a virtual number because it protects your account even if someone else later obtains the same virtual number.

Last Seen and Online Status

Configure who can see when you were last online. For maximum privacy, set this to "Nobody."

Profile Photo

Control who can see your profile photo. If privacy is your priority, set this to "My Contacts" or "Nobody."

Forwarded Messages

Telegram allows you to control whether forwarded messages link back to your account. Set "Who can add a link to my account when forwarding my messages" to "Nobody" for maximum anonymity.

Troubleshooting Tips

Code Not Arriving

If the SMS code doesn't arrive within a minute:

• Try requesting the code again
• Request a new virtual number from VerifySMS
• Try a number from a different country
• Ensure you entered the correct country code

Number Already Registered

If Telegram says the number is already registered, it means a previous user registered a Telegram account with that number. Request a new number from VerifySMS.

Too Many Attempts

If you've tried too many times, Telegram may temporarily restrict verification attempts. Wait 30-60 minutes before trying again with a fresh number.

Virtual Number vs. Other Methods for Telegram

Let's compare using a virtual number against other methods people try:

Prepaid SIM Card

A prepaid SIM gives you a real number, but it requires a trip to the store, often requires ID, and costs more than a virtual verification. It also doesn't provide the same level of separation from your identity. When comparing costs and convenience, virtual numbers are clearly superior.

Free Online Numbers

Free shared numbers are publicly visible, frequently blocked by Telegram, and pose significant security risks. Someone else could see your verification code and access your account. Not worth the risk.

Telegram's Anonymous Numbers (Fragment)

Telegram introduced blockchain-based anonymous numbers through Fragment. These are legitimate but cost significantly more than a virtual number verification through VerifySMS and require cryptocurrency knowledge. They're an option for advanced users but overkill for most people.

Use Cases for Anonymous Telegram

Here are some practical ways people use Telegram accounts registered with virtual numbers:

• Journalism: Protecting sources and communicating securely without revealing identity.
• Business channels: Running Telegram channels and groups without exposing personal contact information.
• Community management: Managing public groups where your phone number would otherwise be visible to all members.
• Crypto and trading groups: Participating in trading communities without exposing personal information.
• Privacy-first communication: Simply wanting to message people without sharing your real phone number.

All of these are perfectly legal uses of virtual phone numbers.

Maintaining Your Telegram Account

Once your account is set up, keep these maintenance tips in mind:

• Two-step verification is essential: With a virtual number, you must have two-step verification enabled. Without it, if someone else obtains the same number later, they could potentially take over your account.
• Active sessions: Regularly check Settings > Devices to see all active sessions. Terminate any you don't recognize.
• Recovery email: Keep your recovery email up to date so you can always regain access to your account.
• Regular use: Telegram may deactivate accounts that have been inactive for an extended period. Log in periodically to keep your account active.

Get Started Today

Creating a Telegram account without your personal number is simple, fast, and provides meaningful privacy benefits. Whether you're a journalist protecting sources, a business owner managing communities, or just someone who values digital privacy, a virtual number gives you the separation you need.

Download VerifySMS from the App Store, grab a virtual number, and set up your private Telegram account in minutes. For more tips on protecting your phone number online, check out our complete privacy guide.