{"id":22413,"date":"2021-01-16T00:57:29","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T19:27:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/telegram-privacy-security\/22413\/"},"modified":"2024-01-05T16:47:14","modified_gmt":"2024-01-05T11:17:14","slug":"telegram-privacy-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.co.in\/blog\/telegram-privacy-security\/22413\/","title":{"rendered":"Telegram security and privacy tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Facebook\u2019s WhatsApp recently updated<\/a> its privacy policy, causing many disgruntled users to switch to rival messengers, among them Telegram. Thanks largely to this exodus, Telegram added 25 million new users in just a few days, pushing its user base over the 500 million mark<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That makes this the perfect time to talk about Telegram\u2019s security and privacy.<\/p>\n

End-to-end encryption is not the default option in Telegram<\/h2>\n

The first thing to know about Telegram is that Cloud<\/em> chats, as Telegram calls its standard chats, are not end-to-end encrypted. (Here\u2019s why<\/a> end-to-end encryption is important for privacy.)<\/p>\n

In a nutshell, the absence of end-to-end encryption means Telegram has access not only to metadata (who you wrote to, when, how often, and so forth), as WhatsApp does, but also to the contents of standard chats with no end-to-end encryption. According to Telegram\u2019s privacy policy<\/a> at the time of this writing, the data is not used for advertising purposes. However, as we know from experience, policies can change.<\/p>\n

How to enable end-to-end encryption for secret chats in Telegram<\/h3>\n

Telegram does have end-to-end encryption \u2014 you just need to enable it. Telegram calls chats with end-to-end encryption enabled Secret<\/em> chats.<\/p>\n

In secret chats, text messages, pictures, videos, and all other files are sent using end-to-end encryption. That means only you and the recipient have the decryption key, so Telegram cannot access the data.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the contents of secret chats are not stored on Telegram\u2019s servers. Because secret chats are saved only on the devices of chat participants, they cannot be accessed from another device \u2014 and they disappear when you log out of Telegram or delete the app.<\/p>\n

Secret chats are available in Telegram\u2019s iOS, Android, and macOS apps. The Web version and Windows app do not support secret chats; they cannot ensure<\/a> secure storage of chats on the device.<\/p>\n

How to create a secret chat in Telegram<\/h3>\n

Current versions of the Telegram apps do not make the secret chat feature easy to find.<\/p>\n

To create a secret chat, you need to open the profile of your chat partner, tap or click the three-dot button (sometimes called More<\/em>, sometimes not), and select Start Secret Chat<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a>

How to enable end-to-end encryption in Telegram: Starting a secret chat<\/p><\/div>\n

That opens a chat in which end-to-end encryption is applied to messages (a notification to that effect appears in the chat window at the start). You can also set the time after which messages will be deleted by tapping or clicking the clock icon in the message input box.<\/p>\n

\"Set<\/a>

Set up a timer in Telegram\u2019s secret chats to delete messages automatically<\/p><\/div>\n

Of course, the automatic deletion of messages doesn\u2019t prevent your chat partner from taking screenshots, but if they do, you will be notified about it in the chat. The one exception is if the other person is using the macOS app; in that case you won\u2019t get a notification.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another handy tip: Telegram allows multiple secret chats with the same person. Group chats cannot be secret, however, unlike in WhatsApp, which applies end-to-end encryption to all chats by default.<\/p>\n

How to know if a chat is end-to-end encrypted: The padlock icon<\/h3>\n

Because Telegram chats can be either cloud or secret, in some cases it is important to know which type you are using. If a chat contains sensitive information, it should be secret, right?<\/p>\n

Yes, of course. But end-to-end encrypted chats look almost identical to regular ones. To confirm which kind you\u2019re in, look for a padlock icon next to the name or phone number of your chat partner. If it\u2019s there, the chat is secret. If not, then end-to-end encryption is off, in which case you should create a new chat.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a>

How to check if a chat in Telegram is end-to-end encrypted: Look for a padlock icon<\/p><\/div>\n

You can also tap or click your chat partner\u2019s icon, and if end-to-end encryption is enabled, the words Encryption Key<\/em> will appear at the bottom of the window that opens.<\/p>\n

How to configure Telegram security and privacy<\/h2>\n

While we\u2019re at it, let\u2019s take a moment to configure security and privacy in the app. Click the Settings<\/em> button in the lower right corner of the screen and select Privacy and Security<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Telegram security settings<\/h3>\n

The first step is to make sure no one can read your chats if you accidentally leave your device unlocked and unattended. To do so, select Passcode<\/em>, tap or click Turn Passcode On<\/em>, think up a PIN code you won\u2019t forget, set it, and confirm.<\/p>\n

Next, select Auto-Lock<\/em> and set a low value \u2014 1 or 5 minutes. If your device supports fingerprint or face recognition, you can enable the option here.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a>

How to set up security in Telegram<\/p><\/div>\n

The next step is to set up two-factor authentication to protect your account against hijacking. The primary login method uses a one-time code sent by text, so Telegram lets you set a password as the second factor.<\/p>\n

To do so, on the Privacy and Security<\/em> tab, select Two-Step Verification<\/em> (Telegram\u2019s term for 2FA), and set a strong combination. Remember that you will rarely enter this password, so it is very easy to forget; store it somewhere safe, such as in a password manager<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What will happen if you forget that additional password? You\u2019ll have to reset your account. In essence, that means submitting a request to remove your account completely, after which you will have to wait seven days. After a week, the account will be deleted (including associated contacts, cloud chats, and channel subscriptions) and you can create a new, completely empty account using the same phone number.<\/p>\n\n

Telegram privacy settings<\/h3>\n

So as not to share unnecessary details with all 500 million\u2013plus Telegram users, configure your profile privacy appropriately. To do so, go through Telegram\u2019s Privacy<\/em> settings, changing the set values\u200b \u2014 all options and data are available to everyone by default. We recommend the following:<\/p>\n