Is Telegram Safe? Security Review
3/5
Overall Safety Score
★
★
★
★
★
Verdict: Telegram is widely perceived as secure, but its default chats are only encrypted in transit, not end-to-end. Secret Chats offer E2E encryption but are not the default and not available for groups. This is a critical distinction.
Telegram is a cloud-based messaging platform with over 800 million users known for large groups, channels, and bots. Despite its privacy-focused reputation, regular chats are not end-to-end encrypted by default.
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Get DeleteMe Deal →Security Ratings Breakdown
| Category | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption | 3/5 | |
| Privacy | 3/5 | |
| Track Record | 3/5 |
Security Features
- Two-step verification
- Secret Chats with end-to-end encryption (must be manually enabled)
- Self-destructing messages in Secret Chats
- MTProto custom encryption protocol
- Open-source client code
- Cloud-based sync across devices
Privacy Concerns
- Regular chats are NOT end-to-end encrypted; Telegram can read them
- Group chats never have E2E encryption
- MTProto protocol is custom and less audited than Signal Protocol
- Phone number required for signup
- Cloud storage means Telegram holds your messages on their servers
Past Security Incidents
- 2020 exposure of millions of user phone numbers through contacts import feature
- 2024 arrest of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov in France over platform moderation failures
- Platform widely used for cybercrime coordination, which attracts law enforcement attention to the user base
How to Stay Safe Using Telegram
- Use Secret Chats for sensitive conversations
- Enable two-step verification
- Set phone number visibility to 'Nobody'
- Disable 'Sync Contacts'
- Be cautious with bots and unknown groups
- Set auto-delete timer on conversations
Safer Alternatives
- Signal (E2E encrypted by default)
- Session (no phone number, decentralized)
- WhatsApp (E2E encrypted by default)
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Last updated: February 10, 2026