Use Telegram Safely and Securely with These Top 10 Useful Tips

Use Telegram Safely and Securely with These Top 10 Useful Tips

One of the most widely used messaging apps for iOS and Android smartphones is Telegram. Over the past few years, the cross-platform social networking service’s drawbacks have come to light. These ten helpful suggestions will help you use Telegram safely and securely, reducing risk and enhancing privacy on the app.

One of the safest messaging apps made by Russian engineers is Telegram. However, because it refused to provide the Russian security services access to its customers’ private conversations, reports claim that its relationship with the government has not been particularly strong.

Telegram has become a vital tool for the inhabitants of the region since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine war in early 2023. It offers new levels of safety and security safeguards depending on your preferences, which sets it apart from other messaging applications that prioritize privacy. These ten helpful hints will help you use Telegram in a secure and safe manner.

List of Top 10 useful Tips & tricks for Telegram to secure your account

1. Secret chats option
2. Enabling two-step verification
3. Disabling active sessions
4. Sending self-destructive media
5. Deleting Sender’s Messages
6. Lock chats
7. Using proxy services
8. Checking group permissions
9. Clearing payment and shipping information
10. Adjusting Telegram’s delete my account timer

1. Secret chats option

The “secret chat option” is the platform’s first security feature. As you are all aware, typical Telegram chats are not end-to-end encrypted, thus messages that are blocked by outside parties are probably readable.

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Fortunately, the app’s private conversation feature offers end-to-end encryption. Notably, there are no multi-device compatibility capabilities included in these private conversations. Follow these steps to get started:

Open your Telegram account first. Then, to launch a new chat window, tap the pencil icon that appears in the lower right corner of the screen. Tap the “New Secret Chat” option after that. Next, pick the person you wish to initiate a private conversation with.

2. Enabling two-step verification

Any program you use should have two-step verification enabled as a solid security measure. Every time you log into your Telegram account from a new device, this feature will prompt you to enter your password. To activate this Telegram feature:

Open your Telegram account first. The sandwich menu (three horizontal lines) that appears in the upper left corner of your screen can then be tapped. Following this, choose “Settings” from the menu, and then press “Privacy and Security.” Finally, tap the Security section’s “Two Step verification” button.

3. Disabling active sessions

This can be helpful if you have several devices and are using multiple Telegram sessions. Telegram must occasionally be used on a device that you do not own. In these situations, it is advisable to routinely log out of all sessions for security reasons. To see and stop using your current Telegram sessions:

Create an account on Telegram. Next, tap the sandwich menu located in the upper left corner of your screen or three horizontal lines. Tap “settings” from the menu, then choose “Privacy and Security.” Go to this page and select “Active sessions.” The “Devices” page will open. Terminate any unnecessary sessions from this page.

4. Sending self-destructive media

Another excellent security feature that you may use in both regular and private chats is the ability to send self-destructive material. To do this, you must:

Open your Telegram account first. Next, pick a chat. The “attach” icon will then appear in the lower right corner of your screen. Tap on it. Next, use Telegram’s built-in capture function to take a new picture or video. Next, tap the stopwatch icon next to the edit, crop, and other options. Decide when you want the material to expire and set a timer. Lastly, press the “send” button.

5. Deleting Sender’s Messages

Both communications delivered to you in personal chat and ones you send yourself can be deleted using Telegram. This function is especially useful if you lose one of your devices and don’t want someone you don’t know to see your private communications. For this:

You must launch Telegram. Next, start a conversation. Then, by long-pressing on the specific chat message, you may choose which messages to remove. Next, touch the “delete” symbol that appears in the page’s upper right corner. Next, select the “Also delete for…” option. Finally, erase “Confirm.” This capability even allows you to remove a whole chat.

6. Lock chats

On some Android phones, you can lock your chats by configuring app-specific locks that use biometric identification, a PIN, or a password. You can still lock your Telegram chats if your smartphone lacks this capability. To accomplish this:

Navigate to your Telegram app’s sandwich menu or the small three lines in the upper left corner. A new page will open as a result. From the display menu, pick the “settings” option. Next, select “privacy and security.” Choose the “Passcode Lock” option from the security area. Next, press “Enable Passcode.” You will be prompted by the app to generate a passcode.After creating your passcode, “Confirm” it.

7. Using proxy services

Since it is necessary, you can set up your own self-hosted VPN. You can use a proxy server to conceal your IP address in Telegram if you are unable to use “A VPN.” To gain access to these settings:

Navigate to your Telegram account and select the sandwich option. Next, select “settings.” Next, choose “data and storage.” After swiping down, select “Proxy settings.” Finally, “configure a proxy server.” Out of the ten Telegram tips and tricks, this is the seventh most helpful feature and advice for protecting your account.

8. Checking group permissions

From a security perspective, it’s not a good idea to be added at random to any large group. You may specify who can add your account to groups in Telegram. To accomplish this:

Tap on your Telegram account’s sandwich menu. Next, choose “setting” and then “privacy and security.” Choose the “Groups” option from the privacy section of this page. Then select “My Contact” instead of “Everyone.” And you’re finished.

9. Clearing payment and shipping information

You may be able to make direct payments within the Telegram app with certain business accounts. In Telegram, you can remove your shipment and payment details. If you are going to share them, this is crucial. To remove them:

Tap your Telegram account’s sandwich menu. Next, select “settings.” Navigate to “privacy and security” from the settings page. Choose “clear payment and shipping info” from the “Bots and Websites” section. A confirmation message will appear under “Clear payment Info” in the app. After checking the boxes for “Shipping Info” and “Payment Info,” select “clear.”

10. Adjusting Telegram’s delete my account timer

Users of Telegram have the option to “delete my account.” If you are unable to access your account for an extended period of time, this can be useful. You can set a timer that will permanently erase your account by following these easy steps:

Create an account on Telegram. The sandwich menu will then be tapped. Next, select “settings.” Proceed to “privacy and security” from here. Tap “if away for” under the “delete” part of my account. Mention the time frame that you desire. After this, your account will be automatically deactivated.

I hope these simple pointers will help you have a better secure and safe Telegram conversation experience. However, you need to be particularly cautious about a few more risks if you work with sensitive data.

For more in-depth information you can check out ‘The telegram harm reduction explainer’ of ‘The Electrical Frontier Foundation’ which specializes in digital safety and security.

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