How to create a Telegram account

How to sign up for Telegram, from install to first chat

1. Create the account

   01

   Install Telegram and tap Start Messaging

   Download Telegram from the App Store or Google Play and open it. Tap Start Messaging. Signing up happens on the phone; the computer apps sign in to an existing account.

2. 02

   Enter your mobile number in international format

   Choose your country so Telegram adds the dialling code, then type your mobile number. Landline numbers do not work. Check the number before you continue, because the code goes to it.

3. 03

   Type the code Telegram sends

   Telegram sends a login code, usually by text message. If you already use Telegram on another device, the code arrives there in a Telegram chat instead. Type it in, and the account is confirmed.

4. 04

   Add your name and a photo

   Enter a first name, and a last name if you want one. This is what people see in chats. Add a profile photo now or later from Settings.

5. Set it up for privacy

   05

   Choose a username

   Open Settings, tap your profile and set a Username. It is optional, but it lets people find and message you without your phone number. Usernames can use letters a to z, numbers 0 to 9 and underscores.

6. 06

   Decide who can see your phone number

   Go to Settings, Privacy and Security, Phone Number, and choose who can see it: everybody, your contacts or nobody. You can also limit who can find you by number.

7. 07

   Add two-step verification

   In Privacy and Security, open Two-Step Verification and set a password. Then a stolen text message code alone is not enough to get into your account.