Telegram guide
Daniel Okonkwo writes about phones and mobile apps for Appcyclopedia, working on a MacBook Pro, a Pixel 9 Pro and an iPhone 15.
- iOS
- Android
- Windows
- macOS
- Web
Short answer
On iPhone, tap the new message icon at the top right of Chats and choose New Group. On Android, tap the pencil button and choose New Group. On a computer, open the menu at the top left and choose New Group. Pick the members, give the group a name and create it.
Group or channel: a group is a conversation where everyone can write. A channel is a broadcast where only admins post. Choose a group for family, friends or a team.
Below: the steps on each device, inviting people with a link, and making someone an admin.
How to make a Telegram group, on phone and desktop
To create a group on Telegram, start a new group from the chat list and pick its first members. The first group of steps covers each device; the second covers inviting more people and sharing the work.
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Create the group
Start a new group on iPhone
Open Telegram and go to Chats. Tap the new message icon at the top right and choose New Group. Your contacts appear in a list.
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Or on Android, tap the pencil button
Open Telegram and tap the round pencil button at the bottom right of the chat list. Choose New Group from the menu that opens.
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Or on a computer, open the menu
In Telegram Desktop, click the menu button at the top left (three lines) and choose New Group. Type a group name first, then add members.
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Pick the first members, name the group and create it
Tick the contacts you want in the group; you can also create it with just yourself and invite people later. Type a group name, add a photo if you like, and confirm. The group opens with a note that you created it.
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Invite more people and share the work
Share an invite link
Open the group info by tapping the group name or photo at the top. Choose Add Member, then Invite to Group via Link, and copy or share the link. Anyone with Telegram can join from it. Revoking the link stops it working straight away.
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Make someone an admin
In the group info, open Edit on iPhone or the pencil icon on Android, then Administrators, and add a member. On a computer, click … at the top right of the group, then Manage group and Administrators. You choose exactly what each admin is allowed to do.
A group for a class reunion: create it with the three organisers, name it “Class of 2010”, then post an invite link in the old school Facebook group. Classmates join from the link without anyone having to know their phone numbers.
Start with a few members and add the rest by link: you do not need everyone in your contacts, and the link can be switched off when the group is full.
More about Telegram
A cloud-based messenger for chats, large groups, channels and files up to 2 GB.
If people cannot join your Telegram group
- Someone is not in your contacts list
You can only pick people from your contacts when you create the group. Send them the invite link instead; they do not need to be in your contacts to join with it.
- Telegram will not let you add a particular person
People can limit who may add them to groups in their privacy settings. Send them the invite link so they can join themselves.
- The invite link has been shared too widely
Revoke it from the group’s invite link settings and create a new one. The old link stops working at once; members who already joined stay.
Group or channel: which one to create
Telegram offers both from the same menu, and they suit different jobs.
| Group | Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can post | Every member, unless admins limit it | Admins only |
| How messages appear | Under each sender’s name | Under the channel’s name and photo |
| Size | Up to 200,000 members | Unlimited subscribers |
| Good for | Family, friends, teams, communities | Announcements, news, one-way updates |
Create a group when people need to talk to each other, and a channel when one side does the talking.
What admins can do in a Telegram group
As the creator you have every permission, and admins get only the ones you give them. Each admin can be allowed separately to change the group info, delete messages, ban users, invite people with a link or pin messages.
That makes it safe to share the work. A friend who keeps the group tidy needs permission to delete messages and ban users, but not to add other admins.
Privacy in a new group
Joining a group does not show your phone number to the other members unless your privacy settings allow it. Before you add strangers by link, check Settings, Privacy and Security, Phone Number, and set a username so people can find you without the number.
What to do after creating your Telegram group
A new group needs three things: a clear name, the right people and someone besides you who can keep it in order.
Create the group with a few members, share an invite link for the rest, and make a trusted member an admin. When the group is complete, revoking the link keeps new people from finding their way in.
Telegram groups: common questions
- How many people can be in a Telegram group?
- Up to 200,000 members. A channel, which is for broadcasting, can have an unlimited number of subscribers.
- Can group members see my phone number?
- It depends on your privacy settings. Under Privacy and Security, then Phone Number, you choose who can see it; set a username so people can reach you without it.
- What is the difference between a group and a channel?
- In a group everyone can write and messages show who sent them. In a channel only admins post, posts appear under the channel’s name and each shows a view count.
- Are Telegram group chats end-to-end encrypted?
- No. Group chats are cloud chats, encrypted between your device and Telegram’s servers. Only one-to-one secret chats are end-to-end encrypted.
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Test log
Followed the steps? Tell us how it went on your device. Entries appear here after we check them.
- Worked Every step, start to finish · Elias Brandt and Marta Kowalczyk Team
I tested this
Steps performed and confirmed 10 days ago
When you need this
If you want one conversation on Telegram for family, friends or a team, create a group from the chat list and add the first members. More people can join later through an invite link.
- Describes
- Telegram app for iPhone and Android · Telegram Desktop for Windows and Mac
- Takes
- About a minute
- Platforms
- iOS · Android · Windows · macOS · Web
- Published
- 13 October 2026
- Facts checked
- 10 October 2026
Steps repeated and verified by 
Elias Brandt and 
Marta Kowalczyk
on
- Elias Brandt: the Windows and web steps on a ThinkPad X1 Carbon (Windows 11 Pro) and the Android steps on a Galaxy S25 (Android 17).
- Marta Kowalczyk: the Mac steps on a MacBook Air (macOS 27.0.1) and the iPhone steps on an iPhone 16 Pro (iOS 27.0.1).
Limits quoted here come from Telegram’s documentation and were not tested.
Source: Telegram, FAQ
Telegram