To set up Telegram, install the official app, enter your mobile number, type in the login code Telegram sends you, and add your name. It takes about five minutes, and you don't need an email address or a password to start.
Telegram is a messaging app that works much like WhatsApp day to day. It's a popular home for AI agents because the same account works on your phone and your computer, it supports bots properly, and your agent's messages arrive like any other chat instead of in a separate app you forget to open.
This guide covers the app itself. Connecting your agent has its own guide: Connect Telegram.
Step 1: install the app
Download Telegram from the official app store for your device, or from telegram.org for desktop.
Stick to the official source. There are copycat apps with similar names, and a messaging app is the wrong place to take that risk.
Telegram runs on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux, and there's a web version too. You can be signed in on several devices at once with the same account.
Step 2: verify your phone number
Open the app and enter your mobile number in international format, starting with the country code. Telegram sends a login code by SMS, sometimes by phone call, or as a message inside Telegram if you're already signed in on another device. Accounts can only be connected to a mobile number, not a landline.
Enter the code and you're signed up. There's no password by default. If the app asks you to add a login email, that's an extra way to receive future login codes; your phone number stays the account.
If the code doesn't arrive, check the number and country code, then wait a few minutes before asking for another.
Step 3: set your name and username
You'll be asked for a first name and, optionally, a last name. These are visible to people you message and to anyone who finds you.
A username is optional. With one, people can find you through Telegram's search and message you without knowing your phone number. If you'd rather not be findable, leave it blank.
If you'll use Telegram for work, pick a name you're comfortable seeing on a client's screen.
Step 4: adjust privacy settings
Open Settings, then Privacy and Security, and change these on day one:
Phone number. By default your number is visible only to people who have you saved as a contact. Set "Who can see my phone number" to "Nobody" if you prefer. People who already have your number saved will still see it.
Last seen. Decide whether people can see when you were last online. For work, "My Contacts" is a sensible default.
Groups and channels. Choose who can add you to groups. "My Contacts" stops strangers pulling you into group chats.
Two-Step Verification. Add a password on top of the login code. Telegram recommends this, and it protects your account if someone gets hold of a code.
The whole lot takes about a minute and heads off most nuisance messages.
Step 5: notifications
Turn notifications on for the chats you care about and off for the rest.
If you'll use an agent, give its chat a normal notification sound and pin it near the top of your list, so a scheduled check-in gets seen when it arrives.
On a work phone, consider muting everything except the conversations that need a fast reply.
Is Telegram end-to-end encrypted?
Not by default. Normal Telegram chats are encrypted between your device and Telegram's servers, and only Secret Chats are end-to-end encrypted. People often get this wrong, so here are the details.
Telegram's default chats are cloud chats. They're encrypted in transit and stored on Telegram's servers so they can sync across your devices. That isn't end-to-end encryption, because Telegram holds the keys rather than only you and the person you're talking to.
Secret Chats are end-to-end encrypted and tied to the two devices they were started on. They're one-to-one only, so they don't work in groups, and they don't sync to your other devices.
A chat with a bot, including an AI agent, is a normal chat. Telegram's FAQ states that bots can see the messages you send them, so whoever runs the bot receives what you type. What happens to your data covers what that means in practice.
For most everyday messaging this won't change how you use the app, but it's better to know than assume. If you're sending something you wouldn't want a platform able to read, use a channel your organisation has approved for that material.
Why do AI agents live in chat apps?
Because the chat app is already open on your phone, so the agent fits into a habit you have instead of asking you to build a new one.
Notifications behave the way you expect. You can forward a message or send a photo of a handwritten note without switching tools. And the conversation sits alongside your other chats, not in a browser tab you have to remember.
What to do next
Once you're comfortable with the app, the next step is connecting your agent. Connect Telegram walks through the bot connection step by step.
If your agent is already connected and you want ideas for the first few days, read Your first week with an AI agent.
Keep in mind that Telegram is a third-party platform with its own terms and data practices, which apply whatever AI you connect. It handles work conversations well, but its chat history is no substitute for your own records.
Common questions
Can I use Telegram without a phone number?
Not to sign up. Telegram accounts have to be connected to a mobile number, and landlines aren't accepted. Once your account exists, though, you can hide the number in your privacy settings and give people a username, so they can message you without ever seeing it.
Is Telegram free?
Yes. Telegram is free to use, and your private chats carry no ads (sponsored messages only appear in large public channels). An optional paid subscription, Telegram Premium, adds extras such as larger uploads, but you don't need it for everyday messaging or for talking to an AI agent.
Can I use Telegram on my computer as well as my phone?
Yes. There are apps for Windows, macOS and Linux, plus a web version that runs in your browser. You can be signed in on your phone and computer at the same time, and normal chats stay in sync across all of them. Secret Chats are the exception: they stay on the device where you started them.
Is it safe to talk to bots on Telegram?
According to Telegram, bots can see your public name, username, profile pictures and the messages you send them, but not your phone number unless you share it. Treat an unfamiliar bot like a stranger: never give it passwords, bank details or Telegram login codes, and only use bots from people or companies you trust.