Is Telegram Encrypted? Chats, Groups and Calls Explained
Part of: Is it encrypted? The app-by-app guideChecked against Telegram's own FAQ and dated reporting.
Telegram has a reputation that runs a little ahead of its settings. Ask a room of people whether Telegram is "encrypted" and most hands go up. Ask whether their group chats are end-to-end encrypted and the honest answer, straight from Telegram's own FAQ, is no.
That isn't a scandal. It's a design choice Telegram has explained for years: your normal chats live in Telegram's cloud so they sync instantly to every device. Convenience has a price, and the price is that Telegram holds the keys. This guide shows exactly where the line falls.
Short answer: Telegram encrypts everything in transit. But only Secret Chats (one-to-one, opt-in, device-specific) and calls (including group calls with up to 200 participants) are end-to-end encrypted. Normal chats, all group chats and channels are "cloud chats" that Telegram can technically access.
Is Telegram end-to-end encrypted by default?
No. By default, Telegram chats are "cloud chats" protected by server-client encryption: scrambled between your device and Telegram's servers, then stored in Telegram's cloud. End-to-end encryption is only used in Secret Chats, which you must start manually for each contact, and in voice and video calls.
Telegram's FAQ puts it plainly: "Server-client encryption is used in Cloud Chats (private and group chats)", while Secret Chats add "an additional layer of client-client encryption" (telegram.org/faq).
Are Telegram group chats encrypted?
Telegram group chats are encrypted between your device and Telegram's servers, but they are not end-to-end encrypted. Telegram classes all groups as cloud chats, and Secret Chats only work between two people. If you need a group text conversation the server cannot read, Telegram does not currently offer it.
A suggestion for end-to-end encrypted "Secret Group Chats" has sat on Telegram's public suggestions tracker since January 2021 (bugs.telegram.org). As of our check, it hasn't shipped.
What is a Telegram Secret Chat?
A Secret Chat is Telegram's end-to-end encrypted mode for one-to-one conversations. Messages are encrypted on your device and can only be read on your contact's device. Secret Chats are tied to the device they were started on, don't sync to the cloud, and offer self-destruct timers. They can't include more than two people.
How to start one: open a contact's profile, open the menu (the three dots, or More on iPhone) and choose Start Secret Chat. You'll see a padlock next to the name. Menu names can vary slightly between app versions.
Things to know:
- One device only. A Secret Chat started on your phone won't appear on your laptop.
- No groups. Two people, full stop.
- You must remember to use it. Every new conversation starts as a normal cloud chat.
Are Telegram calls encrypted?
Yes. Telegram's FAQ says calls are end-to-end encrypted, that any call can become a group call with up to 200 participants, and that group calls are also protected by end-to-end encryption "which you can verify at any time". This is one area where Telegram's default protection is stronger than its text chats.
Is Telegram encrypted like WhatsApp?
Not by default. WhatsApp end-to-end encrypts personal messages, group chats and calls automatically. Telegram end-to-end encrypts calls and opt-in one-to-one Secret Chats, but not normal chats or any group chat. The trade-off is convenience: Telegram's cloud chats sync instantly across devices and can hold huge groups.
| Feature (checked 5 Nov 2026) | Telegram | Signal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1:1 chats E2EE by default | No (Secret Chats opt-in) | Yes | Yes |
| Group chats E2EE | No | Yes | Yes |
| Voice / video calls E2EE | Yes, including group calls up to 200 | Yes | Yes |
| Chats sync across devices | Yes (cloud chats) | Yes (linked devices) | Yes (linked devices) |
| Huge groups / channels | Yes | Channels (Updates tab) | No |
| Phone number required to sign up | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Sponsored messages in large public channels | In the Updates tab (Status and Channels) | No |
Can Telegram read my messages?
Technically, Telegram can access cloud chats, because it stores them and holds the keys needed to sync them to your devices. Its FAQ says the decryption keys are split into parts and kept apart from the data, across jurisdictions. It cannot read Secret Chats or calls. Whether it does read cloud chats is a matter of policy and trust, not mathematics.
That distinction (policy versus mathematics) is the heart of every encryption question. End-to-end encryption replaces "trust us" with "we can't". Cloud encryption keeps "trust us".
Does Telegram share data with authorities?
Telegram updated its privacy policy in September 2024. It now says it may disclose the IP address and phone number of users suspected of criminal activity that breaks its rules, after a valid order from judicial authorities, and list such disclosures in transparency reports. Before, this was reportedly limited to terrorism cases (Security Affairs, Sept 2024).
For ordinary users, the practical point is simple: account data such as your phone number exists on Telegram's side and is subject to the law, like on most platforms.
Is Telegram safe for saving photos?
Telegram's cloud is convenient for storing photos, and files are encrypted in transit and on its servers. But photos in cloud chats, including the "Saved Messages" chat, are not end-to-end encrypted, so Telegram holds the keys. For truly private family photos, use an end-to-end encrypted chat or an encrypted backup you control. Our family photos guide has a checklist.
So, is Telegram safe to use?
For public channels, large communities and fast, synced messaging, Telegram is a capable tool used by hundreds of millions of people. For conversations you'd hate to see leaked, use Secret Chats for one-to-one talk and calls, and choose a service with default end-to-end encryption for anything involving a group.
A rule of thumb that works on any app: the more people in the chat, and the more sensitive the subject, the more you need default, audited, end-to-end encryption. Family groups often score high on both.
FAQ
Is Telegram encrypted end-to-end? Only Secret Chats (one-to-one, opt-in) and calls. Normal chats, groups and channels use server-client encryption, according to Telegram's FAQ.
Are Telegram groups encrypted? In transit and on Telegram's servers, yes. End-to-end, no. Secret Chats can't be used in groups.
Is Telegram encrypted by default? Encrypted in transit by default, yes. End-to-end encrypted by default, no, except for calls.
Are Telegram video calls safe? Telegram says calls, including group calls with up to 200 participants, are end-to-end encrypted and can be verified.
Can I use Secret Chats on Telegram Desktop? Secret Chats are tied to one device and don't sync, and not every Telegram app supports them. Start them on the device you'll keep using.
Is there an encrypted alternative with groups and a feed? Signal and WhatsApp encrypt groups but have no social feed. Nadeemi combines a social feed with private group chats and Circles encrypted on your device with MLS; its public beta is open now, with the label "end-to-end encryption coming" until an independent audit.
Sources (checked 5 November 2026)
- Telegram FAQ (cloud chats vs secret chats; calls and group calls up to 200, E2EE): https://telegram.org/faq
- Telegram suggestions tracker, "Secret Group Chats" (since 28 Jan 2021): https://bugs.telegram.org/c/1231/24
- Security Affairs, Telegram will provide user data in response to legal requests (24 Sept 2024): https://securityaffairs.com/168803/laws-and-regulations/telegram-will-provide-user-data-to-law-enforcement.html
Names of other apps are trademarks of their owners, used only for comparison. Nadeemi is not affiliated with any of them.
Drafted with AI help and checked by a person on the date above.