Understanding Telegram's Contacts and Private Messaging Features

Conclusion: Telegram does not have a "friends" feature; instead, communication takes place through contacts, groups, and channels. Understanding Telegram's contact management and private messaging features can help you better protect your privacy and enhance your user experience.

Telegram Contacts

Concept of Contacts Telegram does not have the concept of "friends", and therefore there is no "add friend" function. Users interact through "Contacts".
One-way and Two-way Contacts Telegram contacts are categorised into one-way and two-way contacts.
- Adding a one-way contact: Tap on the other person's profile and select 'Add Contact'. The other person will not receive a notification at this point and will not know that you have added them to your contacts list.
- Becoming a two-way contact: A two-way connection is only established when the other person also adds you as a contact.
Privacy Settings When adding a contact, make sure to deselect "Share My Phone Number". If you don't deselect it, your phone number will be visible to the other person.
- If you have already added the other person as a contact and enabled this option, you can stop sharing your phone number by navigating to 'Settings → Privacy and Security → Phone Number'.
- For easier management, it is recommended to add people you frequently contact as contacts, and you can modify their names or add notes.
Notification Mechanism After adding a contact, the other person will not receive any prompts or notifications, so they will not know that you have added them as a contact.

Private and Encrypted Chats Telegram allows users to send private messages and engage in encrypted chats directly, without needing to add contacts. Currently, there are no restrictions on other users initiating a private chat with you.
How to Send a Private Message You can send a private message directly by tapping on the other person's profile and selecting "Send Message". If you see a prompt saying "You can only send messages to two-way contacts at the moment", there might be two reasons:
1. Your mobile number is associated with the +86 dialling code; it is recommended to contact official support for unblocking.
2. Your account may be subject to official restrictions.
Using Links and Usernames Users can send private messages via the other person's link or by searching for their username, further enhancing the convenience of private messaging.

By understanding Telegram's contact management and private messaging features, users can better protect their personal privacy and improve their usage efficiency.