Understanding Telegram's Contacts and Private Chat 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 chat 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," so there is no "add friend" function. Users interact through "contacts."

• One-Way and Two-Way Contacts Telegram's contacts are divided into one-way and two-way contacts.

  • Adding One-Way Contacts: Tap on the other person's profile and select "Add Contact." At this point, the other person will not receive a notification and won't know that you've added them to your contact list.
  • Becoming a Two-Way Contact: A two-way connection is formed only when the other person also adds you as a contact.

• Privacy Settings When adding a contact, be sure to uncheck "Share My Phone Number." If you don't uncheck it, your phone number will be visible to the other person.

  • If you have already added someone as a contact and had this option checked, you can stop sharing your phone number by adjusting your preferences in 'Settings → Privacy and Security → Phone Number'.
  • For easier management, it's recommended to add frequently contacted people 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 won't know you've added them.

Telegram's Private Chat Features

• Private Chats and Encrypted Conversations Telegram allows users to send private messages and conduct encrypted conversations directly, without needing to add them as contacts. Currently, there are no restrictions preventing other users from initiating a private chat with you.

• How to Send a Private Message Tap on the other person's profile and select "Send Message" to directly send a private message. If you see a prompt saying "Currently you can only send messages to two-way contacts," there might be two reasons:

  1. Your phone number is linked to the +86 country code (China), and it's recommended to contact official support for unlocking.
  2. Your account might be subject to official restrictions.

• Using Links and Usernames Users can send private messages by using the other person's link or searching for their username, which further enhances the convenience of private chats.

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