Create a Telegram account without a phone number

Can you create a Telegram account without a phone number? Not with an email address. Telegram's official FAQ says the phone number is the only way Telegram identifies a user at the moment, and that Telegram accounts can only be connected to a mobile number, not a landline. The FAQ does not describe an email sign-up. Telegram's own blog also describes a way to have an account without a SIM card, using anonymous numbers from the Fragment platform (see below).

This guide is for creating your own account without handing over your personal number. It does not cover bulk sign-ups, getting around a ban, or getting into someone else's account.

Browse the price list (no account needed to see prices), or create an SMSPing account.

What Telegram official help says

Checked 12 November 2026, Asia/Kuala_Lumpur, on the official Telegram FAQ:

• My phone was stolen. What do I do?: "the phone number is the only way for us to identify a Telegram user at the moment. We don't collect additional information about you, so whoever has the number, has the account."
• Getting a code via a phone call: "Telegram accounts can only be connected to a mobile number. We currently don't support landline numbers."
• I have a new phone number, what do I do?: "Each phone number is a separate account on Telegram."
• Login and SMS: enter the number in international format, +(country code)(city or carrier code)(your number).

The email address mentioned in the FAQ is a recovery email for 2-Step Verification, not a way to sign up. The FAQ opened the same day does not publish a ban on VoIP or virtual numbers. Telegram still decides whether a number is accepted, and a code is not guaranteed.

Telegram's own no-SIM option: anonymous numbers on Fragment

Telegram's blog post No-SIM Signup, Auto-Delete All Chats, Topics 2.0 and More (6 December 2022) says: "You can have a Telegram account without a SIM card and log in using blockchain-powered anonymous numbers available on the Fragment platform." This is Telegram's own option. Check that post and the Fragment platform for how it works today. SMSPing is not part of it.

If you don't want to use your personal number: use a one-time number to receive the code

If you want a regular Telegram sign-up but would rather not give your own number, you can receive the login code on a one-time number:

1. Open the Telegram service page and choose a country, for example a US virtual number for Telegram or a UK phone number for Telegram.
2. Enter the number from your order in Telegram in international format.
3. Wait for the SMS on your order. SMSPing numbers receive SMS only, so a code by phone call will not reach your order.
4. Enter the code in Telegram.

The price is deducted from your SMSPing balance when you place the order. If no SMS arrives, cancel the order while it is waiting, or let it time out. If an order is canceled or times out with no SMS, the charge is returned to your SMSPing balance, once per order; the balance is not withdrawable.

Prices change. The price shown before you confirm is the one that applies. On 12 November 2026, 18:21 MYT (UTC+8), Telegram numbers were listed in stock for the United States and the United Kingdom. Paying: Top up your account with USDT (TRC20/ERC20/BEP20, recommended); TRX, ETH and BNB are also accepted. Minimum top-up $10.

Risks to know before you use a one-time number

• It cannot be used later for account recovery. Telegram's FAQ says whoever has the number has the account, and you will not have access to a one-time number after the order ends. Right after sign-up, turn on 2-Step Verification (Settings > Privacy and Security > 2-Step Verification) with a password and a recovery email, so the number alone is not enough to log in. Telegram's passkey answer still says to keep an up-to-date phone number that is controlled by you, so for an account you plan to keep, switch to your own long-term number: Settings > tap your phone number > Change Number.
• Telegram may reject the number or not send the SMS. Try another number or country, or use your own.
• If no code arrives, cancel the order or let it time out; the charge is returned to your SMSPing balance. See Telegram SMS verification code not received for more checks.

FAQ