If you have ever used Telegram you will know that just like WhatsApp, you will be required to have a phone number to sign up. This phone number will be tied to your account such that it cannot be used for another Telegram account. But not anymore as Telegram has rolled out an update that will allow users to sign up without a SIM card. You see, Telegram has been rising in popularity and becoming a very powerful messaging app due to its privacy-centered approach.
This is why many privacy-conscious persons are not comfortable with the compulsory phone number sign-up requirements. In as much as Telegram has been allowing users to hide their phone numbers, having to give it out in the first place was not confidence-inspiring. You will now be able to create an account and use Telegram without needing to give out your real SIM card information. The key word here is real, so let’s get to it.
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Blockchain-Powered Phone Numbers
With the latest Telegram V9.2 update, you will be able to officially use blockchain-powered phone numbers from the Fragment platform to sign up. Fragment is a platform that provides anonymous phone numbers at a fee and is owned by one Mr. Pavel Durov. Who also happens to be the owner of Telegram. This means if you do not want your real phone number linked to your telegram account you will have to pay for an anonymous phone number.
This anonymous number is what you will use to authenticate your Telegram account. Each anonymous phone number purchased on the Fragment platform will cost $16. You can also pay for the number using Telegram’s in-house token known as The Open Network (TON). If you pay using TON it will cost you 9 TON. All factors considered, this is a small one-time price to pay if you truly value your privacy.
To add to this, you can also create a temporary QR code that enables you to share your Telegram profile with others. Using the QR code, anyone who scans it can add you to their contact list on Telegram without them ever knowing your phone number. It is very important to note that these phone numbers from Fragment can only be used on Telegram and not anywhere else. Below is a Step by step guide on how to open a Telegram account without a SIM card.
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Step by Step Guide on How to Sign Up for Telegram Without a SIM Card
- Firstly, head over to your respective app store; Google Play Store For Android and Apple App Store for iOS users. Download and install the latest version of the Telegram app.
- Then open the installed app and tap Get Started.
- Now enter the anonymous phone number you purchased from Fragment.
- Finally, enter the OTP you receive on the anonymous phone number and validate.
- You are now using Telegram without a SIM card.
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Other New Features With Telegram V9.2 Update
With the latest Telegram update comes other features such as the ability to automatically delete conversations. Even though Telegram has had the ability to automatically delete messages since 2013 there was no means to do so to all messages at regular intervals. With Telegram V.9.2 you can configure a self-delete timer with the ability to choose the chats to auto-delete after whatever time interval you choose.
Additionally, with the latest Telegram update comes expanded access to Topics. Topics were previously limited to groups of at least 200 members. This has now been expanded to include groups with at least 100 members. Topics is a feature that enables admins to separate a portion of the group for a common subject that members may be interested in. Another new feature is an Aggressive Anti-Spam mode for groups with more than 200 members. This is a feature intended to better combat spam messages by the use of automated spam filtering algorithms.
Another minor new feature is the redesigned Storage Usage page which now shows the quantity of space consumed by each conversation. Plus an option to delete all media files of a particular chat to free up storage. Premium Telegram users have not been left behind as they now have access to 10 more customized emoji packs. There are many more minor feature updates with v9.2 of Telegram that you can check out at the official comprehensive press release.
What do you make of these new features of Telegram? We’d like to know your thoughts through the comments section below.
