Signal and Telegram are widely accepted as the most secure messaging apps out there today. These applications use end-to-end encryption to protect your conversations, as well as other cool features that guarantee your privacy. However, they are not 100% anonymous by default . In order to use them, you must use your personal phone number and it will be seen by the users with whom you chat. In fact, anyone you don’t know can find you on Signal or Telegram just by knowing your phone number.
Fortunately, there are several ways to use Signal and Telegram without sharing your phone number or even having one. Telegram, for example, has secret chats to chat completely anonymously without complications, as well as an option that prevents people from seeing your number . Signal is a little more limited in this regard, but here we will also teach you some tricks to chat anonymously on this platform. So if you are interested in chatting without revealing your identity, join us to discover how it is done on Signal and Telegram.
How to hide your phone number on Telegram completely
If you simply want to chat on Telegram without revealing your phone number and that, even if someone discovers it, cannot use it to find you on the platform , you just have to do the following:
- Open the Telegram app.
- Tap the three horizontal stripes in the upper left corner.
- Go into Settings .
- Go to Privacy and security .
- Tap on Phone number .
- Select the options Nobody and My contacts .
- Press the done button in the upper right corner to save your changes.
In this way, no one will be able to see your phone number in Telegram and only the people you have as a contact on your mobile will be able to find you in Telegram with your phone number. And then if you want your chats to be 100% confidential, check out this tutorial on how to create a secret chat on Telegram. Unfortunately, Signal doesn’t have an option like this, but it does allow you to chat anonymously with the following method.
How to create a Signal or Telegram account without your personal phone number
If you want to have an anonymous Signal or Telegram account, you must create it from scratch with a phone number other than yours that you use for your personal affairs. What other phone number can you use? Next, we will give you some options.
Remember that you will only need the new number to make a confirmation when creating the account. However, you should not lose the new number, because if that happens (if the number ceases to exist) you could have serious problems in the future to be able to use the anonymous account . In fact, they could remove it. Therefore, we recommend that you apply “legitimate” methods that allow you to have control over the new phone number.
Get a prepaid mobile or SIM card
One of the easiest ways to use Signal or Telegram anonymously is to create an account with a new phone number. Obviously, the new number should not identify you, so it is recommended to purchase it with a mobile phone or prepaid SIM card that operators sell at low prices . Of course, in Spain it is mandatory to present your credentials to buy a mobile or prepaid SIM card, since no line is allowed to be anonymous. So if you are from Spain or from another country with similar legislation that prevents you from using this method, let’s see other alternatives …
Use a VoIP service
VoIP calling services such as Google Voice or Skype can also be useful to chat anonymously on Telegram or Signal. These services can give you a new phone number to create an account in these apps , either by paying an extra fee or for free as part of the contracted plan. Once you get the number in this way, go to create the new account in the messaging of your choice and receive the confirmation code from the VoIP platform.
The advantage of this method is that you will not need another device or change the SIM card in your mobile to receive the confirmation code. The downside is that it is not a 100% anonymous way to create an account , since the VoIP service provider will know that you are the one using the number.
Use a landline number (only with Signal)
Signal is an app that is primarily designed to be used with a mobile number, but you can actually enter any number you want when registering . Believe it or not, this includes landlines, like the one you have at your work office. Unfortunately, Telegram does not accept these numbers, but we recommend you try your luck anyway, since it is possible that in some regions it does accept landline numbers.
Obviously, when you register you will not be able to receive the SMS for verification, so you must request that they call you to receive the code . This option will only appear available when a minute has passed and you have not yet written the code. Once you select it, all you have to do is answer the call, listen to the code (they will tell you several times in a row) and then place it on your mobile.
Get a virtual or temporary phone number
As we mentioned at the beginning, this is the least recommended option since normally virtual or temporary numbers cease to exist without prior notice , which sooner or later causes your anonymous account to be eliminated. Even so, if you do not want to spend money for this and will only use the account for a specific occasion, here are 5 apps to have a free virtual phone number. The downside of these applications is that they offer numbers that have already been used thousands of times to create Signal or Telegram accounts, but try your luck anyway.
And those are all the methods! As you may have noticed, only on very specific occasions can you create a 100% anonymous account. In our experience, the best and simplest way to chat from anonymity is with Telegram , hiding your personal phone number as we explained at the beginning. And you … what do you think is the best way to chat anonymously using messaging apps?
