Signal vs Telegram vs WhatsApp vs Threema: Which Is Actually Private?
Not every "encrypted" messenger protects you the same way. How the major apps compare on encryption, metadata and phone numbers.
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Is Telegram Encrypted? Why Most Telegram Chats Aren't Private
Published 3 November 2026
Short answer: only partly. Telegram encrypts every chat between your phone and its servers, but only Secret Chats are end-to-end encrypted, meaning only you and the other person can read them. Everything else, including every group chat and channel, is stored on Telegram's servers in a form Telegram can access.
Cloud chats vs Secret Chats
| Normal ("cloud") chats | Secret Chats | |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encrypted | ❌ | ✅ |
| Telegram can access messages | Yes | No |
| Works in groups | Yes | No, one-to-one only |
| Syncs across devices | Yes | No, only on the device that started it |
| Self-destruct timer | Optional | ✅ |
| On by default | Yes | No, must be started manually |
How to start a Secret Chat
- Open the person's profile in Telegram on your phone.
- Tap ⋮ (or More) → Start Secret Chat.
- Look for the padlock icon next to the name. That's the encrypted chat.
- Optional: set a self-destruct timer.
You need to do this separately for each person, and Secret Chats don't appear on your other devices. If you log out, you lose them. Telegram's phone apps and its macOS app support Secret Chats, but not every Telegram app does.
Other things to know
- Telegram can hand data to authorities. Since September 2024, its privacy policy says that if it receives a valid order from judicial authorities confirming you're a suspect in a criminal case, it may disclose your IP address and phone number.
- A phone number is required to sign up, and by default your number may be visible to contacts. Change it in Settings → Privacy and Security → Phone Number → Nobody.
- Its encryption is home-grown. Telegram uses its own protocol (MTProto) rather than the widely studied Signal Protocol.
Is Telegram safe to use?
For public channels and casual chats, it's fine, as long as you assume normal chats and groups aren't private. For anything sensitive, use a Secret Chat, or switch to an app that encrypts everything by default:
- Signal: everything end-to-end encrypted, free
- Threema: everything end-to-end encrypted, no phone number needed
Full comparison: Signal vs Telegram vs WhatsApp vs Threema.
Privacy First sells Threema licences and includes one with every GrapheneOS phone.
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