Telegram now lets users sign up without a phone number, but only if you pay using cry

[harlan4096]

Telegram messenger finally lets you sign up for an account without a phone number. But you're probably not going to like the alternative.



Sign up for Telegram without a SIM Card

Normally, when a user wants to sign up for a Telegram account, they need to provide their phone number to the service. This is used to verify the user and also helps in discovery, as in, whoever has your number can find you on the instant messaging platform. There are 2 issues with this method that prevents some users from signing up. Some people may not want to share their personal number with any service, such people will definitely not want to be discovered by other users.

Telegram's answer to this problem is anonymous numbers. It is offering blockchain-powered anonymous numbers for purchase through the Fragment platform. Personally, I think this is a terrible idea, more on this at the end of this article.

Temporary QR Codes

Telegram users who do not have a username, and have chosen to hide their phone number from everyone, can share their contact information by generating a temporary QR code from the app. This prevents the recipient from viewing your phone number. Now, this is a proper privacy-friendly feature.

Auto-Delete All Chats

Telegram is adding a new way to manage self-destructing messages. Users can set a global auto-delete timer to automatically remove messages in all new chats. To enable this, head to the Settings > Privacy and Security page and select Auto Delete Messages. Now you can choose to auto-delete messages after a day, week, month or a custom time (from 1 day, and up to a year).



Small private groups can also use the feature, any member who has permission to change the group's name and picture can modify the auto-delete timer's settings.
...

Continue Reading