Telegram code not arriving? It is often sent to your other Telegram app, not by SMS. Check there, then ask for an SMS or a call. 8 fixes below.
Telegram works differently from most apps: if you are already logged in somewhere, the login code goes to that Telegram app first, as a message from the official Telegram account. Many "missing" codes are sitting there. Here is the 30-second check, what Telegram's messages mean, and the fixes in order.
Check these first (30 seconds)
- Your other devices. If Telegram is open on another phone, a tablet or Telegram Desktop, look for a message from the verified "Telegram" account. The code is in it.
- Your login email. If you set up a login email, Telegram may send the code there. Check that inbox and its spam folder.
- Country code and number. Pick the country, then type the number without a leading 0 and without repeating the country code.
- Spam and filtered texts. If the code does come by SMS, it can land in a spam or "unknown senders" folder.
What Telegram's message means
| What you see | What it means | What to do |
|---|
| "We've sent the code to the Telegram app on your other device" | The code is a message in a Telegram session you are already logged in to. | Open Telegram there and look for the message from "Telegram". |
| "Didn't get the code?" or "Send code via SMS" | You can ask for the code by text instead of in-app. | Tap it once, then wait for the timer. |
| A countdown, then "Telegram will call you" | A phone call will read the code to you. | Keep the phone on and answer the call. |
| "Too many attempts, please try again later" | Too many code requests or wrong codes. | Stop. Wait several hours, sometimes a day, before one clean try. |
| "This phone number is banned" | The number broke Telegram's rules, possibly under a previous owner. | A new code won't help. Contact Telegram support, or use another number. |
| Asks for a password after the code | That is your two-step verification password, not the code. | Enter it, or tap "Forgot password?" to reset it by recovery email. |
8 fixes, in order
- Open Telegram on your other device. Telegram Desktop, Telegram Web or another phone that is still logged in will show the code as a chat message. This is the fastest fix.
- Tap "Didn't get the code?" or "Send code via SMS". If you have no other session, ask for an SMS. Tap it once; repeated taps lead to "too many attempts".
- Wait for the call. When the timer runs out, Telegram can call and read the code. This helps when texts are filtered.
- Check your login email. If you added a login email, Telegram may send the code there. Look in spam too.
- Re-enter the number. Go back, choose the country again and type the number in local format.
- Turn off SMS blockers and restart. Pause spam filters, Do Not Disturb and blocker apps, toggle airplane mode, and make sure roaming allows incoming texts if you are abroad.
- Wait out the limit. After "too many attempts", every new try can extend the wait. Leave it for a few hours and try once.
- Use a different number. If the number is banned or never receives Telegram texts, a second number is the way forward (see below).
Abroad, new SIM or a second phone
Abroad: your home number still needs to receive texts while roaming. If it can't, use an existing Telegram session on another device, where the code arrives as a chat message over the internet.
New SIM with the same number: Telegram doesn't care about the SIM card, only the number. As long as the number moved with you, the code will arrive once the new SIM is active.
Second phone: logging in on a new phone sends the code to your first phone's Telegram app. Keep the first phone nearby until you are in, then you can log out of it under Settings → Devices.
Desktop or web: on Telegram Desktop or web.telegram.org you can log in by scanning a QR code with the phone app (Settings → Devices → Link Desktop Device). No code is needed at all.
Why Telegram sends the code in the app
Telegram treats an existing logged-in session as safer than SMS, so the code goes there first. That also means anyone who can read your Telegram messages can read the code: if you get a code you did not ask for, someone is trying to log in to your account. Don't share it, and turn on two-step verification.
If you have lost every device and the number no longer works, Telegram cannot send you a code at all. Without two-step verification and a recovery email set up beforehand, the account is very hard to get back, which is why the "keep your account" steps below matter.
When your own number just won't work
Telegram accepts numbers from almost every country, but numbers that were banned or heavily used before, and many free online numbers, won't get a code.
In that case a non-VoIP number is the practical fix. These are real mobile-carrier numbers, which is what Telegram expects. On SMS Pin Verify you can pick a USA number for Telegram and the code appears on screen in your account:
- One-time number: held for you for 15 minutes to receive one code. If no code arrives, you are not charged. Good for a single sign-up.
- Rental number: the same number for several days or longer. Pick this if you will keep the account. Telegram asks for a code whenever you log in on a new device, and without your old session a one-time number will be gone by then.
Two honest limits: a code is never guaranteed, because Telegram decides whether to send it; and a number may have been used on Telegram before you, so start a fresh account rather than trying to recover an old one. After you are in, set a two-step verification password at once.
Keep your account after you get in
- Turn on two-step verification (Settings → Privacy and Security → Two-Step Verification) with a password and a recovery email.
- Stay logged in on a second device such as Telegram Desktop. Future codes then reach you in the app, even if the number stops working.
- Changing numbers? Use Settings → your number → Change Number while you are still logged in. Doing it after losing the old number is much harder.
- Never forward the code. Telegram will never ask for it. Messages asking you to "confirm" by sending the code are an account-theft trick.
FAQ
Why is my Telegram code not coming by SMS?
If you are logged in on another device, Telegram sends the code there first. Tap "Send code via SMS" if you have no other session.
How long is the Telegram "too many attempts" wait?
It varies: from a few hours up to about a day. Each new attempt during the wait can make it longer.
Can Telegram call me with the code?
Yes. When the timer ends, Telegram can place a call that reads the code out.
What is the password Telegram asks for after the code?
Your two-step verification password. If you forgot it, tap "Forgot password?" to reset it through your recovery email.
Does Telegram work with a virtual number?
Yes, often, as long as the number is not banned and can receive SMS. Use a rental number if you plan to keep the account.
Related: what your number reveals on Telegram · SMS codes not arriving in general.
