Telegram has long ceased to be an anonymous space. Knowing just your ID (@username) or phone number, someone can learn almost everything about you.
From the groups you belong to, what you wrote there in the past (including some deleted messages that may still exist in archives), whom you talked to, which voice notes or media you posted — even private chats you're a part of (if they were once public), your previous usernames, and potentially even personal data, geolocation, and more.
The main source of such information? Telegram bots.
How to become a "ghost" on Telegram?
It’s actually quite simple:
• Don’t use unknown Telegram bots.
Why? Bots can access your ID and, from there, gather a lot of data. Often it’s surface-level, but sometimes it can go deep.
• Don’t use your primary phone number.
Use a virtual number or a fresh physical SIM that has never been used before.
Alternatively, you could use a heavily reused number (one that's been tied to dozens of accounts) to confuse anyone trying to dox you — but those are often “dirty” and may be tied to unknown histories.
• Hide your name.
You can use invisible or encrypted Unicode characters in your username. Not strictly necessary, but if you're aiming for true invisibility — every detail counts.
• Avoid using @usernames.
Your @username is often the easiest way for someone to track you. It's one of the biggest vulnerabilities in any social network — a public identifier.
• Don’t share personal information.
Avoid using your real face as a profile picture or posting any identifying content.
Experienced OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) users can extract metadata, do reverse image searches, and uncover your identity through various files and visuals.
• Configure your privacy settings.
In Telegram settings, hide everything you can: phone number, last seen, profile picture, forwarded messages, and so on.
Remember:
Absolute anonymity on the internet is impossible.
You always leave digital footprints that can be traced back to you.
But minimizing them — is absolutely possible.