If you’re trying to register a new Telegram account in 2025 and never receive the verification code, you’re not alone. Changes in carrier policies, device fingerprinting and IP reputation mean that “just enter your phone number and wait for SMS” often doesn’t work—especially for users with Chinese +86 numbers or people who have created many accounts before.
Based on real-world testing from the original video, this guide explains why Telegram codes don’t arrive, how to successfully register a new account, and how to harden your account against hijacking with two-step verification.
When Telegram refuses to send (or deliver) a code, the problem usually falls into three buckets:
Let’s go through them one by one.
+86 vs other countriesThe video author divides numbers into only two categories:
What changed?
In the past, you could register Telegram with almost any number, including mainland China +86. But in recent years, Chinese carriers have started filtering Telegram verification SMS at the operator level. That means the code is blocked before it ever reaches your phone.
Result:
Telegram has started to roll out email-based verification in some regions:
By contrast, the video author has tested numbers from more than 10 countries (including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and even virtual numbers like Google Voice) and found they can register normally.
Many people blame the phone number. In reality, a huge number of failures come from the device itself.
Modern apps, including Telegram and platforms like TikTok, track a set of identifiers to detect risky behavior:
If your phone (or its ID) was previously used to:
then Telegram’s backend may quietly block new registrations from that device, regardless of whether your current phone number is clean.
What does this look like in practice?
Typical symptoms include:
In many of these cases, the number itself is fine—the device fingerprint is the real problem.
The third factor is your IP address.
According to the video, Telegram is relatively tolerant: even many “airport” / proxy IPs work fine. But if:
then your registration attempt can still be throttled or silently blocked.
In most cases, though, phone number and device fingerprint matter far more than IP.
Let’s walk through a practical step-by-step process to register a fresh Telegram account with the highest success rate.
If you’re in mainland China and using +86, your first move is to change the number type. Options that worked well in the video tests:
Key points:
If you’ve already tried different numbers on the same phone and still can’t get codes, assume your device ID is flagged.
Apple no longer lets apps freely read identifiers like IMEI, but it provides an advertising/analytics ID that still uniquely tags the device.
The practical result:
Solution from the video:
Once reset, install Telegram again and try registering with your non-+86 number.
Android is more open and offers several approaches:
In all cases, the goal is the same: stop reusing the same “dirty” device fingerprint against Telegram’s servers.
When you enter your phone number in Telegram, you’ll commonly see two different situations:
If your screen shows extra prompts like:
then, in the video author’s tests, email support rarely fixes it. That state almost always means device or IP is flagged, not just a delivery issue.
In that case:
The video gives a clear demonstration:
This proves:
A phone number can be perfectly fine while the device is what’s really blocking your Telegram registration.
Getting into Telegram is only half the story. The video also highlights how easily accounts can be stolen if you rely only on SMS codes.
After your account is created:
From that moment on:
This single feature stops a huge portion of real-world Telegram hijacks.
The video strongly recommends not using third-party “Chinese language packs” or modified Telegram clients.
Reasons:
For maximum safety, stick to the official Telegram app from recognized app stores and use built-in language support where possible.
Because Telegram allows anonymity, it’s full of impersonators. The creator mentions a common scam pattern:
How to check?
The simple rule: if someone initiates a private chat and asks for payment or codes, assume it’s a scam.
The video also showcases a Hong Kong CSL-type prepaid SIM as a practical option for stable Telegram use:
Typical characteristics of this kind of card:
For Telegram registration, the key advantages are:
You don’t need this exact brand, but if Telegram is a core tool for you, investing in a stable overseas SIM is often worth far more than constantly fighting failed codes.
Registering Telegram in 2025 is no longer as simple as “enter any phone number and wait”. To reliably get your verification code and keep your account safe, you should:
Follow these principles and you’ll dramatically increase both your success rate when registering Telegram and your long-term account security.
Q1. Why can’t my +86 Chinese number receive the Telegram SMS code?
Because Chinese carriers now filter Telegram verification messages at the operator level, +86 numbers generally cannot receive Telegram SMS codes. Use a non-+86 number (e.g. Hong Kong, other regions) or email verification where available.
Q2. Telegram says “code sent to another device”, but I’ve never registered this number. What’s going on?
This message often appears when your device fingerprint is flagged, not because the number is actually in use. From the video tests, switching to a fresh or factory-reset device usually resolves the issue.
Q3. I changed phone numbers but still can’t get the code. What should I try next?
If multiple clean numbers all fail on the same phone, treat the phone as the main suspect. Try:
Q4. Is it safe to register Telegram with Google Voice or other virtual numbers?
Many users successfully register Telegram with Google Voice and similar services, as shown in the video. The main risk is losing access to the virtual number later, so make sure you retain control of your account and enable two-step verification.
Q5. If my Telegram account was hijacked once, how do I prevent it from happening again?
The most effective measure is to turn on Two-Step Verification inside the Telegram app and set a strong password. Even if someone tricks you into giving them an SMS code, they still can’t log in without that password. Also avoid unofficial clients and never share codes via private messages.
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