In September 2022, Telegram introduced the ability to receive an authorization code not as an SMS or call, but to an email address. Recently, we have been receiving more and more messages from users about forced transfer to this authorization method.

Common info

Collected in February 2023

• Telegram user accounts are still linked to phone numbers. The number is needed both to create an account and to log in to it. The changes only concern the procedure for obtaining a one-time code required to log in to the account.
• The decision to transfer a user to authorization by mail is made by the Telegram server. The user cannot enable this option for themselves. The criteria that a user must meet in order to be transferred to authorization by mail are unknown. According to the messages of our subscribers, Telegram is primarily transferring to authorization by e-mail those users who often log into their account on different devices. Probably, in the future, all Telegram users may be transferred to this authorization method.
• If, when logging into an account, the application prompts the user to specify an email or log in using a Google account or Apple ID, then he cannot refuse this offer and receive an authorization code on the phone. Based on user messages, the @tginfo editorial team concludes that if you use the old version of the application or log in via the web version, Telegram will not offer to switch to a new method of receiving codes.
• The email address specified by the user to receive authorization codes is saved in the user’s account and is displayed in the Settings – Privacy section. It can also be changed there. The setting is displayed only for those users who have already specified an email address or Google / Apple account for signing in. At the same time, users who have previously specified an email address to receive codes do not always have the opportunity to switch to authorization via Google or Apple ID. Added 02/17/2023: the email address is not displayed in the Telegram Desktop application.
• If the user has selected a Google account as an authorization method, then authorization codes do not need to be entered at all: the Telegram application itself will receive the code sent by the server to the Google account.
• If the user loses access to the mailbox to which authorization codes are sent, he will also lose the ability to log into his account.

Resetting the email for authorization

Added April 17, 2023

The Telegram app for Android now has the ability to reset the email previously specified to receive one-time authorization codes.

The app will notify you that the email will be reset in 7 days and that it can be reset immediately via SMS, but only if the account has a Telegram Premium subscription. If you click the immediate email reset button, the platform will check whether the account has a subscription, and if it does not, it will notify you that this subscription can be gifted to it.

Transfer from email back to phone

Added May 10, 2024

Some users report that the email for authorization specified earlier has disappeared from their account settings, and codes have started coming to their SIM cards again. Telegram is probably able to switch the method of account authorization not only from phone to email, but also vice versa, from email to phone.

Recall: if there are active sessions (when the account is already logged in on another device), the one-time authorization code will be sent by default not to the phone number or email/Google/AppleID, but to the active session.