Authentication in Telegram changing, now not all users will be able to log in via SMS

The identification mechanism in Telegram is changing. From now on, only Telegram Premium subscribers will be able to access their account using one-time codes received via SMS, informs the Telegram translations page.

A source close to Telegram commented on this change in an interview with the Telegram Info channel and explained that mobile operators in Russia have increased the price of one SMS to up to 25 cents and more per SMS; this is about 10 times more expensive than the same SMS in Western Europe and 30 times more expensive than in the US. Therefore, now this social media platform cannot send an unlimited number of SMS in Russia, as the income from the Russian market will not cover this cost.

"The situation is being exacerbated by the fact that bot farms are being created, which send an infinite number of requests to Telegram to receive SMS codes (perhaps this is done to increase the income of SMS gateways or even telecommunications operators)," said the source.

According to the source, these restrictions will not affect the users of the premium class because their subscription includes the fee for receiving SMS codes.

In September 2022, the possibility to receive the authentication code by Email appeared on Telegram. According to the company's blog post, users who frequently log out of the Telegram app and log back in can receive authentication codes via Email instead of SMS. The “Sign in with Apple” or “Sign in with Google” functions can also be used for authentication.