Telegram is a popular messaging app that allows you to communicate securely with your contacts. With over 500 million active users, Telegram offers end-to-end encrypted chats, group chats, channels, bots, and more.
Adding friends on Telegram is easy, whether they already use Telegram or you need to invite them to join. Here are the main ways to find and add contacts on Telegram.
Table of Contents
Add Existing Contacts Already on Telegram
If your contacts already use Telegram, they may automatically show up in your Contacts list within the app.
To add an existing contact:
- Open the Telegram app and go to the Contacts tab
- Scroll through your contacts – if you see your friend’s name, tap on it to open a chat with them
- If they don’t show up, you can search for them using their phone number or Telegram username (starts with @) in the search bar at the top
Once you open a chat, you can add them to your Telegram contacts by tapping on their name at the top and selecting “Add to Contacts” from the menu.
Invite Friends to Join Telegram
If your friends aren’t on Telegram yet, you can easily invite them to join by sending them a text message invite link.
On iPhone:
- Go to the Contacts tab in Telegram
- Tap “Invite Friends”
- Select contacts to invite and tap the arrow icon to send the invite
On Android:
- Open the side menu and tap “Invite Friends”
- Choose a way to send the invite (text, email etc)
Your friend will get a text with a link to download Telegram. Once they sign up, you’ll get a notification and can add them to your contacts.
Add Someone Using Their Phone Number
If you have someone’s phone number but they aren’t a saved contact, you can still add them on Telegram by using their phone number.
- Tap the pencil icon to start a new message
- Tap “New Contact”
- Enter their phone number and name, then tap the checkmark
- Start chatting! You can then add them to your contacts.
Search for People by Username
Every Telegram user has a username that starts with @. This username is global, so anyone on Telegram can search for and find someone by their username.
To find people by username:
- Tap the search bar at the top
- Type @ followed by their full username
- Tap the username from the list
- This will open a chat with them, then you can add them to your contacts
Usernames help you connect with people outside your existing contacts.
Add People Nearby
Telegram’s “People Nearby” feature lets you see and connect with Telegram users close to your location.
To find people nearby:
- Go to Contacts > Find People Nearby
- Tap “Make Myself Visible” to enable the feature and share your location
- Browse the list of nearby Telegram users and tap their name to open a chat
- Add them to your contacts from the chat screen
The People Nearby feature makes expanding your connections easy when you’re out and about.
Join Nearby Groups and Channels
Along with connecting you with nearby people, Telegram shows public groups and channels from your local area that you can join.
- Tap the search icon
- Search for a topic or interest
- Browse through the local results and tap any group or channel you want to join
Joining local channels lets you discover events and connect with people in your community.
Start a Group Chat
Once you have Telegram contacts, easily stay in touch in group conversations.
To start a new group:
- Tap the pencil icon
- Tap “New Group”
- Select the contacts to add
- Name the group and tap the check icon
Group chats with up to 200,000 members enable seamless group communication.
Key Takeaways
- Easily find existing contacts already using Telegram
- Send invite links by text to get friends to join
- Add people fast by username or phone number
- Connect with nearby users and local groups
- Start group chats to message multiple contacts at once
With powerful search tools, invite links, public groups, and secure messaging, Telegram makes talking to your friends, family, coworkers, and new connections easy and private.
Conclusion
Telegram offers a variety of simple methods to find and add existing and new contacts for easy communication. With Telegram group chats and channels, you can connect with as many people as you want.
Give Telegram a try and use these tips to easily build up your friends list and join relevant channels and groups – it provides a fast and fun messaging experience.
