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Forward incoming SMS to a Telegram chat so your team sees the codes

Updated

This tutorial is for teams who use one private number for sign-ups, marketplaces, dating or deliveries and want the verification codes to land in a shared Telegram chat instead of on someone's handset. By the end, you will have a rented private number with incoming SMS forwarded to a Telegram chat or group, so nobody has to hand out a real phone number.

What you need

Steps

  1. Rent a private number with SMS Activate App

    SMS Activate App is the service we recommend. Rent a private, not shared, number for 28 days on the website sms-activate.app or through the SMS Activate App Telegram bot. Prices start from $8 per 28 days, and numbers are currently available in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Israel, Puerto Rico, Sweden, and United States. The number receives both SMS and calls.

    Tip: Choose the country before you rent, because the rental fee is non-refundable.

  2. Check the number fits your platform

    We cannot promise that any platform will accept a number, so read the platform's own rules first. The rental fee is non-refundable, which is worth weighing before you pay. If the service you sign up for sets out which numbers it allows, check your choice against that list.

  3. Add funds in the balance section

    Open the balance section and top up by bank card or cryptocurrency. The rental renews automatically every 28 days while the balance covers it, so keep enough there if the number has to stay with your team. You can switch automatic renewal off in the settings when you only need the number for a short spell.

  4. Prepare the Telegram chat or group

    In Telegram, open the chat or group where the team should see incoming codes. If it is a group, add the people who need access and make sure they can read the messages. Keep this chat for codes only, so real conversations do not bury them.

  5. Turn on forwarding in the number's settings

    On the website or in the Telegram bot, open the number's settings and look for the incoming SMS forwarding options. Choose Telegram as the destination and select the chat or group you prepared. Confirm the change so the setting is saved before you move on.

    Tip: The same settings offer a webhook if part of your workflow runs outside Telegram.

  6. Test the setup with your team

    Trigger a verification on the platform you plan to use and watch the Telegram chat for the incoming SMS. Check that everyone who needs the code can see the message, on a phone and on a desktop. If nothing arrives, work through the troubleshooting list below before the team relies on this.

  7. Keep the number and the chat in order

    Renewal runs every 28 days while your balance covers it, so return to the balance section and top up when the number must stay active. When you no longer need the number, open the settings and switch automatic renewal off. Remove people from the Telegram chat when they leave the team.

With forwarding in place, your team reads incoming codes in one Telegram chat while your real number stays out of sign-ups, marketplaces and deliveries. Set the routing up once, then keep the balance and the chat access current.

Get a private numberTelegram

If something goes wrong

The test SMS does not show up in the Telegram chat

Open the number's settings and check that forwarding to Telegram is still selected and saved. Then look at the balance section, since a number whose rental is not covered may stop working. Also confirm the chat or group still exists and that the number is set to receive SMS.

A platform rejects the number at sign-up

We cannot promise acceptance, and the rental fee is non-refundable, so read the platform's rules before you rent. If a number does not fit, rent a different one in another country from Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Israel, Puerto Rico, Sweden, and United States and set the forwarding up again in the same way.

Codes stop arriving after a few weeks

Open the settings and check that automatic renewal is still on and that your balance covers the next 28 day period. If you switched renewal off, the rental ends after 28 days. Also check that the forwarding is still pointed at the right Telegram chat.

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