Telegram boasts of being among the most secure messaging platforms, and its encryption ensures your messages can be intercepted.
However, that doesn’t mean your Telegram account can’t be hacked.
Different strategies can be used to hack your Telegram account, and knowing the signs that your account is hacked and what to do about it is essential.
If your Telegram is hacked, open and close all active sessions to log out of all devices accessing your Telegram account. Next, change your password for the email you use for your Telegram. Still, check if there is a malicious program installed on your device, such as a spy or phishing app, and remove it. Also, change your Telegram password, enable two-factor authentication, and consider contacting Telegram’s support team.
We will discuss whether it’s possible to hack a Telegram account and how that’s possible. Also, we will discuss how you can know your account has been hacked and the steps to take when you realize your account has been hacked.
Can You Be Hacked on Telegram?
As a Telegram user, you may think that you can’t be hacked since Telegram is a secure messaging application. Well, that’s not entirely true.
Yes, Telegram is secure as a messaging app, and its security is in the encryption and security features.
However, some vulnerabilities can be exploited to hack your Telegram account.
For instance, your account is vulnerable if you’ve not enabled two-factor authentication. Still, someone can access your Telegram account if you’re not logged out on different devices.
In some extreme cases, someone can install a spy app or keylogger to monitor your activities or steal your credentials, respectively.
Moreover, you could have downloaded a malicious link on Telegram, creating a backdoor to your phone for an attacker.
What signs signal your Telegram account has been hacked?
- Someone might have hacked your account if you notice you can’t access your account or the app keeps logging you out.
- If you keep getting asked to verify your contact details.
- A login message from an unknown device or location implies someone has accessed your account.
- Suppose you notice Telegram sending images, unsolicited texts, or videos. Someone might be behind it after hacking you.
What To Do If Your Telegram is Hacked
When you realize your Telegram account has been hacked, you must act quickly to counteract the hack and regain your account. Do the following.
Close All Sessions
If someone has hacked your Telegram, they are logged into your account from an unauthorized device. So, close all active sessions to log them out.
- Open the Telegram application.
- Tap on the hamburger icon at the top left.
- Tap on “Settings.”
- Select the option for “Devices.”
- Tap on the “Active sessions” button.
- All the logged-in devices will be displayed on this page.
- If you notice unrecognized devices, tap the “Terminate All Other Sessions” button to log them out.
Once you’ve logged out of the unauthorized devices, quickly change your Telegram password.
Reset Email Password
Before changing the Telegram password, also ensure you change the password for your email account to log out the hacker if they have gained access to your email account by any chance.
That way, the hacker won’t get access to the password reset link.
Change Your Password
Before the hacker tries to reaccess your Telegram account, change your password to keep them off.
The best approach is to log out and then use the forgot password feature.
- Open the Telegram application.
- Tap the hamburger icon at the top.
- Tap on “Settings.”
- Select “Privacy and security.”
- Tap the “Two-Step Verification” option. Read below to learn how to enable two-factor authentication.
- Type your password and tap the arrow button at the bottom.
- Tap on “Change Password.”
- Create a new Telegram password.
Check and Remove Malicious Programs
Most Telegram hacks occur through installed suspicious apps that download malicious files.
So, install a reliable antivirus for your phone to detect and remove malicious programs.
Still, manually check the installed programs and remove those you don’t recognize. It could be a spy app installed without your consent.
Enable Two Factor Authentication
Do you have two-factor enabled for Telegram? Not enabling it creates the weakest link for hacking into your Telegram account.
- Open the Telegram application.
- Access the “Settings” page.
- Tap on the “Privacy and Security” option.
- Tap the option for “Two-Step Verification.”
- Enter your account’s password, then enable the feature.
That way, you must receive an OTP before any device can log in to your Telegram account.
If the above solution doesn’t work, consider reaching out to Telegram’s support and explaining the issue you have with your account for them to secure it.
Conclusion
Being hacked can happen to anyone.
As a Telegram user, this post has armed you with the steps to take when you notice your account has been hacked.
