How to buy a virtual number for Telegram and is it worth it

What you should know about virtual numbers for Telegram

A virtual number allows you to log in to the messenger without a SIM card. It does not depend on mobile operators and is not tied to your passport data. This does not guarantee complete anonymity, but it will come in handy, for example, when moving to another country, when you change the operator and contacts. In addition, it will help to get rid of annoying spam.

Only you will always have access to the number, it will not be transferred to someone without your permission. But you can use it only to create a new Telegram account or for an existing profile. In other services, this number will not work.

Telegram personal virtual numbers will cost a lot. They are sold through the Fragment auction site. This platform was originally launched by messenger developers to sell unique usernames.

To buy and sell numbers on Fragment, only the TON cryptocurrency is used. This is an altcoin developed with the participation of Telegram and running on the blockchain of the same name.

A standard virtual number for Telegram costs 9 TON, or $19.12 at the current exchange rate. The combination consists of arbitrary symbols generated randomly. Only the +888 prefix remains unchanged. The ready-made beautiful numbers were put up for auction by the team of the messenger. Bets reach tens of thousands of dollars, but the usual options can be purchased quickly without bidding.

The purchased number will be stored in your crypto wallet like NFTs. If desired, it can also be put up for auction and sold.

To link a virtual number to a new or old account, you must have the latest version of Telegram installed. You can log in on several devices at once, just like with a regular phone number.

How to get a virtual number for Telegram

Buy currency TON

First you need to purchase the TON cryptocurrency and save it in your wallet. The easiest way to do this is through the official Wallet bot in Telegram. It will also be possible to pay for the purchase with a Russian bank card. But before that, you need to register in the Tonkeeper app. It will be needed for authorization on the Fragment site mentioned above.

Download and install Tonkeeper on your smartphone, launch the application and confirm the creation of the wallet. Then run telegram bot Wallet. It will ask for your authorization number. Click "Share" to share it.

Click on the button "My wallet" → "Buy cryptocurrency" and select TON. Next, indicate the payment in rubles.

Enter the purchase amount. The minimum is 2,500 rubles, the maximum is 25,000 rubles.

Copy the TON storage address that was created in Tonkeeper during authorization. To do this, just click on the word "Wallet" in the upper left corner of the application screen. In the messenger, when asked whether to use the bot's wallet, send a message directly to the chat with the address from Tonkeeper.

Pay for the purchase with a bank card or using the QIWI service. The TON currency should be credited to your account within a few minutes. Sometimes there may be delays, but in the end the wallet is replenished. After receiving the funds, you can purchase the virtual number for Telegram itself.

Pay for a virtual number

Go to site Fragment and log in through Tonkeeper using the Connect TON button on the top panel. On the Numbers page, click Buy instantly for 9 TON below the search bar. Then tap Unlock this number for 9 TON. Random number will open completely after payment.

Pay for the number from your Tonkeeper crypto account by clicking on the Buy now with Tonkeeper button. Go to the My Assets section through the main menu. The purchased combination will appear in the Anonymous numbers tab. Now you can create a new Telegram account or link the number to the old profile.

How to use a virtual number for Telegram

Link to an existing account

Go to Telegram settings and click on your real number. Then tap on the "Change number" button. Enter virtual. The messenger will define it as anonymous in the "Country" item.

In your Fragment account, go to My Assets → Anonymous numbers. Click Get Login Code. Enter in Telegram the cipher that will appear in the Fragment.

Create a new account

Launch Telegram and with new authorization enter the purchased virtual number. As in the previous case, on the My Assets page in the Fragment, click on the Get Login Code button next to the desired combination. Add the received code to Telegram and complete the registration stage.

Is it worth buying a virtual number for Telegram

Thanks to the virtual number, attackers will not determine your location by it. As noted above, it does not depend on telecom operators and is not attached to your real name. The number is stored as an NFT based on the TON blockchain. The purchased combination will not be given to anyone, while you can earn if you manage to resell it at a higher price at the auction. An additional layer of anonymity can be useful for active Telegram users who are afraid for the safety of their account and data.

At the same time, virtual numbers for Telegram do not give premium status. Also embarrassing is their high cost, even randomly generated ones. Perhaps this will protect against a huge number of anonymous spammers, but it will not completely solve the problem. In addition, the virtual number is limited by the Telegram ecosystem - it does not have the properties of a full-fledged telephone contact, it can only be used for an account in one messenger.

Ordinary mobile, if desired, you can simply hide from everyone through the profile settings, as well as activate two-factor authentication. In addition, manipulations with cryptocurrency can alienate inexperienced users. Moreover, TON is not so common compared to other types.

Consider all these points and decide how interesting the new feature of Telegram is for you. It may be that the already existing means for protection and anonymity will be sufficient.