How To Fix When Telegram is Not Connecting on a PC or Smartphone

The messaging app Telegram is a great way to stay in touch with friends – when it’s working properly. But there are many reasons why Telegram may not be connecting. In most cases, your internet connection may not be strong enough for Telegram to connect. Or the app itself might be the issue.

But whatever the reason may be, there are several things you can try to fix it and return to your chats. In this article, we’ll explain what can cause your Telegram to stop working. In addition, we’ll offer some quick fixes for getting Telegram to connect, which you will be able to apply to different devices.

Telegram Not Connecting on the iPhone

It can be quite frustrating when you want to use Telegram but the “Connecting…” message continues to display at the top of the screen. Since Telegram is a cloud-based messaging app, you need a stable internet connection to send and receive messages. A weak connection is usually the most common reason why you’re experiencing issues in the first place.

Before doing anything else, make sure that your Wi-Fi is working. You can do this by opening any other app on your iPhone, like Instagram, WhatsApp, or YouTube. In addition, try sending a message or opening a video. If none of them seem to be working, there is an issue with your Wi-Fi. The best thing you can do in this case is to unplug and restart your router and your modem. Once you unplug them, wait for at least 30 seconds before plugging them back in.

If you’re using cellular data, make sure it’s turned on by going to the “Cellular” tab in your iPhone’s “Settings.” Also, make sure you have enough cellular data to browse and use apps. Another quick fix you can try is restarting your iPhone.

If you’ve checked all these things, and Telegram still isn’t working, the next step is to check whether you’ve given the app the necessary permissions for it to work properly. Here’s how it’s done:

1. Open “Settings” on your iPhone.
   
2. Go down until you find “Telegram” on the list of apps.
   
3. Toggle the “Background App Refresh” switch.
   
4. Enable the “Cellular Data” option.
   

Another solution you can try is to delete Telegram and install it again. Follow the steps below to find out how it’s done:

1. Find Telegram on your home screen and long-press it.
   
2. Select “Remove App” on the pop-up menu.
   
3. Choose “Delete App.”
   
4. Tap on “Delete” again.
   
5. Go to the App Store.
   
6. Tap on your profile picture in the upper-right corner of the screen.
   
7. Select the “Purchased” tab.
   
8. Locate “Telegram” on the list of apps.
   
9. Tap on the cloud icon on the right side.
   

Now that you’ve reinstalled Telegram, sign in to your account again. The connection issue should be fixed.

The app also might connect because you’re using an older version. Here’s how you can check if you need to update Telegram on your iPhone:

1. Open the App Store on your iPhone.
   
2. Go to your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
   
3. Locate “Telegram” on the list of apps.
   
4. If you can see the “Update” button next to it, tap on it and wait a couple of seconds.
   

Telegram Not Connecting on an Android Device

Many of the same solutions apply to Telegram on Android devices. If you’ve checked your Wi-Fi /cellular data connection, and everything seems to be working properly, then the issue might be the app itself. There’s a possibility that Telegram’s servers are down, in which case, there’s nothing you can do about it. However, these types of issues are typically resolved fairly quickly.

Before doing anything else, make sure to restart your Android device. This will clear any apps that might be running in the background, thus causing your Telegram app to lag. The Telegram connection issue can also be resolved by clearing the app’s data and cache. This is how it’s done on an Android:

1. Go to “Settings” on your Android.
   
2. Proceed to “Apps” on the menu, and go to “Manage Apps.”
   
3. Locate Telegram on the list of apps.
   
4. Select “Clear Data” at the bottom of your screen.
   
5. Tap on both “Clear all data” and “Clear cache” on the pop-up menu.
   
6. Confirm that you want to do this.
   

Once the data and the cache are cleared, you’ll be required to sign in to your Telegram account again. While you’re in the “Telegram” section of your Android’s “Settings,” make sure that the app has all the necessary permissions. Even though you had already given Telegram permissions when you first installed the app, it’s possible that some of them were revoked due to an error. Here’s what you need to do:

1. In the “Telegram” tab, go to “App permissions.”
   
2. Make sure the “Contacts” and the “Storage” options are enabled.
   
3. Go back to “Telegram” and tap on “Other permissions.”
   
4. Make sure all the necessary permissions are enabled.
   

You should also check the app settings within Telegram. This is how it’s done:

1. Open Telegram on your Android.
   
2. Tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper-right corner of your screen.
   
3. Select “Settings” on the menu.
   
4. Go to “Data and Storage.”
   
5. Proceed to “Automatic Media Download.”
   
6. Make sure the “When using mobile data,” “When connected on Wi-Fi,” and “When roaming” options are all enabled.
   

You might also need to update the app. Here’s how it’s done on an Android:

1. Open Google Play on your Android.
   
2. Tap on your profile picture in the upper-right corner of your screen.
   
3. Navigate to “Manage apps & device.”
   
4. Find “Telegram” on the list of apps.
   
5. If there’s an “Update” option next to it, tap on it and wait a couple of seconds.

Telegram Not Connecting on a PC

If you’re using Telegram on your browser, otherwise called Telegram Web, you can also experience issues with the connection. Just like for the mobile app, the first thing you need to do is check if the Wi-Fi is working. If it’s not the Wi-Fi that’s causing connectivity problems, it might be your browser.

To get Telegram to work again and speed up any other internet activity, it’s a good idea to clear cache from your browser. Here’s how it’s done on Chrome:

1. Open Google Chrome.
   
2. Click on the three dots in the upper-right corner.
   
3. Select “More tools” and then go to “Clear browsing data.” This will take you to a new window.
   
4. Choose the time range. You can clear the cache just from the previous hour, or you can select “All time” and clear everything.
   
5. Make sure “Browsing history,” “Cookies and other site data,” and “Cached images and files” are all checked.
   
6. Click on the “Clear data” button.
   

Another solution you can try is to download the desktop app. The Telegram desktop app has been known to cause fewer problems with connectivity than the web app.

Finally, if none of these solutions are helping you, the last thing to try is to restart your PC.

Telegram Not Connecting Without a VPN

Another reason why your Telegram might not be connecting is your VPN. Depending on which server you’re connected to, Telegram might be banned in those regions. There are two things you can try at this point. First, you can change the location on your VPN. Second, you can disable your VPN altogether. This applies to both mobile and desktop apps.

Similarly, if you’re using a proxy server, you might not be able to connect because of it. To turn it off, this is what you need to do:

1. Open the Telegram app on your phone.
   
2. Tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper-left corner of your screen.
   
3. Proceed to “Data and Storage” on the menu.
   
4. Select the “Proxy” tab.
   
5. Find the “Use a proxy server” option and disable it.
   

Get Back to Your Telegram Messages

Telegram not connecting is a frustrating but common issue that typically occurs due to an unstable internet connection. Thankfully the Telegram connection problem can be easily solved, and there are plenty of ways to do it. Once you’ve reconnected your Telegram account, you can go back to chatting with your friends.

Have you ever had the issue of Telegram not connecting? What did you do to fix it? Tell us in the comments section below.