Telegram is one of the rare applications that has built proxy support into the app itself. It offers two separate options: standard SOCKS5 and Telegram's own MTProto. The two do not do the same job; which one you choose depends on your priority.
MTProto is designed for Telegram only and makes traffic unrecognizable. SOCKS5, on the other hand, lets you use the same address in other applications too.
Setup in Telegram Desktop
Menu (☰) → Settings → Advanced → Connection type → "Use custom proxy" → Add proxy. In the window that opens, select SOCKS5 or MTProto and fill in the fields. You can add several addresses and switch instantly by picking one from the list — Telegram shows each address's latency in the list.
Mobile (Android / iOS)
- Android: Settings → Data and Storage → Proxy Settings → Add Proxy.
- iOS: Settings → Data and Storage → Proxy → Add Proxy.
- On both platforms the "Use proxy for calls" option is separate; voice calls go direct by default.
A Telegram proxy carries only Telegram traffic. The other apps on your phone are unaffected; for a system-wide setup, see the Android proxy settings .
If the Connection Fails
MTProto addresses come as an ip:port:secret triplet. If the secret field is missing, the connection will never be established.
Security: Who Are You Trusting?
Telegram's end-to-end encryption works only in "Secret Chats"; normal chats use client–server encryption. The proxy carries this encrypted traffic and cannot read the content — but it can see who you talk to, when and how much . Free MTProto addresses shared in public channels can collect this metadata.
For the general risks of free addresses, our free proxy article is worth reading.
For a system-wide setup on mobile, see the Android and iPhone guides; for address testing, Proxy Check tool.