How do I hide my last seen, online status, and profile picture on Telegram?

Applies to: Telegram Messenger (Android, iOS, Desktop, Web)
Last updated: September 2025

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Problem

You may want to keep your activity private on Telegram by hiding your last seen, online status, or profile picture from certain contacts or everyone.

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Solution

Telegram’s privacy settings let you control who can see your last seen time, online status, and profile photo with flexible options.

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Step-by-step Instructions

Step 1: Hide last seen & online status

1. Open Telegram.
2. Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Last Seen & Online.
3. Choose visibility for Last Seen:
   • Everybody
   • My Contacts
   • Nobody
   • My Contacts Except… (exclude specific people)
4. Set Who Can See When I’m Online to:
   • Everybody
   • Same as Last Seen

(Note: People you hide this from will only see “Last seen recently.”)

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Step 2: Hide profile photo

1. Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Profile Photo.
2. Choose visibility:
   • Everybody
   • My Contacts
   • Nobody
   • My Contacts Except…

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Step 3: Hide other personal info (optional)

• Phone Number: Settings > Privacy and Security > Phone Number → Control who can see it.
• Bio/About info: Edit your profile and remove details you don’t want public.

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Optional Methods or Tools

• Use a generic profile photo instead of a personal one if you want to appear anonymous.
• For temporary privacy, enable Last Seen = Nobody and switch back later.

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Best Practices / Tips

• If you hide your last seen/online, you also won’t see exact info for those users.
• People may still infer your activity if you respond in groups.
• Update privacy settings periodically — Telegram often adds new options.
• Avoid using third-party Telegram mods for extra privacy, as they may compromise your account.