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Telegram Secret Chat: Everything Parents Should Know

Elsa Updated on Aug 12, 2024 Filed to: Parent Control

Telegram has risen to become one of the top-most social media applications globally. The immense popularity of this app is due to the Telegram secret chat feature, which takes the privacy of chats to the next level. However, this feature benefits adults but poses many dangers for teenagers and kids.

The concerned parents are worried because they cannot track their kids' secret chats. Moreover, the self-destructing feature similar to Snapchat is also problematic for parents as they will fail to know if their kids get in contact with the wrong person. We will have an overview of the safety of Telegram and ways to monitor kids' activities on it.

What Is Telegram Secret Chat?

The concerned parents must know the answer to this question to keep an eye on their kids using this messaging app. Telegram secret chat is a dynamic feature of the messaging app making the chats more secure and private. In addition, the secret chats on Telegram are end-to-end encrypted, which means only the sender and receiver of the secret messages can read the content.

The secret chats on Telegram are different from the normal chats in that you cannot forward secret messages to any other contact. Moreover, the self-destructing feature is another key attribute of the Telegram secret chat. Besides, it will notify the sender about any screenshot.

The self-destructing feature will allow the users to set a timer. Once the timer runs out, the messages, media files, and documents of the secret chat Telegram will be deleted. The working of the secret chat on Telegram is very straightforward.

You can kick-start a secret chat with any user you want. By initiating a secret chat, your conversation with that particular contact will become end-to-end encrypted. Encryption and self-destructing are the two aspects that frame the working mechanism of the Telegram secret chats.

You can use the Telegram secret chat feature on iOS and Android, as this app is available on both platforms. Furthermore, it is to be noted that not all the chats on Telegram are secret. The default settings make the chats on Telegram client-server encrypted. However, you can initiate secret chats on Telegram with any contact.

How to Start a Secret Chat on Telegram?

Secret chats on Telegram are not the default version of chats. Therefore, you must start a secret chat with the person you want from within the app. Moreover, you can also set a timer for the self-destruction of messages in a secret chat.

However, the method to start a secret chat and set a self-destruction feature varies slightly for different platforms. Therefore, we will explain how to start secret chats on Telegram for various platforms.

1Steps to Start Secret Chat on Android

Step 1: Open the chat box of the existing contact with whom you wish to initiate a secret chat.
Step 2: On the top right-hand side of the mobile screen, you will see a clickable button with three dots.
Step 3: Click on the three dots button and a drop-down menu will appear.
Step 4: Select "Start Secret Chat" from the drop-down menu, and the chat with that person will become a Telegram secret chat.

2Steps to Set Self-Destruct Timer on Android

Strp 1: Click on the clock icon on the profile picture of the person profile for whose chat you wish to set a self-destruct timer.

Strp 2: Select the timer limit and click on done to enable the self-destruct feature.

3Steps to Start Secret Chat on iOS

Step 1: Open the chat box of the person and click on the profile picture with whom you want to initiate a secret chat on Telegram.
Step 2: Once the profile opens, you will see a three-dotted button with more written under it.
Step 3: Click on this button and select the "Start Secret Chat" option from the drop-down menu to initiate a Telegram secret chat with the specific contact.

4Steps to Set Self-Destruct Timer on iOS

Step 1: Open the chat box of the contact for which you want to set the self-destruct timer.
Step 2: Click on the clock icon in the chat's text box.

Step 3: It will prompt you to select the timer limit.
Step 4: Select the timer for self-destruct feature and click on the done button.

5Steps to Start Secret Chat on Mac

Step 1: Click the pencil and sheet icon on top of the Telegram app on Mac.
Step 2: Select the "New Secret Chat" from the drop-down menu after clicking the pencil and sheet icon.
Step 3: It will prompt you to select a username.
Step 4: Select the username, and the Telegram secret chat will be initiated.

6Steps to Set Self-Destruct Timer on Mac

Step 1: Open the chat box of the secret chat for which you want to set a self-destruct timer.
Step 2: In the text box of the chat, a clock will appear.
Step 3: Click on the mini clock icon and select the timer limit.
Step 4: Press the done button after setting the timer limit.

How Do I Cancel a Secret Chat in Telegram?

For Android

To end the Telegram secret chat feature on Android devices, tap and hold the contact's chat. After tapping and holding a secret chat, you will see different options on the top toolbar. Select the delete icon from the toolbar options. It will delete and cancel the secret chat with that specific contact.

For iOS

For iOS devices, left swipe the secret chat, and it will show you different options. Click on the delete option and confirm the deletion of the secret chat. It will cancel the Telegram secret chat feature for that contact.

The above-discussed two methods will delete secret chats in Telegram for both sides.

Can You Send Self-Destructing Photo on Telegram Without Secret Chat?

The self-destructing feature is only available for secret chats on Telegram, not for normal chats and group chats. In addition, the secret chat does not allow you to share messages, photos, or files of a secret chat with any other contact.

Therefore, you cannot send a self-destructing photo on Telegram without a secret chat. You must first activate the secret chat with that contact to send the self-destructing photo.

Is Telegram Secret Chat Really Safe?

In terms of privacy and encryption, the Telegram secret chat is safe as only the sender and receiver can view the content of the messages. The benefits of secret chat in Telegram are numerous. However, there are downgrading repercussions, too, for this secret messaging feature.

Firstly, the secret chat feature is unsafe for kids and teens as they are exposed to extremist groups, online child predators, and inappropriate content. Moreover, anyone from a group can initiate a chat with your kid if they get to know the username only.

Furthermore, the Telegram secret message feature has made it a go-to communication channel for terrorist organizations, neo-Nazi activists, far-right extremists, and child pornographic content producers. Thus, your child is exposed to all these illegal activities if privacy settings are not changed.

Therefore, parents need to keep a stringent check on kids using the secret chat feature on Telegram. AirDroid Parental Control app is a top-notch solution to monitor the messages sharing of the Telegram app.

This dynamic app will also provide many other parental control options to monitor and control the activity of kids over different social media channels, including Telegram.

Summary

Telegram has become one of the most widely used applications globally, with more than 700 million active users. The Telegram secret message feature is one of the major reasons for its blown-out popularity. The secret messages are end-to-end encrypted and also feature a self-destruction timer.

The benefits of secret chat in Telegram are not for kids and teenagers as they can easily be exposed to terrorist organizations, malicious hackers, online predators, and pornographic content. Therefore, the parents need a tool to check the secret conversations of the kids on the Telegram app.

AirDroid Parental Control app is one of its kind as it can control and monitor the Telegram app comprehensively. Moreover, it will also help to manage device usage. On top of phone usage management, this diverse app has many parental control features.

Hottest Question Related to Telegram Secret Chat

Q1. How Long Does Telegram Secret Chat Last?

Elsa

Telegram secret chat option for a particular contact last as long you do not cancel or delete the secret chat. The secret chat feature will not be disabled automatically after it is activated with a contact. The secret chat can be disabled manually only.

Q2. Does Secret Chat Telegram Let You Know If They Screenshot?

Elsa

Keeping privacy and security as top-most factors, Telegram will alert the user of a secret chat if the other person takes screenshots of any portion of the secret chat on Telegram. This alert feature is not available for normal and group chats; it is only applicable for secret chats.

Q3. Who Can Delete Secret Chat Telegram?

Elsa

The Telegram secret chat is an end-to-end encrypted chat between two users. Apart from the two users involved, no one can read the content of the secret chat. Only the two users can delete the secret chat. Once a user deletes a secret chat, it will be erased from the other user's end.

Q4. Can Telegram Secret Chat Be Recovered?

Elsa

No, you cannot recover the secret chat on Telegram. Normal chat data are stored on Telegram's cloud system (server). Therefore, they can be recovered. In contrast, the data of secret chats on Telegram is not stored on the server. Hence, they cannot be recovered.

Q5. Does Uninstalling Telegram Delete Secret Chats?

Elsa

Yes, uninstalling the Telegram app will delete the secret chats forever. The normal chats can be recovered even after uninstalling the app because their data is stored on the cloud. However, the data of secret chats on Telegram is only stored on your device, and uninstalling the app will delete those chats forever.

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Elsa

Elsa has worked on a number of iOS & Android solutions, she can always find her way around almost any application. She is an accomplished, skilled and versatile writer with more than 7 years of technical article writing experience.