Telegram Adds Passkey Login Support, Replaces SMS and OTP Authentication

Table of Contents

• What Are Passphrases and How Do They Work?

• Why Passkey Authentication Is Better Than SMS and OTP

• How Telegram Implements Passkey Login

• Security Benefits of Moving Away From SMS and OTP

• User Experience Improvements With Passkey Login

• How to Set Up Passkey Login on Telegram

• Finding the Right Telegram Client for Your Needs

Telegram adds passkey login support to enhance account security and streamline the authentication process. This shift moves away from traditional SMS and one-time password methods that users have relied on for years. The new passkey authentication system offers a more secure and convenient way to access your Telegram account across all devices.

What Are Passphrases and How Do They Work?

Passkeys are digital credentials that replace passwords and one-time codes. They use cryptographic technology to verify your identity without sending codes through SMS or email. When you use a passkey, your device creates a unique encryption pair—a public key stored on Telegram's servers and a private key kept securely on your device. This two-part system makes unauthorized access significantly harder than traditional authentication methods.

The passkey system works through your device's biometric authentication or PIN. When logging in, you confirm your identity using your fingerprint, face recognition, or device PIN. Your device then uses the private key to prove you are the legitimate account owner. This process happens entirely on your device without exposing sensitive information during transmission.

Why Passkey Authentication Is Better Than SMS and OTP

SMS-based authentication has vulnerabilities that cyber attackers actively exploit. Hackers can intercept SMS messages through SIM swapping attacks, where they convince carriers to transfer your phone number to a device they control. One-time passwords sent via SMS become useless once intercepted. These methods also require users to manually enter codes, creating friction in the login process.

Passkey authentication eliminates these vulnerabilities entirely. Since passkeys never travel through SMS networks, SIM swapping becomes irrelevant. Phishing attacks fail because passkeys only work on the legitimate Telegram application and website. Users no longer wait for SMS delivery or manually type codes—the login happens faster and more securely.

Telegram's commitment to security reflects a broader industry shift. Major tech companies including Apple, Google, and Microsoft have standardized passkey authentication. This convergence means the technology is reliable, well-tested, and continuously improved by security experts worldwide.

How Telegram Implements Passkey Login

Telegram implements passkey login by integrating with your device's native authentication systems. On iPhones, this means using Apple's Keychain. Android devices use Google's Credential Manager. Desktop users store passkeys in their operating system's credential manager as well.

When you enable passkey login on Telegram, your device generates the cryptographic pair locally. The public key goes to Telegram's servers, while the private key remains secured on your device. No one, including Telegram staff, can access your private key. This architecture ensures that even if someone compromises Telegram's servers, they cannot log into your account.

The implementation supports multiple devices. You can register passkeys on your phone, tablet, and computer. When logging in on a new device, you can use an existing device with a registered passkey to verify your identity through cross-device authentication. This approach maintains security while providing flexibility.

Security Benefits of Moving Away From SMS and OTP

The security improvement from eliminating SMS and OTP cannot be overstated. SMS interception remains a persistent threat. Major breaches have involved attackers obtaining SMS messages containing authentication codes. OTP codes, while better than passwords, still depend on users properly managing time-sensitive information.

Passkey authentication prevents several attack vectors simultaneously. Phishing attacks cannot capture passkeys because they exist only as device-locked credentials. Brute force attacks fail because passkeys use cryptographic strength incompatible with guessing. Credential stuffing attacks become useless since passkeys do not involve passwords that could be reused elsewhere.

This security model is cryptographically sound. Security researchers have validated passkey technology extensively. The WebAuthn standard that powers passkeys has become the industry baseline for passwordless authentication.

User Experience Improvements With Passkey Login

Users experience dramatic speed improvements when logging into Telegram with passkeys. The login process completes in seconds—fingerprint scan or face recognition, and you enter your account. No waiting for SMS delivery. No transcribing codes. No phone number dependency.

The change benefits travelers especially. When crossing borders, SMS authentication often fails due to local carrier restrictions or roaming issues. Passkey login works identically everywhere since it depends only on your device, not mobile networks. This reliability makes Telegram more accessible globally.

Account recovery improves significantly. With SMS-based recovery, losing your phone number creates account access problems. Passkey-based systems offer multiple recovery pathways since you can add passkeys across multiple devices. If you lose one device, you can recover your account using another device with a registered passkey.

How to Set Up Passkey Login on Telegram

Setting up passkey login starts in your Telegram account settings. Navigate to the privacy and security section. You'll find an option to add passkey authentication. Telegram walks you through the process step by step.

On your first setup, Telegram asks you to authenticate using your current method (SMS code or existing passkey if you already have one registered). This verification ensures no one can add passkeys to your account without permission. After verification, your device creates the passkey pair and stores it securely in your device's credential manager.

Once activated, you can add passkeys to additional devices. Each device gets its own passkey pair. If one device becomes compromised, the attacker cannot use that device's passkey to access your account on other devices. Each passkey works independently.

Backup and recovery options are available. Telegram provides recovery codes—a series of backup codes that work if you lose access to all your registered passkeys. Store these codes in a secure location separate from your devices. These codes represent the only way to recover your account if all passkey devices become unavailable.

Finding the Right Telegram Client for Your Needs

While Telegram's official applications implement passkey support, third-party clients offer additional customization. Turrit stands out as an enhanced Telegram client that combines official security features with expanded functionality.

Turrit maintains full compatibility with Telegram's passkey authentication system. When you use passkeys on Telegram, Turrit respects these security settings completely. Your account protection through passkeys works identically whether you use the official app or Turrit.

Turrit adds features beyond official Telegram capabilities. The client includes advanced translation features with 99% accuracy using AI technology. Real-time translation works for entire chats, with the ability to translate external links and web pages viewed in the app browser. This functionality makes Turrit particularly useful for international communication.

The interface customization in Turrit provides flexibility official Telegram does not. Users can switch between side navigation and bottom navigation layouts. The app icon can be customized to match your home screen theme with various color options. These customizations make Turrit feel personalized while maintaining Telegram's core security and functionality.

Video streaming in Turrit offers a TikTok-like experience through Video Flow. Users can scroll through video content, save favorites with heart taps, and download videos at speeds up to 20x faster than standard Telegram. Gesture controls let users adjust volume and brightness by swiping up or down, while left-right swipes control video progress.

Turrit supports simultaneous login to 10 accounts, compared to Telegram's standard multi-account support. This feature appeals to users managing multiple accounts for personal, professional, or organizational purposes. Pinning up to 10 chats across all folders improves organization and quick access to frequently contacted people or channels.

Content discovery in Turrit improves through enhanced search functionality. The content search bar lets users explore more groups, channels, and bots beyond standard search results. Channel Flow allows browsing latest updates by scrolling, with built-in real-time translation, save-to-favorites options, and comment capabilities.

Privacy features in Turrit include a privacy detection tool that checks your account's privacy score and offers one-click enhancements. Users can enable keyword blocking to filter advertising messages from specific words. Message filtering in groups allows users to hide content from specific users without removing them from the group.

Storage capabilities expand in Turrit with unlimited ultra cloud storage for backups. File transfer speeds reach up to 20x normal speed, and users can set default video quality preferences to balance quality against data usage. Options include automatic quality adjustment, highest quality playback, or lowest quality for data conservation.

Download Turrit from the official website to access these enhanced features while maintaining full compatibility with Telegram's security systems, including the new passkey login authentication. The client integrates seamlessly with your existing Telegram account and all your contacts remain synchronized.