WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal: Who Sees Your Number?
Messaging apps use your phone number as an identity. What other users can see depends on the app and on a few settings.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 11, 2026WhatsApp currently shares your phone number with the people you message, though it offers privacy settings for last seen, photo and more. Telegram lets you control who sees your number under Settings > Privacy and Security, and Signal lets you choose who can see your number and who can find you by it. Usernames help on Signal and Telegram. WhatsApp announced usernames in June 2026 but they are not confirmed as live everywhere.
Your email is the key to most of your accounts. Has it already leaked?
Free · About 30 seconds · No sign-up · Email not stored
Most chat apps were built on phone numbers because they make it easy to find friends. The trade-off is that your number can travel with your profile. Here is what each of three popular apps does, and what you can change.
WhatsApp's official help page lists privacy settings under Settings > Privacy, including last seen and online, profile photo, About, Status, links, groups, read receipts, disappearing messages, silencing unknown callers, live location and a Privacy checkup. For many items you can choose Everyone, My contacts, My contacts except or Nobody.
Two details are easy to miss. First, people you have saved as contacts or messaged can still see your last seen even if you chose Everyone. Second, by default anyone can add you to groups, so check the Groups setting.
WhatsApp usernames
On 29 June 2026, Meta announced that WhatsApp users could begin reserving usernames to use later in the year, rolling out in phases. A reserved username is set under Settings > Account > Username according to two sources. One report says new contacts who message you first will not see your number once you use a username. Your number is still used for login and recovery. We cannot confirm that usernames are available in your region yet.
Telegram
Telegram has a Phone Number setting under Settings > Privacy and Security. By default, your number is visible only to contacts who have you in their address book. Anyone who has saved your number will still see it. A public username lets people find you without your number.
Quick check before you read on: is your email in a known data breach? Free, about 30 seconds.
Free · About 30 seconds · No sign-up · Email not stored
Signal
Signal's settings sit in Settings > Privacy > Phone Number. Signal's support page describes two controls:
- Who can see my number: Everybody or Nobody. By default, your number is hidden from people who do not already have it saved.
- Who can find me by my number: Everybody or Nobody. Choosing Nobody requires first setting the see-my-number option to Nobody.
Signal announced optional usernames on 20 February 2024. Usernames are three to thirty-two characters and are optional.
Comparing the three
Number is shared with people you message until usernames go live. Review privacy settings and watch for username availability.
Telegram
Can limit who sees your number and offers public usernames.
Signal
Can hide your number from others and from discovery, with optional usernames.
What to do now
1Open each app's privacy page
Review every item rather than assuming defaults suit you.
2Restrict who can add you to groups
This reduces unsolicited group invites that expose your number to strangers.
3Set your number to Nobody or contacts where possible
On Telegram and Signal, choose the most limited option that still works for you.
4Consider a username
If you want to be reachable without sharing your number, use a username where the app offers one.
5Check where else your number appears
A hidden number in a chat app does not change data broker listings. See how to check if your phone number is public.
Phone numbers and scams
A number shown to strangers can lead to scam texts and calls. Our guide on how scammers get your phone number explains the common sources. If a number is exposed, see what an exposed phone number means.
Sources
- Meta: It's time to reserve your WhatsApp username (29 June 2026; phased rollout; number hidden from new contacts)
- Telegram FAQ (number visible only to contacts by default)
- Signal Support: Phone number privacy and usernames (two number controls; usernames)
Frequently asked questions
Can I hide my number on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp's official page says you cannot hide it from other people. Usernames were announced in June 2026 and are rolling out in phases.
Does Telegram show my number to everyone?
By default it is visible only to contacts who have you in their address book. Anyone who saved your number still sees it.
Can I stop people finding me on Signal by my number?
Yes. Set who can find me by my number to Nobody, after first setting who can see your number to Nobody.
Are usernames available on WhatsApp now?
Reservation was announced for June 2026, with later rollout. We cannot confirm that they are live in every region.
Does hiding my number in an app remove it from the internet?
No. App settings do not affect public listings on other sites.
See if your email has already leaked
- Checks your email against known data breaches
- Shows which sites leaked it, when, and what leaked
- We do not store the email you check
Compare data removal services
See which services work in your country, what they cost, and the free do-it-yourself route.
Compare removal services →Prefer a one-time report first? Scan My Shadow, our sister service, $9.99.