How to Find Someone on Telegram (Even Without Username)

Telegram is one of the most private messaging apps out there. That’s great for security—but not so great when you’re trying to find someone. Whether you’re looking for a friend, a classmate, or someone you met online, you might wonder: Can I really find someone on Telegram without knowing their username or phone number?

The good news: there are a few smart ways to do it. In this guide, we’ll walk you through every method—searching by phone number, username, using mutual groups, and even Telegram’s “People Nearby” feature. We’ll also explain why someone might not show up in your search and what to do about it.

Let’s get started.

Part 1. How to Find Someone on Telegram | 4 Effective Methods

Finding someone on Telegram is not hard to do. Here are four effective methods to find someone on Telegram:

Method 1. Find someone on Telegram by Phone Number

If you have someone’s phone number saved in your contacts, and they use Telegram, you may be able to find them instantly.

🔹 How it works:

Telegram automatically syncs your phone contacts (if you allow it). So if the person has a Telegram account and hasn't hidden their profile, they will appear in your contact list inside the app.

Step 1. Open Telegram and tap on the magnifying glass icon in the top-right corner of the screen.

Step 2. Enter the phone number in the search bar. If nothing shows up, try including a country code.

Step 3. Their name will appear if they are among your contacts; just tap it to start a chat. If not, use the “Add” option to save them in your contacts.

📌 Tip:

Make sure you:

Have contact syncing turned on in Telegram settings.
Enter the correct country code when saving the number.

⚠️ Why can’t I find them?

They may have disabled “Find me by phone number” in their privacy settings.
They might not be using Telegram.
You may have entered the wrong or outdated number.
The number is saved without the correct country code.

Method 2. Find someone on Telegram by Username

If you know someone’s Telegram username, finding them is quick and easy—no need for a phone number.

🔹 How it works:

Every Telegram user can set a public username (like @john_doe). You can search for them using the in-app search bar.

✅ Steps to find someone by username:

Step 1. Open the Telegram app.

Step 2. Tap the search icon (🔍) at the top.

Step 3. Type in the exact username, including the “@” symbol (optional).

Step 4. Tap on the matching profile from the search results.

Example: typing john_doe will show @john_doe if it exists.

📌 Tips:

You don’t need to be in the same contact list.
You can start a conversation immediately after finding the profile.

⚠️ Why can’t I find them?

You misspelled the username (it must be exact).
They don’t have a username set.
They blocked search visibility (rare but possible).
They recently changed their username.

Method 3. Find someone on Telegram by using mutual groups or channels

If you and the person you’re looking for are in the same group or channel, you can easily find their profile—even if you don’t know their username or number.

🔹 How it works:

Telegram lets you view the member list of public groups and some private ones (if allowed). From there, you can search for the person manually.

✅ Steps to find someone in a mutual group:

Step 1. Open the Telegram group or channel you both belong to.

Step 2. Tap the group name at the top to enter the Group Info page.

Step 3. Scroll through the Members list or use the search function if available.

Step 4. Tap on the person’s profile to view more details or send a message.

📌 Bonus:

Some users don’t allow search by phone number or username, but they’re still visible in groups. This makes mutual groups a great workaround.

⚠️ Limitations:

Not all groups show full member lists, especially if they’re large.
Some channels hide member lists completely.
This only works if you’re already in a shared group or can join one they’re in.

Method 4. Find someone on Telegram by ‘People Nearby’ feature

Want to meet new people or find someone near your location? Telegram’s People Nearby feature lets you discover other users and groups within your area.

🔹 How it works:

This feature shows Telegram users who are physically close to you and have the option turned on.

✅ Steps to use ‘People Nearby’:

Step 1. Open the Telegram app.

Step 2. Tap the Menu (☰) and choose People Nearby.

Step 3. Allow Telegram to access your location.

Step 4. Browse the list of nearby users and public groups.

📌 What you can do:

Tap on any user profile to start chatting.
Join local groups to see who’s active in your area.

⚠️ Notes:

Both parties must have People Nearby enabled.
This only works if the other person has recently used the feature.

Part 2. What to Do If You Can't Find Someone

There may be several reasons why you might not be able to find a user on Telegram. Whether it’s privacy settings or lack of proper information, there are ways to go about these obstacles. Do the following;

Check privacy settings

With Telegram’s privacy settings users can decide whether they want their usernames or phone numbers to be found by anyone or not. If somebody has strict privacy settings, they may not turn up in your search results.

So what can you do if someone has enabled strict privacy settings? Here are some guidelines if you think the matter is related to privacy controls;

Just try talking to them through other means.
Request them for their exact username or phone number so as to manually add them.

Use social media or other platforms

If someone is absent from Telegram, it’s worth trying some other popular social media such as Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn with a view to finding them. You will have an opportunity to ask for their telegram details after you make connections.

An alternative if no social media option is available would be sending an email or using another messaging app so that you can start a connection on Telegram. So you might send an email to your colleague asking, "Could you please tell me your Telegram username?"

Part 3. Tips: How to Monitor Someone's Telegram without Them Knowing

With the right toolset, you can secretly monitor someone’s activities on the messaging app. One of the best tools in this case is the Msafely program, which is a robust monitoring solution.

3.1. What is Msafely

Msafely is a state-of-the-art monitoring program that helps to track various activities taking place on a target device including usage of Telegram.

Msafely runs silently in the background, thus avoiding any notifications and user interference. It becomes especially useful when one needs to watch someone’s actions without leaving any footprints behind.

Msafely software works on both iOS and Android devices, making it broadly usable.

3.2. What other phone activity can Msafely monitor

Aside from Telegram, Msafely provides a wide range of monitoring capabilities:

Text message tracking

Track all sent and received messages, even if they’ve been deleted.

Viewing photos and videos

Access all photos and videos saved on the device.

Real-time GPS location finder

It displays the live position of the device on a map.

Social media app tracking

Msafely lets users monitor activities across various social media platforms such as Telegram and Instagram.

Installed applications monitoring

With Msafely, you can keep track of all installed apps; when they are installed, sizes and versions are included.

Email monitoring

It checks incoming and outgoing mail.

Internet usage monitor

Msafely lets you view browsing history as well as other online activities.

Wi-Fi logger

This feature shows locations visited via Wi-Fi connections

3.3. Steps to use Msafely to monitor someone's Telegram secretly

Here’s how to set up Msafely to monitor someone's Telegram without them knowing:

Step 1. Create a free account with a valid email address for free.

Step 2. Select which device you want to oversee, such as iPhone or Android.

Step 3. Begin monitoring Telegram and other activities on your target device.

Part 4. FAQs about Finding Someone on Telegram

Q1. Can I find someone on Telegram by their username?

Yes, you can locate a person using his or her username in the Telegram search bar. Just type that precise username and identify the right account among those shown in the search results.

Q2. What if the person I’m looking for doesn’t appear in search results?

This could be because they have high-security settings or do not use Telegram. You can try to reach them through other social media platforms or ask directly for their telegram.

Q3. Can I see someone’s Telegram profile if they have a private account?

No, private accounts are only visible to their contacts or those they invite. This means you cannot view their profile or text them unless you are added as a contact.

Q4. What should I do if I accidentally find multiple users with similar usernames?

To distinguish between them, look at their profile pictures, bios, and activity. In case of doubts, ask some mutual contacts to confirm.

Q5. Is it possible to find someone on Telegram using only their email address?

Telegram does not support searching via email address: instead, one needs either a phone number or username to track somebody down there.

Part 5. Conclusion

Finding someone on Telegram becomes easier when you know the right methods. You can search by username, and phone number, use the “People Nearby” feature, or through groups and channels. Each of these methods provides a distinct way to relate with others.

If there are privacy settings or any other obstacles in your way, try reaching out directly or you can use different social platforms so that you bridge this gap between both of you.

With the information in this guide, you will make your telegram experience worthwhile as it will be much easier to keep in touch with those who matter most, for instance friends and family.