API Limitations for Bots: The Telegram Bot API, the official toolkit for developers, does not provide any functionality for bots to retrieve a user's hidden phone number. Bots can only access a user's number if that user explicitly shares it by tapping a "Request contact" button in a chat. This is a deliberate design choice to prevent unauthorized data access, and discussions among developers (as recently as April 2025) consistently confirm this limitation.
"People Nearby" Feature Removed (Recent News): A significant development in September 2024 saw Telegram remove its "People Nearby" feature. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov explicitly stated that south africa telegram mobile phone number list this decision was due to "issues with bots and scammers" and its misuse. This removal further reinforces Telegram's commitment to preventing features from being exploited for unsolicited user discovery.
The Allure and Danger of "Hidden Number Finder Bots" on Reddit (for Android)
While the official stance is clear, Android users on Reddit might encounter numerous discussions about "Telegram hidden number finder bots" or various "tricks" claiming to expose private numbers. Here's why these are extremely risky:
The Deceptive Promise: These unofficial bots or third-party apps often promise to reveal hidden numbers instantly, sometimes for free, or for a small fee.
The Harsh Reality: They are overwhelmingly scams, phishing attempts, or vehicles for distributing malware. Recent cybersecurity news (April and May 2025) has issued widespread warnings about "rogue npm packages" (software components) that mimic legitimate Telegram Bot APIs but contain SSH backdoors or are used to harvest credentials. For Android users, this is a critical warning:
Interacting with or trying to run code from such "finder bots" found on GitHub or shared in untrusted Telegram channels can lead to your Android device being compromised.
This could result in the theft of your Telegram API keys and tokens, unauthorized access to your personal data, or even complete control over your Telegram account and potentially other apps on your device.