Not Receiving Verification Codes on Telegram? Common Reasons and Solutions

Telegram, as the world’s fastest-growing instant messaging platform, has attracted numerous users with its high privacy, cross-platform synchronization, and robust group ecosystem. For those who value information security and free communication, it has become an almost irreplaceable social tool.

However, users with +86 mobile numbers often encounter problems receiving verification codes during registration or login. While this appears to be due to SMS delays, it actually involves multiple factors, including restrictions on international communication, carrier policies, and network blocking.

This article will analyze the core reasons for failing to receive verification codes from a technical perspective, propose feasible solutions, and explain why establishing a stable and clean proxy network is crucial for ensuring successful registration and verification in the current environment.

1. Analysis of the reasons why +86 cannot receive Telegram verification codes

In Telegram’s verification code system, SMS is only the final link in the verification chain. A problem in any link will prevent the verification code from reaching the user’s phone. Based on multiple tests and feedback from technical communities such as AdsPower, the problems mainly focus on the following aspects:

(1) International SMS messages are intercepted or blocked during transmission

Telegram’s SMS verification codes are sent from overseas SMS gateways to the user’s local mobile operator. However, mainland Chinese operators (including China Mobile, China Unicom, and China Telecom) have long implemented strict filtering measures for international SMS messages. If the SMS message originates from an unknown source, has an unregistered signature, or uses a low-quality overseas channel, it is highly likely to be blocked directly.

This type of problem is particularly common in SMS verification for overseas platforms such as Telegram, where SMS messages are frequently sent and originate from unknown sources, leading operators to mistakenly classify them as spam.

(2) The verification code is pushed to other logged-in devices

Telegram’s verification mechanism features multi-device synchronization. If a user has previously logged into their account on a computer or tablet, the verification code message may be pushed directly to the chat window on those devices instead of being sent again via SMS. Some users mistakenly believe that the verification code has not arrived, when in fact the information has already been sent to other devices.

(3) The SMS filtering mechanism of the mobile phone system leads to interception

Some Android devices (especially those from Chinese brands) come with built-in SMS security filtering features that automatically block SMS messages from international numbers, short codes, or unidentified sources.

(4) Virtual numbers or one-time numbers are rejected by the platform

Telegram has risk control policies for virtual numbers and numbers from SMS verification platforms. If an abnormal number’s location, frequent registration of the same number segment, or abnormal traffic behavior is detected, the system will directly refuse to send verification codes. This is the fundamental reason why using temporary SMS verification platforms often fails.

(5) Network blocking prevents verification code requests from being sent

Due to network blocking or DNS hijacking in some areas, Telegram verification requests are often blocked, resulting in the verification code not being actually sent, rather than the SMS not arriving. The process is shown in the figure:

2. Common Solutions and Troubleshooting Approaches

To resolve the issue of failing to receive verification codes, it’s necessary to troubleshoot step-by-step, checking each link in the communication chain. The following methods have shown a high success rate in actual testing:

(1) Confirm whether you have already logged in on another device.

First, check if you are logged into Telegram on your computer, tablet, or browser plugin. If an active device is present, check if you have received a verification code in a system message.

( 2 ) Use a stable proxy or a VPN tool

Establishing a stable network connection directly to Telegram is crucial. Ordinary public proxies are prone to slow speeds, IP blocking, and unstable connections, easily causing CAPTCHA delays.
We recommend using residential proxies, such as the static and dynamic residential proxies offered by kookeey. Based on global home broadband nodes, their IPs are real and stable, significantly improving the success rate of CAPTCHA triggering.

For users who need stable logins or bulk registrations on Telegram, we recommend using residential proxies with real network credentials, such as kookeey ‘s static residential proxy service .

• ✅ Nodes in 41 countries/regions worldwide, supporting targeted region selection;
• ✅ Residential-grade real IP addresses, circumventing Telegram’s risk control measures on data center IPs;
• ✅ High-speed and stable network channels significantly improve the success rate of CAPTCHA triggering;
• ✅ Dedicated resources, no interference from shared nodes, reducing the risk of account irregularities.

Furthermore, if you frequently need to switch IPs to handle different account login environments, kookeey dynamic residential proxy is also an ideal choice. Its 24-hour automatic rotation mechanism and business-grade filtering algorithm ensure that your connection always stays on a high-quality node, effectively preventing IP duplication or abnormal access.

Whether registering a single account or operating an automated system, maintaining the stability of the communication link is always the top priority. In the complex international network environment, choosing a high-quality proxy system is often more effective than repeatedly retrying verification codes.