How to find out the ID in Telegram: the main ways

Telegram is one of the most popular messengers in the world. It provides users with many opportunities for communication, exchanging media files, and even conducting business. However, some Telegram functions may not be obvious to newcomers. One of these functions is the user ID. This article is dedicated to how to find out your ID in Telegram.

What is a Telegram ID

Telegram ID is a unique digital code that is assigned to each account, chat, group, and channel when they are created. The system needs it to correctly save data and link it to specific users or entities within the messenger.

Unlike the username (@username), which can be chosen by the user and even changed if desired, the ID is generated automatically and cannot be changed. It consists exclusively of numbers and is unique for each subject in Telegram.

What is Telegram ID used for

The identifier plays an important role in Telegram’s internal processes. It ensures correct interaction between users, groups, channels, and bots. Here are a few examples of where the ID is used:

1. Linking accounts with the bots they use;
2. Determining the belonging of users to groups and channels;
3. Forwarding messages between users;
4. Loading chat history when logging in on a new device;
5. Adding users to groups and chats by their ID;

Thus, although the ID may not be visible to ordinary users, it is critically important for the functioning of Telegram “under the hood”.

Differences between ID and username (@username)

Although both of these identifiers are used to recognize users in Telegram, there are a number of key differences between them:

• The Telegram ID is assigned by the system automatically, while the @username is chosen by the user;
• The ID cannot be changed, while the @username can be changed at any time;
• The ID guarantees uniqueness, while @usernames can be the same for different users;
• The ID is used for Telegram’s internal processes, while the @username is used for searching and adding contacts.

Now that we have figured out what a Telegram ID is and what it is used for, let’s look at ways to obtain it.

How to find out your ID in Telegram

How to find out your ID in Telegram? Unfortunately, there is no option in Telegram settings that allows you to view your ID. However, it is still possible to find it out.

How to view your ID in Telegram

The easiest and fastest way to view your ID in Telegram is to use the @getmyid_bot bot. To do this:

1. Open Telegram and find the @getmyid_bot bot through search;
2. Start a dialogue with the bot by clicking the “Start” button;
3. Send any message to the bot, for example, “/start”;
4. In response, the bot will send you information about your account, where your ID will be indicated in the first line.

The whole process will take no more than a minute and does not require any additional actions or settings.

If you prefer to use the web version of Telegram, you can view your ID directly in the browser’s address bar:

1. Go to the website web.telegram.org and log in;
2. In the browser’s address bar, find the part of the URL after “/#” – this will be your ID.

For example, if the address looks like https://web.telegram.org/z/#123456789, then your ID is 123456789.

Another way to find out your ID is to export the history of any chat:

1. Open the desired chat and go to its settings;
2. Select the “Export chat history” item;
3. In the generated HTML file, find the line with the text “Chat information”;
4. The next line will contain your ID after the words “ID: user”.

Thus, despite the lack of information about the ID in the account settings, it is quite simple to obtain it using one of the described methods.

Alternative ways to find out your Telegram ID

If for some reason you cannot or do not want to use bots, there are a few other ways to find out your ID.

Through the web version of Telegram:

• Open web.telegram.org and log in;
• In the browser’s address bar, you will see a URL like: https://web.telegram.org/z/#NUM, where NUM is your ID;

When exporting chat history:

• Open the settings of any chat or channel;
• Select “Export chat history”;
• In the resulting HTML file, find the “Chat information” section;
• Your ID will be listed in the “ID” field.

It is worth noting that these methods are less convenient and may not always work, unlike using bots.

Telegram chat ID

In addition to user IDs, Telegram also has unique identifiers for groups, chats, and channels. They are used for the same purposes – the correct operation of the messenger’s internal mechanisms.

You can obtain the ID of a chat or channel using special bots, for example, @username_to_id_bot. The process will be as follows:

1. Find the @username_to_id_bot bot through the Telegram search;
2. Start a dialogue with the bot by clicking the “Start” button;
3. Go to the chat or channel you are interested in;
4. In the chat settings, find and copy the invitation link;
5. Send the copied link to the bot;
6. In the response message, you will receive basic information about the chat, including its ID.

This method works for public groups and channels. Obtaining the ID of private chats and groups is usually only possible if you are a member of them.

Telegram user ID

Sometimes it may be necessary to find out the ID of another Telegram user, for example, to add them to a group or use it in a bot. This can be done in several ways:

Through the @getmyid_bot bot:

• Ask the user you are interested in to forward any of their messages to you via the @getmyid_bot bot;
• In the message received from the bot, the ID of this user will be indicated in the second line after the text “Forwarded from”;

Through the @userinfobot bot:

• Forward any message from the user you are interested in to the @userinfobot bot;
• In the response, you will receive information about the user, including their ID;

If the user has set a public name (@username), their ID can be obtained from the link to their profile:

• Open the user’s profile and copy the link in the form of https://t.me/username
• Add this link to the end of the following URL: https://api.telegram.org/bot/getChat?chat_id=@username
• Go to the resulting link, and you will see a JSON object with user data, including their ID in the “id” field.

It is worth noting that this method only works for users who have set a public name, and may not work if they have restricted access to their profile.

How to find out the ID of a Telegram channel?

You can obtain the ID of a Telegram channel in the same ways as for regular chats and groups, for example, through the @username_to_id_bot bot. Additionally, the channel ID can be found in its invitation link:

• Open the channel and in its settings select “Manage Channel”;
• Then go to “Participants” > “Add Participant”;
• In the window that appears, you will see a link in the form of https://t.me/joinchat/AAAAAXXXXX, where XXXXX is the channel ID.

Also, the ID of a public channel can be obtained from its regular link, as described in the section on obtaining a user ID by @username.

Conclusion

Telegram ID is an important parameter that ensures the correct operation of many functions of the messenger. Although it is hidden from the eyes of ordinary users, it is quite simple to obtain it – through special bots or a number of alternative methods.

Despite the fact that Telegram ID may not be needed in everyday use, understanding what it is and how to obtain it will undoubtedly expand your capabilities when working with the messenger.