Independent guide · updated · November 3

MTProto proxy for Telegram, explained

An MTProto proxy is a relay server that Telegram connects through when the direct route to its servers is blocked. It works only inside Telegram, is added with a single link and cannot read your chats: messages are encrypted before they reach it.

  1. Telegramapp
  2. filtersees HTTPS
  3. proxyport 443
  4. Telegramservers

Messages stay encrypted — the proxy can't read them

A connected proxy in Telegram's settings (mock-up): server, port 443 and an ee… secret. The provider's filter sees ordinary HTTPS, and the proxy cannot read your chats.

Start here

Two in-depth articles: how the protocol and the proxy work, and what to check when a proxy stops connecting.

How a proxy works, in three steps

A proxy does not change Telegram or touch other apps: it only routes the connection to Telegram's servers another way.

  1. 1

    Link

    A proxy link carries three parameters: server address, port and secret. Telegram reads it and offers to connect — no separate app is needed.

  2. 2

    Disguise

    If the secret starts with ee, the connection opens like an ordinary visit to a website over HTTPS, so a filter has a harder time telling it apart from the rest.

  3. 3

    Relay

    The proxy passes data on to Telegram's servers. It has no encryption key: the owner sees your IP address and how much traffic you use, not your messages.

When a proxy will not help

A proxy works only for Telegram. It cannot help on a network that lets through only an approved list of addresses, and Telegram calls do not work through an MTProto proxy. For calls and for other apps you need a VPN.

FAQ

What is an MTProto proxy in simple terms?

A relay server for Telegram. The app connects to the proxy instead of Telegram's servers, and the proxy passes the encrypted traffic on. MTProxy is the name of Telegram's official implementation; any proxy that speaks the MTProto protocol is called the same way.

Do I need to install anything?

No. Proxy support is built into the official Telegram apps for Android, iOS, desktop and macOS. Open a proxy link or enter three parameters — server, port and secret — in the proxy settings. Other apps on the device are not affected.

Can the proxy owner read my messages?

No. Messages are encrypted with a key that only your app and Telegram's server have. According to Telegram's documentation, the proxy operator cannot see your chat list or activity; they see your IP address and when you connect.

How is a proxy different from a VPN?

A proxy works only inside Telegram and is added with a link. A VPN routes all traffic from the device and needs its own app. Telegram calls do not work through an MTProto proxy, and on a network with an allowlist of addresses only a VPN can help.

What does “ee” at the start of the secret mean?

The ee prefix turns on FakeTLS mode. It is followed by 32 hexadecimal characters of the key and the disguise domain in hex. The connection to the proxy starts like an ordinary HTTPS visit to that website.

Why did my proxy stop working?

Most often its address, port or traffic pattern has been caught by the network's filtering rules. There are mundane causes too: the server is down or overloaded, or the secret in the link was cut off or mistyped.

This guide is written by the mtprotoproxy editorial team, the people behind the Proxy MTProto · VPN service. We check facts against Telegram's documentation at core.telegram.org and the README files of MTProxy, mtg and telemt, and every article lists its sources.