Telegram proxy not working: a step-by-step check
Five questions in order: each one rules out a group of causes and tells you what to do next.
Contents
When a proxy does not work, there are several possible causes, and each needs a different fix. Guessing takes long; going in order is faster. Five questions rule out the network, the link, an overloaded server and allowlist networks.
Step 1. Check the network
Open any website that has nothing to do with Telegram. If nothing loads, the proxy is not the problem: check Wi‑Fi, mobile data and airplane mode. If everything except Telegram loads, move on. It helps to try a second network straight away — Wi‑Fi instead of mobile data or the other way round: filtering rules differ between providers.
Step 2. Does Telegram work without the proxy?
Tap the shield icon above the chat list — it opens the proxy settings — and turn the proxy off. If Telegram starts working, there is no block on your network, and the proxy is either unnecessary or slowing you down. If Telegram does not open without it, you are in exactly the situation a proxy is for.
Step 3. What status does the proxy show?
Open the proxy settings. In Telegram Desktop each proxy in the list shows one of these statuses; other apps may word them differently:
| Status | Meaning | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| online | Telegram is connected through this proxy | nothing; if it is slow, see step 4 |
| available (ping: N ms) | the proxy answers, N is the delay | nothing, it can be used |
| connecting… / checking… | the connection or check is in progress | wait a minute, then check the link |
| not available | the proxy does not answer from your network | check the parameters, try another network or proxy |
If it stays on “connecting” for more than a minute, the proxy is unreachable from your network. The usual causes:
| Cause | Sign | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A mistake in the link | it never connected at all | check server, port and secret; the secret goes in whole, with the ee prefix |
| The server is down or overloaded | it does not answer on any network | use another proxy |
| The address or port is blocked | fails on one network, works on another | switch proxies; on your own server — a new IP or port |
| The disguise domain changed | worked and stopped after server changes | get a new link; old ones get an “Unknown TLS SNI” error in telemt |
| An outdated app | a FakeTLS proxy connects unreliably | update Telegram: newer versions fixed the TLS fingerprint |
Step 4. Connected, but chats do not load
“Connected” only means the link to the proxy is up. If chats and media load slowly or hang, it is usually one of these:
- the server is overloaded — thousands of people on one proxy saturate its bandwidth;
- a speed limit — free shared servers often have one;
- the server is far away — a high ping means a long route;
- a limit on addresses per link — telemt can cap the number of different IP addresses per link (
user_max_unique_ips); if the link has spread, extra clients will not get in; - clients on the same local network — the mtg README describes an
ip was blacklistederror for clients from a private network.
Important
Two things are normal and not a fault: calls do not work through an MTProto proxy, and an unfamiliar channel in your chat list is the proxy's sponsored channel — the owner sees neither your chats nor your activity.
Step 5. Mobile data and allowlists
If every step above checks out, the problem is only on mobile data, and hardly any foreign site opens, the network may be running an allowlist: only pre-approved addresses get through. A proxy server is not on that list, so neither the link nor the ee mode will help. The telemt FAQ lists such situations — mobile allowlists, the Great Firewall in China, Iran during unrest — among the cases where MTProxy cannot work. Here you need a VPN.
It worked and then stopped
A proxy lives until its address or traffic pattern is blocked or the owner changes the secret. If it stopped without any change on your side:
- ask the source for a fresh link — the address, domain or secret may have changed;
- update Telegram;
- try the proxy on another network;
- if nothing helps, switch proxies instead of trying to revive a blocked address.
If the proxy is yours: checks on the server
- the service is running:
systemctl status telemtorsystemctl status mtg; - the port is open and not taken by another process;
- for mtg —
mtg doctor /etc/mtg.tomlchecks the configuration, the clock, connectivity to Telegram's data centers and the disguise domain; - for FakeTLS — the handshake with the cover site:
curl -v -I --resolve domain:443:IP https://domain/; - for the official MTProxy — how fresh
proxy-multi.confis; the README suggests refreshing it about once a day; - the server can reach all of Telegram's infrastructure: an account is tied to its home data center, and a proxy without access to it cannot help.
What usually does not help
The problem is almost never on the device, so restarting the phone, reinstalling Telegram or clearing the cache rarely changes anything. Switching networks, updating the app and trying another proxy is faster. Do not add dozens of proxies either: auto-switching goes through them one by one, and two or three tested ones work better.
Cheat sheet
| Symptom | First check |
|---|---|
| Nothing loads at all | the network: Wi‑Fi, mobile data |
| Works without the proxy | turn the proxy off |
| “Connecting…” for over a minute | the link, then another proxy |
| Connected but slow | another proxy, another network |
| Only on mobile data | an allowlist: you need a VPN |
| Calls fail | normal for an MTProto proxy |
FAQ
Why does my Telegram proxy keep saying “Connecting…”?
The proxy cannot be reached from your network. The server may be down, its address or port may be blocked, the link may have a typo or a truncated secret, or the owner may have changed the disguise domain. Check the parameters against the link and try another proxy or another network.
The proxy worked and then stopped — what should I do?
Ask the source for a fresh link, update Telegram and check whether the proxy works on another network. If it does not, the address has probably been blocked or the owner revoked the secret.
Why is the proxy connected but Telegram does not load?
Being connected only means the link to the proxy is up; it says nothing about speed. The server may be overloaded, speed-limited or far away. Switch proxies.
How do I tell an overloaded proxy from a blocked one?
An overloaded proxy connects but is slow, equally on every network. A blocked one does not connect or drops, yet works on another network. The reliable test is the same proxy on two networks.