How to Block Telegram on Managed Devices
Telegram runs on phones, tablets, laptops and in the browser, and its open source code has produced a crowd of unofficial clients. Here is how to block all of it on the devices you manage, from the MDM to the firewall.
Block the Telegram app on school or work devices
Identifiers, MDM steps, laptops, firewall rules and testing.
Start with the IDsBlock a person, a channel or calls inside Telegram
Short steps for blocking someone from contacting you.
Jump to blocking a personTelegram package name and iOS bundle ID
These are the identifiers for the official Telegram Messenger app, checked against the store listings. Paste them into your MDM as they are; bundle IDs are case sensitive.
Capital T in Telegraph. Store name: Telegram Messenger.
Developer account: Telegram FZ-LLC. Genre: Social Networking.
The Google Play build used on phones and Chromebooks.
Why admins miss it: the iOS bundle ID does not contain the word "telegram". If you search an app inventory or a blocklist for "telegram", the official iPhone app will not show up. Search for ph.telegra instead.
Unofficial Telegram clients you should block too
Telegram publishes the source code of its client apps, so other developers build their own versions that log in to the same accounts. A block on the official app does nothing to these.
| App | Developer | iOS bundle ID | App Store ID | Android package |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram Messenger (official) | Telegram FZ-LLC | ph.telegra.Telegraph | 686449807 | org.telegram.messenger |
| Nicegram: Dual Telegram x AI | Appvillis | app.nicegram | 1608870673 | app.nicegram |
| iMe: Telegram AI Messenger | IME LAB - FZCO | com.olcorporation.olai | 1450480822 | Look up |
| Group for Telegram (group directory) | AppBrother | org.HKVOTE.TelegramDB | 1500098313 | iOS only in our data |
| Telegram X (alternative Android client) | Telegram | Not on iOS | Not on iOS | Look up |
More forks appear every year under new names. Our Email and Messaging category catches them in the monthly update, and the bundle ID lookup checks any single app you find on a device.
Why schools and companies block Telegram
Telegram is a legitimate messenger used by more than a billion people, according to the company. Organizations block it on their own devices for reasons that have little to do with the people using it and a lot to do with what the platform allows.
Not end-to-end by default
Normal cloud chats are encrypted between the app and Telegram's servers, not end to end. Only Secret Chats, which users must start on purpose, are end-to-end encrypted.
Huge open groups and channels
Groups can hold up to 200,000 members and channels have no subscriber limit. Anyone with a link can join a public group, which puts strangers and unmoderated content one tap away.
Large file transfers
Files of up to 2 GB each, or 4 GB with Premium, move freely. That is a data loss channel on work devices and a source of pirated media on school devices.
Built-in proxy support
Telegram has a proxy setting inside the app, made to keep it working where networks block it. A network rule alone will not hold against that.
Open source clients
All official client apps are open source while the server code is not published. Forks reuse the code under new names and new bundle IDs.
Records and archiving
Regulated businesses must keep business messages. Chats on a consumer messenger usually fall outside the archive, so compliance teams ask for a block.
Government restrictions on Telegram
Norway
The Storting banned Telegram on work devices that connect to parliament systems.
Ukraine
Officials, military and critical infrastructure staff were barred from using it on official devices.
Vietnam
The government asked network operators to block Telegram nationwide.
Nepal
The government banned Telegram, citing fraud and money laundering concerns.
For other apps on official device bans, see government device app bans.
How to block Telegram in your MDM
Bundle ID blocks on Apple devices need supervision. On Android, the strongest setup is a Managed Google Play store limited to approved apps, so Telegram never appears at all.
Microsoft Intune
Create a Settings catalog policy for iOS/iPadOS, add Restrictions > Blocked App Bundle IDs and enter the bundle IDs from the table. The older Prohibited apps list only reports; it does not block. Intune steps.
Jamf Pro
New configuration profile, Restrictions > Apps, filter for supervised iOS, set App Usage to Some apps not allowed and add Telegram and the forks. Jamf steps.
Jamf School
Add the apps to the blocklist in a Safelist and Blocklist payload on an iOS profile, then scope it to your device groups.
Mosyle and Iru (formerly Kandji)
Both block apps by bundle ID in an iOS restrictions profile for supervised devices. Labels change between versions, so follow the current console wording.
Apple Configurator profile
Put the bundle IDs in the blockedAppBundleIDs array of a Restrictions payload and install it on a supervised device. From iOS 27, Apple points to the declarative App settings configuration and its Denied apps list.
<key>blockedAppBundleIDs</key> <array> <string>ph.telegra.Telegraph</string> <string>app.nicegram</string> <string>com.olcorporation.olai</string> </array>
Intune, fully managed or corporate work profile
Leave Allow access to all apps in Google Play store unset so users see approved apps only. If you allow the full store, approve Telegram in Managed Google Play and assign it with the Uninstall intent.
Google Admin console
Manage Android apps under Apps > Web and mobile apps. With advanced management, restrict installs to the apps on that list and leave Telegram off. Google Admin steps.
Installs from outside Google Play
Telegram also distributes an Android build outside the Play store. Keep installation from unknown sources blocked, so a downloaded file cannot be installed on a managed device.
Personally owned work profiles
You control apps inside the work profile only. Telegram on the personal side of the same phone is out of reach, so rely on network rules for your Wi-Fi and a written policy.
Chromebooks
Under Devices > Chrome > Apps & extensions > Users & browsers, select the Telegram Android app and set its installation policy to Block.
How to block Telegram on a laptop
Telegram Desktop runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, there is a separate Telegram app for macOS, and Telegram Web works in any browser. Each needs its own rule.
A phone number. Several devices can stay logged in at the same time, so a laptop session keeps working after the phone app is blocked.
Two browser versions exist. Both reach the same account, chats and files as the apps.
Telegram Desktop also runs on Linux, which matters for computer labs and developer machines.
- By default Telegram Desktop installs inside the user's own profile, so rules that only cover Program Files miss it.
- Use App Control for Business or AppLocker through Intune, with a rule based on the publisher signature or file hash.
- Cover the Microsoft Store copy too, either with the same app control policy or your Store settings.
- Add web.telegram.org to the Edge and Chrome URL block policies.
- Two apps exist: Telegram for macOS from the App Store and the cross-platform Telegram Desktop.
- In Jamf Pro, use Restricted Software for computers with the process name and the option to stop the process.
- Other MDMs offer similar app restriction rules by bundle ID or signing identity; check your console.
- Block Telegram Web in Safari and every other allowed browser.
- Block the Telegram Android app in Apps & extensions.
- Add Telegram domains under Devices > Chrome > Settings > Content > URL Blocking.
- Do both. Android apps on ChromeOS can ignore the Chrome URL blocklist.
- Review extensions: unofficial Telegram web wrappers exist as extensions in some stores.
Block Telegram at the firewall
Network rules protect every device on your Wi-Fi, including phones you do not manage. Telegram is built to survive network blocks, so stack these layers rather than relying on one.
Block Telegram's web and link domains in your DNS or web filter.
Stops Telegram Web and link pages. The apps reach Telegram's data centres largely by IP address, so this alone does not stop them.
Telegram publishes the IP address ranges of its servers on its developer site, a short list of IPv4 and IPv6 ranges. Block them outbound for the networks in scope.
Check the published list when you set the rule and again on a schedule, since ranges can change.
Firewalls with application control can recognize Telegram traffic itself. Turn on the Telegram signature in the application control profile and apply it to student or guest networks.
Names and coverage depend on the firewall vendor's signature database; confirm in your console.
Block the proxy and VPN categories too. With the in-app proxy setting, Telegram can reach its servers through a third-party server you have not blocked.
On managed devices the app block covers this. On unmanaged devices, see blocking VPN apps.
What blocking the Telegram app does not cover
Each of these gaps comes up in real deployments. Close the ones that matter for your devices and networks.
Telegram Web
Two web versions run in any browser, with the same chats as the app.
Forks and clones
Unofficial clients have their own bundle IDs and package names and sign in to the same accounts.
Other browsers
A second browser installed on the device skips Safari or Chrome policies.
Proxies and VPNs
These route Telegram around network rules on devices you do not manage.
Personal phones
Phones without supervision or a work profile ignore your app lists entirely.
Installed before enrollment
MDM can only uninstall apps it manages. A user-installed copy stays on the device.
Students try most of these at some point. Our guide on how students get around restrictions covers the admin side of each method.
Need Telegram for one team? Scope an exception
Some organizations run an official Telegram channel for parents, customers or a community. You can block Telegram for everyone else and still allow it for the people who post there.
| Group | App rule | Network rule | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | Official app and forks blocked | Domains, ranges and signature blocked on student Wi-Fi | Review the block list each term with your other chat app rules |
| General staff | Official app and forks blocked | Telegram Web blocked in managed browsers | Explain the approved messenger for work chats |
| Communications team | Official app allowed, forks still blocked | Exception for the staff network or a dedicated device | Use a shared work account, not personal numbers |
| Guest network | Not applicable | Your choice; many schools block it there too | Covers visitors and personal phones |
How to scope it: put the communications team in its own device group and exclude that group from the Telegram block. Keep the forks blocked for everyone, since an approved account only needs the official app.
Write the exception into your shadow IT app policy with an owner and a review date, so it does not quietly become a permanent hole.
How to test your Telegram block
Use one supervised iPad, one managed Android phone, one Chromebook and one laptop. Sign in as a normal user, not an admin.
- The Telegram icon disappears from the iPad home screen and App Library after sync.
- Installing Telegram from the App Store fails or the app vanishes right away.
- Nicegram and iMe are also hidden if you added them.
- On Android, Telegram is missing from the managed Play store.
- A downloaded Telegram installer file is refused on the Android phone.
- web.telegram.org shows your block page in every allowed browser.
- On the Chromebook, both the Android app and the website are blocked.
- On the guest network, a phone you do not manage cannot connect in the Telegram app.
Blocking a person on Telegram instead?
If you want to stop one account from contacting you, you do that inside Telegram, not in an MDM. Menu names differ slightly between the iPhone, Android and desktop apps.
Block a user or contact
- Open the chat with the person.
- Tap their name at the top.
- Open the menu (three dots or More).
- Choose Block User and confirm.
Stop calls
- Open Settings.
- Go to Privacy and Security.
- Open Calls.
- Choose who may call you, for example Nobody or My Contacts.
Channels and unblocking
Channels cannot be blocked like people: leave the channel, or mute or report it. To unblock someone, open Settings, Privacy and Security, Blocked Users, and remove them from the list.
Telegram blocking FAQ
What is the Telegram package name?
The Telegram Messenger app on Google Play uses the Android package name org.telegram.messenger.
What is the iOS bundle ID for Telegram?
Telegram Messenger on iPhone and iPad uses ph.telegra.Telegraph and App Store ID 686449807. The bundle ID does not contain the word telegram, so a console search for the name can miss it.
Does blocking the Telegram app also block Telegram Web?
No. Telegram Web runs in any browser. Block web.telegram.org and the other Telegram domains in your browser policy or web filter as well.
How do I block Telegram at the firewall?
Combine three controls: block the Telegram domains, block the server address ranges Telegram publishes, and turn on the Telegram application signature if your firewall has application control. Domain blocking alone does not stop the apps.
How do I block Telegram on a laptop?
On Windows, use App Control for Business or AppLocker rules based on the publisher signature, plus a browser URL block for Telegram Web. On Macs, use your MDM's restricted software feature. On Chromebooks, block the Android app and the website.
What is a Telegram ID?
Every Telegram account, group, channel and bot has a numeric ID inside Telegram, separate from the optional public username. It identifies accounts inside Telegram only. MDM tools never use it; they block the app by bundle ID or package name.
How do I block a person on Telegram?
Open the chat, tap the person's name, open the menu and choose Block User. You can review and undo blocks in Settings under Privacy and Security, Blocked Users. Menu names differ slightly between apps.
Does blocking Telegram delete the user's chats?
No. Normal cloud chats are stored in the user's Telegram account and stay there, so the person can still read them on any device you do not manage. Secret Chats live only on the device where they were started.
A student has a black Telegram icon. Is the block still working?
Yes. Telegram lets users pick alternative app icons, and home screen shortcuts can carry any icon. The bundle ID stays the same, so a bundle ID block still hides the app and stops it opening.
Block every chat app on student and staff devices
Our messaging apps blocklist covers Telegram, its forks and the other chat apps schools and businesses restrict, in files that import straight into your MDM. Updated monthly.
See school plans Talk to usTelegram is a trademark of Telegram FZ-LLC. Nicegram, iMe and Group for Telegram are trademarks of their respective owners. Microsoft Intune, Edge, AppLocker and App Control for Business are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Apple, iPhone, iPad, macOS, App Store and Apple Configurator are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Google, Android, Chrome, Chromebook and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC. Jamf, Mosyle, Iru and Kandji are trademarks of their respective owners. Names are used only to identify the products discussed. AppBlockList is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by these companies.