GrapheneOS user reinstalling Telegram on a Pixel 8 hit a €1 SMS verification charge, dropped the app entirely.
Key Takeaways
Telegram now charges €1 for a one-week premium account to complete SMS-based account verification in some countries.
The charge appears to affect users in Kenya and likely others; the author confirmed via third-party posts this is a known pattern.
The author’s privacy stack on GrapheneOS: Obtainium, Signal, Fennec, Aurora Store, AntennaPod, Aegis, Comaps, Mullvad, OSS card wallet, Qlango.
Signal is the replacement; Telegram was kept only for residual contacts.
Hacker News Comment Review
The €1 charge is a real access barrier in lower-income markets: Kenya’s minimum wage is roughly €107/month, making it a non-trivial fee.
A practical workaround exists: install Telegram Desktop before losing your old device, then use it to receive the activation code when re-registering on a new phone.
Commenters are split between dismissing the post as low-signal and acknowledging that SMS-paywall friction is a legitimate platform-trust issue.
Notable Comments
@nathanmills: Installing Telegram v11.7.3 on Android has been reported to bypass the SMS charge.
