Immediately after the events about Telegram being blocked in Iran and Russia, a new type of proxy started appearing in the beta versions of the messenger, and, to be more precise, the new protocol is named Telegram MTProto Proxy. People around the world always want to have freedom of choice and that is why people resorted to Telegram proxy and different VPN applications to continue using Telegram application. For this reason, Telegram created a new proxy protocol to make it easy for its users to use Telegram application. This protocol was created by the Telegram team to solve filtering and blocking problems, but is it good?
What is Telegram MTProto?
So, how does a proxy server bypass Telegram ban? A proxy server which is located in another country will change the user’s IP address and simulate a user’s connection as if he or she is in another country. Telegram proxy transfers data via SOCKS5 protocol. But the problem with Telegram proxy via SOCKS5 protocol was that it could be banned from the side of the government. That is why Telegram features were updated and a new proxy type called MTProto was offered.
MTProto Proxy is a protocol of the MTProto family (Telegram works on it), it solves several problems:
- To connect just with the password instead of login + password
- Traffic is no different from the usual HTTPS / TLS (well, almost)
- The password is not sent to the server when it is connected
- Traffic is encrypted
- It is possible to work through a proxy only on Telegram (other applications are not affected)
- Promoted channels
As you can see, the set of features makes this type of proxy highly specialized.
Features of Telegram MTProto
The telegram MTProto library implements the Mobile Protocol and provides all features for work with telegram protocol:
- A high level API for server connection
- Promise-based API
- Both TCP and HTTP connections implemented in the transport layer
- A cipher implementation for AES and RSA encryption in the security layer
- Both plain-text and encrypted message to communicate data with the server
- Diffie-Hellman key exchange supported by the prime factorization function implemented in the security layer
- MTProto TL-Schema compilation as javascript classes and functions
Advantages of Telegram MTProto proxy to VPN
Telegram MTProto which is the latest method for unblocking Telegram has a number of advantages in comparison to VPN applications. Here are some of these advantages:
- Faster in establishing the connection to Telegram servers
- Using VPN applications can be a drain to your data package. This is while Telegram MTProto does not consume data. So, When you use Telegram with MTProto, you only consume your data package for using Telegram and you do not need to pay for a VPN service.
- While many VPN applications especially the free ones does not offer security, MTProto is a very secure way of using Telegram application. Many VPN services offer their users data to the governments and that is why it is not advised to use such tools.
- Using a VPN on your mobile phone can create interference for other application or slow down your device. This is while MTProto will not affect any other aspect of your mobile phone or computer.
- VPN services occupy phone resources such as battery and memory. This is while MTProto does not consume phone battery and does on occupy space on your phone memory.
- There is no guarantee that a VPN service will always worlk and will be effective in unblocking Telegram. If you use a VPN, especially the free ones, you may have probably noticed that there might be difficulties to connect to the servers from time to time. However, MTProto is only designed to unblock Telegram and does not stop working.
- Using will unblock any inappropriate websites and that is why a VPN is not a safe solution for kids and teenagers. Telegram MTProto only unblocks Telegram and it is a safer solution for kids.
How to enable Telegram MTProto
In order to use the MTProto feature on Telegram, the first thing you need to do is to update your Telegram application to its latest version. This first step is the most important step and that is because This feature of Telegram is only available on the latest version of this app. Once you are sure that you are running the latest version of Telegram application, you can proceed to the next steps.
Now what you need to do is no click on a number of proxy links I have provided on this article to add them to your proxy list.
By doing this, a shield icon for quick access will appear on the top right corner of the screen. If you are successfully connected to the proxy, a tick sign will appear.
By tapping on the proxy sign, you can access your MTProto settings. If a proxy becomes unavailable, you can easily switch to another MTProto proxy. Here is a list of active Telegram MTProto proxies. There are also some Telegram channels you can join to get proxies.
Server: transformers.realmtproto.club
Port: 6969
Secret: b0cbcef5a486d9636472ac27f8e11a9d
Server: 62.210.73.58
Port: 143
Secret: 9615e2fc5c8c17419a8055ca5b55e9dd
Server: proxy.mtproto.host
Port: 1984
Secret: e3095bafa2e03884de07fe6a7bcb8a85
If you have not used the proxy feature of Telegram application before, you need to take the following steps to enable it:
- Launch Telegram application on your phone and go to Settings
- Click on Data and Storage
- Scroll down and click on Proxy Settings
- On the proxy settings page click on Add Proxy
- Choose MTProto Proxy
- Choose a proxy from the list above and enter the port number and secret code for it and then confirm it.