A real phone number for Telegram, cheaper than Fragment +888
DegenPhone sells a real phone number for Telegram: an Estonian +372 mobile number you own as an NFT on TON.
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You roll for a random number, then keep the one you like with a mint from 150 GRAM (formerly Toncoin). A Fragment +888 number costs over 2 500 GRAM.
DegenPhone is a cheap alternative to Fragment +888 numbers. A +888 number works only for Telegram sign-up and login. A DegenPhone number receives SMS codes from many services, such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Revolut, Instagram, Amazon, Meta (Facebook), PayPal and crypto exchanges. After a free Unlock (Activate), the codes arrive in your chat with @DegenPhoneTonBot.
Use the +372 number as a second phone number for Telegram. Sign up a new account with it, and your personal number is never on that account. You can sell the number or send it to another wallet anytime. Start at @DegenPhoneTonBot.
DegenPhone
mint from 150 GRAM
Fragment +888
over 2,500 GRAM
| DegenPhone | +888 | |
|---|---|---|
| Telegram | ✓ | ✓ |
| WhatsApp, Revolut, Instagram, Amazon, Meta | ✓ | ✕ |
| Resell or transfer it | ✓ | ✓ |
- Telegram
- Revolut
- Amazon
- Meta
- PayPal
- Exchanges
Which phone number is best for Telegram?
If you want a number you keep and can resell, DegenPhone costs far less. You get a real +372 number with a mint from 150 GRAM, while a Fragment +888 number costs over 2 500 GRAM. A DegenPhone number also gets SMS codes from WhatsApp, Revolut and many other services, while a +888 number works only in Telegram. A temporary SMS number costs from about $0.10 a code, but you don't keep it. A second SIM card adds calls and data, but you need a plan from a mobile operator.
| What matters | DegenPhone | Fragment +888 number | Temporary SMS number | Second SIM card |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Mint from 150 GRAM | Over 2 500 GRAM fixed price. At auction, bidding sets the price | From about $0.10 per code | Your mobile operator's plan |
| Works outside Telegram | Yes, SMS from any app or person: WhatsApp, Revolut, PayPal, crypto exchanges and more | No, Telegram only | Only the service you paid for | Yes, plus calls and data |
| Login codes later | Yes, while you hold the NFT and service runs (prepaid for 2 years) | Yes, on Fragment, while you hold it | No, you can't reuse it after the order | Yes, while your plan is active |
| Resale | Yes, on Market (5% fee per sale) or by sending the NFT | Yes, with a 5% platform fee per sale | No | Usually not |
| Risks | If you sell or send the NFT, the new holder can get your login codes. A Recycled number may carry an old owner's account. If you lose the wallet, you lose the number | Some +888 numbers came spam-blocked (January 2025 report) | Someone else can get the number later and take over the account | Linked to your ID in many countries |
A DegenPhone number works best on a new account, and its service is prepaid for 2 years.
Some SMS sites also rent a number for longer, such as SMSPVA at $1.00 a day for up to 90 days.
Sources: Fragment listings, auctions and About; 5sim; Tiger SMS; SMSPVA; Telegram bug tracker; MyCountryMobile; Privacy Guides forum.
How do you get a phone number for Telegram?
To buy a Telegram number from DegenPhone, open the bot, connect a TON wallet, roll, and mint the number you like.
- 1Start the bot. Open @DegenPhoneTonBot and tap START. Your codes will come to this chat.
- 2Connect your wallet. Tap Open App, then Connect Wallet, inside Telegram. If you connect only on the website, codes won't reach the bot. The team never messages you first. Never share your seed phrase.
- 3Roll or buy. A roll gives you a random Fresh number, one nobody has activated. Your first roll is free when you subscribe to @degenphone in the app. To choose an exact number, buy it on Market in the app. Pick a Fresh one, because a Recycled number may still carry the previous owner's Telegram account.
- 4If you rolled, mint within 15 minutes. Minting creates the NFT for the number you keep. You mint from 150 GRAM, and the app shows the exact price before you pay. If you don't like the number, roll again.
- 5Pay for the mint once, from your own wallet. Don't pay from an exchange. The number usually appears in your wallet's Collectibles within a few minutes. If nothing arrives in 30 minutes, write in the DegenPhone chat with your wallet address.
How do you sign up for Telegram with your +372 number?
Tap Unlock (Activate) in My Numbers. Then, in the Telegram app on your phone, create a new account with the +372 number. The code arrives in your chat with @DegenPhoneTonBot, usually within seconds.
- 1Activate when you need the code. In My Numbers, tap Unlock. It's free, you do it once, and texts reach the bot only after that. It also changes the label from Fresh to Recycled, which can't be undone. Recycled numbers usually sell for less.
- 2Use the official Telegram app on your phone, over Wi-Fi. Desktop and web versions often don't send the SMS.
- 3Create a new account. Changing the number on your current account usually fails.
- 4Enter the number with +372. Copy it from My Numbers.
- 5Read the code in the bot. The last 15 texts also show in My Numbers.
If the code doesn't come, work through the 5 checks for a code that isn't arriving.
What does a Telegram number cost on DegenPhone?
You get a DegenPhone number with a mint from 150 GRAM. The app shows the exact price before you pay.
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Unlock is free, and service is prepaid for 2 years, with no monthly fee.
Before you mint, you roll for a random number. Your first roll is free when you subscribe to @degenphone in the app. One roll is enough, because every number works the same. Packs add bonus rolls. A 10-roll pack gives you 14 rolls instead of 10. That means more chances at a rare number with nicer digits.
What are the limits of a DegenPhone number?
A DegenPhone number receives SMS only. It has no calls yet and no mobile data, and you can't install it in a phone.
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Calls may come later.
- Telegram sometimes asks a new +372 account to buy 1 week of Telegram Premium, about $1. That is Telegram's rule, not DegenPhone's.
- Whoever holds the NFT gets the number's codes, Telegram login codes included. Before you sell or send it, move your account to a number you keep. 2-Step Verification alone is not enough, because anyone with the login code can still delete the account.
- Service is prepaid for 2 years.
- If you lose your wallet, you lose the number, so keep your seed phrase safe.
Telegram number questions
Does your Telegram number have to be your own SIM?
No. Telegram accounts can only be connected to a mobile number that can receive the sign-up code, but it doesn't have to be your personal SIM. A DegenPhone number is a real Estonian +372 mobile number you hold as an NFT. Free temporary numbers go to other people later, and then you can lose the account.
Will people see your +372 number on Telegram?
Only if your settings allow it. By default, Telegram shows your number only to people you've saved as contacts, and you can set it to Nobody. Your personal number is never on an account you create with a DegenPhone number, so the most anyone can see is the +372 number. For every privacy setting, see how to use Telegram without your personal phone number.
Can you use a temp number for Telegram?
You can, but you don't keep it. SMS-activation sites sell a number for one code, from about $0.10 at 5sim and Tiger SMS. 5sim says you can't reuse its temporary numbers after the order. Later someone else can get the same number and take over your account. A DegenPhone number stays yours while you hold the NFT, and its service is prepaid for 2 years.
Can you use a virtual number for Telegram?
Yes, if it receives Telegram's SMS code and nobody else gets its codes later. A DegenPhone number is a real Estonian +372 number on a mobile network. You own it as an NFT. After you tap Unlock (Activate) in My Numbers, its texts arrive in your chat with @DegenPhoneTonBot. That is how it works as a Telegram number without a SIM in your phone. It receives SMS only.
Can I use the number for apps other than Telegram?
Yes. The number receives SMS from any app or person. It gets codes from many services, such as Telegram, WhatsApp, Revolut, Instagram, Amazon, Meta (Facebook), PayPal and crypto exchanges. A Fragment +888 number works only for Telegram sign-up and login. See which apps work with a DegenPhone number. If a code doesn't come, sign up in the service's official phone app on Wi-Fi. Or turn on a VPN set to Estonia, and try again later.
What happens to my Telegram account if I sell the number?
The new owner can receive the account's login codes, because SMS to the number go to whoever holds the NFT. So before you sell on Market or send the NFT, move the account to a number you keep: open Settings, tap your number, then Change Number. 2-Step Verification is not enough on its own: anyone with the login code can still delete the account. Better still, don't sell a number that holds an account you want to keep.
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A real phone number for Telegram, cheaper than Fragment +888
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