1. Enable Contact Sync in Telegram

Your first course of action is to ensure that the contact sync feature is enabled on Telegram. Otherwise, the app will fail to sync any new contacts added on your Android or iPhone. Android

  1. In the Telegram app, tap the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner and select Settings. 
  2. Tap on Privacy and Security.
  3. Scroll down to Contacts and enable the switch next to Sync Contacts. iPhone
  4. Open up Telegram on your iPhone and navigate to the Settings tab in the bottom right corner. Then, tap on Privacy and Security.
  5. Go to Data Settings and toggle on Sync Contacts option. Now check to see if Telegram is syncing contacts. Here is a guide on how to sync, unsync, and export Telegram contacts.

2. Check App Permissions

Telegram may also fail to sync contacts if the app does not have access to your contact list. To fix this, you’ll need to check Telegram’s app permission on your phone. Here’s how to do it. Android

  1. Long press on the Telegram app icon and tap on the info icon from the menu that pops up. Then, go to Permissions.
  2. Tap on Contacts and select Allow from the following screen.  iPhone Open the Settings app on your iPhone and scroll down to tap on Telegram. Then, enable the switch next to Contacts. Restart the app after this and see if contacts are syncing correctly.

3. Manually Telegram Sync Contacts (Android)

If Telegram is still failing to sync contacts on your Android, you can try syncing them manually by following the steps below.

  1. Open Settings on your Android phone and navigate to Accounts.
  2. Select your Telegram account and tap on Account sync.
  3. Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner and select Sync now option. Your phone should begin syncing contacts immediately, and Telegram should display all of your contacts now.

4. Add Contacts Manually

If Telegram’s contact sync issue is limited to just one or two people, you can also add them manually. Here’s how. Android

  1. Open the Telegram app on your phone. Tap the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner and select Contacts.
  2. Tap on the add contact button in the bottom right corner. Enter your contact’s name and phone number on the following screen, then tap the right checkmark at the top. iPhone
  3. In the Telegram app, tap on the Contacts tab in the bottom left corner. 
  4. Tap on the plus icon in the top right corner and type in the contact’s name and phone number in the appropriate fields. Once done, tap on Create.

5. Delete Synced Contacts and Sync Them Again

If the issue persists, try deleting all the synced contacts and start from scratch. This will force Telegram to resync all of your contacts, effectively resolving the problem. Here’s how you can go about it. Android

  1. In the Telegram app, tap the menu button (three horizontal lines) in the upper left corner and select Settings from the list.
  2. Tap on Privacy and Security.
  3. Scroll down to Contacts and tap on the Delete Synced Contacts option. Hit Delete when prompted.  iPhone
  4. Launch Telegram on your phone and tap on the Settings tab in the bottom right corner.
  5. Go to Privacy and Security and then scroll down to tap on Data Settings.
  6. Tap on Delete Synced Contacts and hit Delete when prompted.

6. Clear Telegram Cache Data

Temporary data stored by Telegram can also affect the app’s performance at times, especially when corrupted. Fortunately, Telegram lets you clear that cache directly from its settings menu. Here’s how you can access it.

  1. Open Settings on Telegram.
  2. Go to Data and Storage and tap on the Storage Usage option.
  3. Under Device storage, tap on the Clear Telegram Cache option. Then, tap on the Clear Cache button. 

7. Update Telegram

Lastly, if none of the above solutions work, the issue could be caused by a buggy app update. You can try updating Telegram from Play Store or App Store to see if that helps. 

Syncing Now

It can be frustrating when your favorite messaging app starts acting out and bothers you with such sync issues. Hopefully, one of the above tips has helped you fix Telegram’s contact sync issue for good and you’re able to connect with your favorite people again.