Telegram has a function that you may not be aware of and that can be very useful in an emergency: the dead man switch. We explain what it is about and how you can activate it to safeguard your privacy.
Telegram is an instant messaging application that stands out for its security, privacy, and speed. Among its most important features are secret chats, which are end-to-end encrypted conversations that can be automatically deleted after a while.
Channels, bots, calls and video calls, as well as groups, which can have up to 200,000 members and can be turned into supergroups with advanced features such as administrators, permissions, and tags, are other of the most interesting features of the app.
But there is a function that you may not know about and that can be very useful in an emergency , that is the dead man switch.
What is the dead man switch?
It should be noted that Telegram’s dead man switch is a feature that kicks in when you stop responding for a long time. It is also used to release information, send alerts or perform other actions in case something happens to the account owner.
In the case of Telegram, this mechanism can be activated directly from the settings. Its function is to automatically delete the chat if it is not accessed for a certain period of time. Without a doubt, this can be useful to protect the privacy of your conversations if you lose your mobile or if it is stolen, but also if you die.
To activate the dead man switch on Telegram, follow these steps:
- Open Telegram on iPhone and tap on the Settings option.
- Select Privacy and security.
- In the Automatically delete my account section, tap If I’m away and choose a time period: 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, or Delete account now.
On Android the process is a bit different. To do this, start the application and touch the three-line menu located at the top of the screen. In Settings, tap Privacy and security, then scroll to the Delete my account section and tap If I’m away.
The dead man switch in Telegram is a useful function to protect the privacy of your conversations, especially if you lose your mobile, it is stolen or simply when you stop responding for a certain period, ranging from a month to a year. Remember that once the chat and its information are deleted, there is no way to recover it.
