The Telegram app has been blocked in Russia for over a month. Since the evening of April 16, 2026, some Russian users with a Telegram Premium subscription have been able to use the messenger without VPN or proxy. But there are many conditions: you need the latest version of the app, a paid subscription, and several restarts. Nevertheless, it’s already clear which direction Telegram is heading and what it plans to do.
Some users got Telegram working without any workarounds
What Changed in Telegram’s Operation in Russia
Since late evening on April 16, all functions started working correctly on the latest versions of the Telegram Android client — including beta builds: sending and receiving messages, loading photos and videos. All without proxy or VPN.
One of my colleagues ended up in Oslo
However, the first launch in this mode may require several restarts of the app — according to sources, from 7 to 8 times. After that, the messenger connects to servers, but the settings show a connection from another country — for example, the Netherlands or the USA — even if the user hasn’t turned on any VPN.
It is believed that the new feature is being tested on version 12.6.4 for Android. The patterns, according to observers, resemble the operation of a built-in MTProxy that Telegram uses within its protocol.
Who Can Access Telegram Without VPN in Russia
This is very narrow. According to “Code of Durov,” the messenger works without additional tools only when all conditions are met simultaneously:
- an Android smartphone with the latest version of the app;
- an active Telegram Premium subscription;
- several app restarts for the initial connection setup.
However, some people managed to pull off this trick on iPhone, and even without Premium. This case seems very rare and looks more like an exception.
Someone managed to pull off the trick on iPhone too, but it was a one-time case
Another nuance: if you turn on VPN while the new connection is active, Telegram may stop working due to a conflict between two traffic tunneling channels. So you need to choose one or the other. The most interesting part of this story is that signs point to this being an initiative from Telegram itself, not the result of relaxed restrictions from Roskomnadzor or telecom operators.
Access is only for Premium users, and the connection goes through spoofed geolocation. Even within the same city and with the same carrier, free accounts remain blocked.
This behavior is atypical for a regulator’s actions — usually, blocking or unblocking affects all users equally. Here, the selectivity is tied to the paid status of the account, which looks like server-side logic on the messenger’s end.
How to Use Telegram on iPhone in Russia
For Apple users, the situation remains difficult. Telegram on iPhone still requires VPN or proxy to work in Russia. On iOS, proxies either didn’t connect or dropped after a minute, but Telegram released an iOS update that partially fixes this.
Use the official client or trusted alternatives
Additionally, Apple removed the alternative client Telega from the App Store, which allowed users to use the messenger without VPN. On April 9, 2026, researchers discovered that the creators of Telega were replacing Telegram’s server addresses with their own and embedding their own encryption key into the client. So installing unofficial clients is a bad idea from a security standpoint.
Telegram Premium Price in Russia in 2026
By the way, Premium can still be subscribed to
The base price for Russia is 299 rubles per month when purchased through @PremiumBot. Recently, Telegram sent Russian users an offer to subscribe to Premium for 2 years at once for 2,990 rubles, and it can still be purchased and paid for with a bank card.
The discovered feature currently looks like a test function on Telegram’s side — not a systemic solution to the blocking problem. It only works on Android and only with Premium, and no one guarantees the stability or longevity of this mechanism. For iPhone owners, the situation changes nothing. But only for now.
