[I don't think your original post made it to the TgM side yet, so I am creating a manual reply]

"You need a smartphone to setup your account, you can't do it from your PC?"

A device is needed to receive the confirmation 5-digit number for activation.

You can begin to install the desktop app (that's the way I started) and Telegram will send the 5-digit code to the phone number you use. I used the number of my Blackberry. You could probably use anyone's cell number you have handy, but the idea is to have the receiving device handy too.

The only time you would need to use that same phone number (and phone) is when you install extra copies of Telegram on another computer/device.

--- tg BBS v0.6.2
* Origin: Fido by Telegram BBS by Stas Mishchenkov (2:460/58)

Re: questions about telegram
By: August Abolins to Alan Ianson on Fri Nov 20 2020 11:40 pm

A device is needed to receive the confirmation 5-digit number for activation.

OK. I have a smart phone but as we speak it has no phone number but it has WIFI access. Not a very smart phone, is it? ;)

I don't think I'll be able to use telegram at this point.

Ttyl :-),
Al

... A mind is a terrible thing to.. OH DOOM ][ is here!
--- SBBSecho 3.11-Linux
* Origin: The Rusty MailBox - Penticton, BC Canada (1:153/757.2)

Hello Alan!

** On Friday 20.11.20 - 17:04, Alan Ianson wrote to August Abolins:

A device is needed to receive the confirmation 5-digit
number for activation.

OK. I have a smart phone but as we speak it has no phone
number but it has WIFI access. Not a very smart phone, is
it? ;)

I'd say YOU are the smart one. The phone is rather dumb.

I don't think I'll be able to use telegram at this point.

You probably can for as little a $10, just to get started.

When I was gifted a broken Blackberry (it would nolonger
charge properly to the previous owner's liking), I used it
primarily as a camera, FM radio, music player, and the
occassional wi-fi linkup - for 2 years. I was not moved to
bother ever owning a cellphone for making calls.

But I eventually opted to try activating it when my previous
Roger's Stick device was simply not performing well with many
of the sites that I replied on. I purchased a $10 activation
card with Luckymobile.ca The idea was to see if I could
obtain good mobile data service at home to replace the Roger's
Stick solution. And if would work well, then I would move to
Luckymobile. If not, then it was just a $10 (+1 month of data
usage) experiment. I decided to stay. I have a modest 5GB/mo
plan. Phone calls are unlimited - Canada wide, but I have
never used it except to call my shop to check messages on my
answering machine.

So, for as little as $10 (plus atleast one month of service,
$15), you could register a Telegram account to activate the
program on your desktop, and never need the phonenumber tied
to your account again.

https://www.luckymobile.ca/shop/phones/sim-card

It appears that they are offering the same card for 50% off
right now. Total cost, $20.

But I digress from the topic of this echo.
--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.47
* Origin: Got mobile? FUTURE4FIDO = https://tinyurl.com/yx9z6d37 (2:221/1.58)

On 20 Nov 2020, Alan Ianson said the following...

OK. I have a smart phone but as we speak it has no phone number but it
has WIFIaccess. Not a very smart phone, is it? ;)

I don't think I'll be able to use telegram at this point.

You may be able to download an app called TextPlus to get a free phone number that supports free text messaging to the US & Canada. Some services block those numbers for account verification, so your mileage may vary.

Jay

... Air used to be free at the gas station, now it's $1.50. Why? Inflation!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2020/10/23 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Northern Realms (1:229/664)

1:229/664 7c4237b7
On 20 Nov 2020, Alan Ianson said the following...

OK. I have a smart phone but as we speak it has no phone number but it has WIFIaccess. Not a very smart phone, is it? ;)

I don't think I'll be able to use telegram at this point.

You may be able to download an app called TextPlus to get a free phone number that supports free text messaging to the US & Canada. Some services block those numbers for account verification, so your mileage may vary.

Jay

... Air used to be free at the gas station, now it's $1.50. Why? Inflation!

The reviews on that one don't sound too good. Many people are having issues with the service. The average score is 3.8 out of 5.

You may recall the alternative "free cell-phone number" websites that were mentioned here at the beginning of the Telegram discovery. I tried most of them. The numbers that they offered were deemed "banned" from Telegram. And I tried a LOT of numbers!

TextPlus *does* sound like something different though. There probably is nothing to lose, except time, to try it.


--- tg BBS v0.6.2
* Origin: Fido by Telegram BBS by Stas Mishchenkov (2:460/58)

Jay Harris wrote to Alan Ianson <=-

You may be able to download an app called TextPlus to get a free phone number that supports free text messaging to the US & Canada. Some services block those numbers for account verification, so your mileage
may vary.

Ditto for Google voice, but as they're one of the biggest (if not the
biggest) provider of non-cellular voice services I'm sure their number
is blocked.



... Use an old idea
--- MultiMail/XT v0.52
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Hi Kurt!

21 Nov 20 08:09, you wrote to Jay Harris:

Ditto for Google voice, but as they're one of the biggest (if not the biggest) provider of non-cellular voice services I'm sure their number
is blocked.

Alan is in Canada. GV is only USA.

GV was available briefly in Canada many years ago. I used it as a 2nd-ary phone line so that people could leave v-mail when I was travelling.


--- GoldED+/W32-MINGW 1.1.5-b20180707
* Origin: ----> Point Of VeleNo BBs (http://www.velenobbs.net) (2:333/808.7)

August Abolins wrote to Kurt Weiske <=-

Alan is in Canada. GV is only USA.

Bummer. I did not know that.

I'm in horrible cell phone coverage at home and working from home now;
I'm relying on wi-fi calling from my carrier most of the time. I've
been playing with forwarding cell phone calls when unavailable and off
network to GV, and it's pretty handy.



... Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
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