Transferring Telegram Group Ownership

Transferring ownership of a Telegram group can be straightforward, complicated, or in some cases impossible, depending on how the group has been set up. This guide describes how challenges can be mitigated by planning ahead and following clear, enforced policies.

Prerequisites

There are a few prerequisites:

  • The group must have a current owner.
  • Only the current owner can transfer ownership.
  • The current owner must have Two-Step Verification (2FA) enabled for 7 days before making the transfer.
  • The new owner must also be an administrator of the group.

No Current Owner

If there is no current owner, ownership cannot be transferred and control of the group is permanently lost.

  • If the current owner leaves but an administrator remains, that administrator is automatically promoted to owner and control can be maintained.
  • If the owner leaves and no administrators remain, the group continues without an owner. No new members can be added, no one can be removed, and control is permanently lost.
  • The only practical solution in lost-of-control cases is for members to leave the group and create a new one.

Confirm Current Ownership

Whether transferring or receiving ownership, confirm who holds the role:

  1. Open the group and click the three-dots menu.
  2. Select View Group Info.
  3. In the membership list, confirm that:
    • The person transferring is listed as Owner.
    • The recipient is listed as an Administrator.

Set Up 2FA

Transfers can be completed quickly provided that you have enabled Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for your account. If not, after turning 2FA on, you must wait for 7 days to complete the process. 

To enable 2FA:

  1. Click Settings> Privacy and Security> Two-Step verification. 
  2. Follow the 2FA setup steps
  3. Wait 7 days. 
  4. During those 7 days, remain logged in to Telegram for at least one 24 hour period.

Add the New Owner to Administrators

The group member taking over ownership must be one of the group’s administrators.

  1. Open the group and click its three-dots menu. 
  2. Manage Group
  3. Click Administrators
  4. If the person taking over ownership is not an administrator, promote them. Click Add Administrator> select the member to promote> Click Save

Once these prerequisites have been satisfied, you can continue with the transfer

Transfer Ownership

Follow these steps to transfer ownership:

  • Open the group
  • Click on the three-dots menu> Manage Group
  • Click Administrators
  • Select the person you want to whom you want to transfer ownership
  • Scroll down and click Transfer Group Ownership. The command is in the middle of the window and hard to find. 
  • Enter your 2FA password and click Confirm to complete

To verify:

  • Open the group
  • Click on the group name
  • Check membership and roles. You should no longer be listed as the owner and the person you moved ownership to should be listed as such.
  • If you intend to leave the group, ask the new owner to remove you. That will verify that they have ownership control of the group.