Telegram returns to Apple’s App Store without an explanation

Telegram briefly vanished from Apple’s App Store across multiple countries on Monday, blocking new iPhone and iPad downloads while leaving existing installations working. The reason was never disclosed, and the disruption did not affect Google Play or the Mac App Store.

The app has since returned to the US and German/EU App Stores, according to the current listings. Telegram’s restoration was not immediately complete everywhere, however: Android Authority reported that the app still failed to appear in some regions and that its direct App Store link returned an error.

“Reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated 🍎”

Telegram also told Reuters that it had been restored and should soon be available to all users. Neither Apple nor Telegram explained what caused the disappearance. 9to5Mac said it had contacted Apple for more information.

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Telegram’s App Store pricing and alternatives

Telegram is free to download in the US and EU, with optional purchases. The US listing shows Telegram Premium at $4.99, an annual plan at $35.99, and 100 Telegram Stars for $1.99. Germany’s listing shows Premium at €5.49, an annual plan at €39.99, and 100 Stars at €2.09; it also lists a one-week Premium option for €0.99.

That pricing puts Telegram alongside other free messaging apps rather than paid privacy products. WhatsApp is also free in the US and Germany, while Signal is free with optional $1.99/€1.99 Secure Backups purchases. Threema takes the opposite approach, charging $6.99 in the US and €7.99 in Germany as a paid app.

For users who already had Telegram installed, the outage caused little immediate disruption. The practical impact was concentrated on new Apple-device installs, making the unexplained listing failure more serious than a service-wide shutdown but less damaging than a full messaging outage.

Telegram has disappeared from Apple’s store before

This is not the first time Apple has removed Telegram. In February 2018, Apple temporarily pulled the app after identifying what it called “inappropriate content.” Telegram founder Pavel Durov said the company responded by adding protections, after which the app was restored.

Telegram was also temporarily banned in Brazil in 2023 after failing to provide authorities with information about groups accused of promoting violence in schools. In 2024, Apple removed Telegram from China’s App Store alongside WhatsApp, Threads, and Signal after receiving an order from the country’s internet regulator. That removal remains in effect.

The latest incident appears to have been temporary and geographically broad, but the missing explanation is the key unresolved fact. Telegram is available again in the US and EU; what remains unclear is why Apple’s listings disappeared in the first place, and whether every affected region has completed the restoration.