If you’ve been meaning to download Telegram from the Apple App Store but couldn’t find it, you’re not alone. It seems that Telegram was temporarily pulled from the App Store. However, it looks like it has also since been restored.
Telegram pulled from App Store temporarily
On Monday evening, Apple users searching for Telegram from the App Store couldn’t find it. It turns out that Telegram was pulled from the App Store, albeit temporarily. But why? What happened?
In a statement provided to 9to5Mac, Apple said its review of the app found that it violated their guidelines. That’s why it was taken down. However, Telegram removed the offending content, which allowed it back onto the App Store again.
reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated
— Telegram Messenger (@telegram) August 4, 2026
According to Apple, “We briefly removed Telegram from the App Store after our review found content that violates our strict guidelines prohibiting child sexual abuse material. The app was subsequently restored after the developer promptly removed the content and banned the user who posted it.”
Not Telegram’s first controversy
That being said, this isn’t Telegram’s first brush with controversy. Telegram, for those unfamiliar, is a messaging app like WhatsApp, LINE, Messenger, KakaoTalk, and so on. At least that’s on the surface. However, Telegram is much more than that. It hosts various channels/groups that users can join. It also hosts bots that allow for automated content.
But it is these types of content that have gotten it in trouble before. The app has been removed from the App Store in the past over “inappropriate content.” We’re talking about adult-related content and gambling, just to name a few. It has also run afoul of governments, namely due to its privacy focus and how it has refused, in the past, to cooperate with law enforcement.
So much so that several years ago, Telegram was banned for use on government devices and networks in the state of Georgia. That ban still remains in effect until today.
In any case, it looks like the app has been restored. So, if you were looking to download it or update to the latest version, you should be able to. Hopefully Telegram has learned its lesson and won’t see future removals. But we wouldn’t hold our breaths.
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