[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)

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
* Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org | tomorrow's retro tech (1:218/700)