Telegram is blocked or heavily restricted in several countries, and Iraq, Somalia, and India are among the most notable cases. Whether it is a government-imposed ban or a temporary shutdown during a political event, the result is the same: the app stops working. A proxy reroutes your Telegram traffic through a server in an unrestricted location, restoring access within minutes.
In this article, we'll explore why Telegram is blocked in each of these countries and how to set up a proxy to get it working again.
How to Set Up a Telegram Proxy in Iraq
Iraq has a history of blocking social media and messaging apps during periods of civil unrest. Telegram has been among the platforms cut off, often without prior notice. To get around this, open Telegram, go to Settings, then Data and Storage, and tap Proxy. Hit Add Proxy, select MTProto, and enter your server address and port.
MTProto is Telegram's own protocol and the hardest for network-level filtering to detect and block. Once connected, Telegram confirms the connection and shows latency.
Also Read: What is a Transparent Proxy
How to Set Up a Telegram Proxy in Somalia
Telegram access in Somalia is inconsistent and depends heavily on which ISP or region you are in. Some carriers block it outright, while others throttle it to the point of being unusable. The setup is the same: Settings, Data and Storage, Proxy, then add an MTProto proxy with your server credentials.
MTProto performs better on poor connections and is less likely to be filtered. If a server is slow or unresponsive, switch to one in Europe or the Middle East for better latency.
How to Set Up a Telegram Proxy in India
India does not have a nationwide Telegram ban, but the government has a documented pattern of ordering temporary app blocks in specific states during elections or security operations. When these happen, a proxy is the fastest fix. Go to Settings, Data and Storage, Proxy, and add a SOCKS5 proxy with your provider credentials.
SOCKS5 is sufficient for most cases in India since the blocks are rarely deep packet inspection-level. For harder-to-detect connections, residential proxies route traffic through real household IPs and start at $1.75/GB.
Also Read: How to Set Up a Proxy in AdsPower Browser
Final Thoughts
MTProto is the strongest option in heavily censored environments like Iraq and Somalia, while SOCKS5 handles most standard blocks in India without issues. If you need a proxy that is reliable and hard to block, pair Telegram with a residential proxy for the best results. No subscription required. Get started at proxyon.
