What is an MTProto proxy, and how does it actually work?

MTProto: Telegram's own protocol

MTProto (Mobile Transport Protocol) is the protocol Telegram uses to move your messages between your device and its servers. It handles encryption, packaging and delivery. Everything you send on Telegram already travels over MTProto — that part isn't optional or special.

What an MTProto proxy adds

Normally your device talks to Telegram's servers directly. If a network blocks those servers, Telegram stops working. An MTProto proxy is a relay server placed in between: your app connects to the proxy, and the proxy forwards your MTProto traffic to Telegram and back.

Because the proxy speaks Telegram's native protocol, the experience is seamless — no separate app, no system-wide changes. You enable it inside Telegram and only Telegram's traffic goes through it.

The "secret", explained

Every MTProto proxy link carries three things: a server (address), a port (number), and a secret (a long string of letters and numbers). The secret is a key that authenticates your connection to that specific proxy and encrypts the link between your device and the proxy. Without the correct secret, the proxy won't accept the connection.

That's why proxy links can't be guessed or shortened — the secret has to be exact.

FakeTLS: why some proxies last longer

Modern MTProto secrets often start with ee followed by a domain name encoded into the secret. This is FakeTLS (also called "dd"/"ee" secrets). It makes the proxy's traffic look like an ordinary HTTPS connection to a normal website.

Because the traffic blends in with everyday secure web browsing, automated systems have a harder time singling it out — so FakeTLS proxies tend to keep working longer than plain ones. When you receive a long secret beginning with ee, that's what you're looking at.

MTProto vs SOCKS5 proxies

For Telegram specifically, MTProto is the better choice: it's encrypted to the proxy, supports traffic disguise, and connects with a single link.

Frequently asked questions