People Nearby is an optional feature that allows Telegram users to explore local groups, find friends to chat with in their area, or quickly exchange contacts with people who are close.
You can find it in Contacts > Find People Nearby, as well as directly in the side menu on Android.
While you have the People Nearby section open on your screen, people who are very close will be able to see you there. If you don't open the section, others will never see you in 'People Nearby'.
-You can also choose to permanently add your profile to the list of nearby people by tapping Make Myself Visible. After becoming visible, you can remove your profile from the list at any time by tapping Stop Showing Me.
+Note: People Nearby is never turned on by default – users must manually enable it. If you are receiving messages from someone you don't know, see Q: Who can contact me?
You can also choose to permanently add your profile to the list of nearby people by tapping Make Myself Visible. After becoming visible, you can remove your profile from the list at any time by tapping Stop Showing Me.
++To protect user privacy, 'People Nearby' always shows distances to approximate locations. As of February 2022, these distances are offset by 700 meters (previously 100 meters).
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Yes. You can always delete any messages you sent or received for both sides in any one-on-one conversation (in groups, it's still your own messages only). You can also clear the entire chat history on both ends. On Telegram, deleted messages do not leave a mark in the chat.