Why Telegram
Telegram is how you'll talk to your OpenClaw. It's the recommended first channel because:
- Easiest to set up — 5 minutes, no domain or public IP needed
- Works everywhere — phone, tablet, desktop, web
- Bot API is free and generous
- Supports voice, photos, files, and rich formatting
- Groups — you can add your OpenClaw to group chats later
Other channels (WhatsApp, Discord, Signal) can come later, but start with Telegram.
Step 1: Create a Telegram Account
If you don't already have Telegram:
- Download the Telegram app on your phone (iOS / Android)
- Sign up with your phone number
- Set a username (Settings → tap your profile at the top → Username) — you'll need this later
- Enable two-factor authentication (Settings → Privacy and Security → Two-Step Verification)
Save this login in Bitwarden.
Step 2: Create a Telegram Bot
Bots are how OpenClaw appears in Telegram. You create one through Telegram's BotFather:
- Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
- Send
/newbot - Give your bot a display name (e.g., "My OpenClaw")
- Give it a username — must end in
bot(e.g.,my_openclaw_bot,MyOpenClawBot, ormyopenclawbot) - BotFather will reply with a message containing your bot's token — a long string that looks like
123456789:ABCdefGHI...
Save this token in Bitwarden immediately. Create an entry called "Telegram Bot — OpenClaw" — put your bot's username in the username field and the token in the password field.
Step 3: Configure the Bot
Still in BotFather, send /mybots and tap your bot's name. This opens a button menu where you can configure everything:
- Tap Edit Bot → Edit Description — set it to something like "My personal AI assistant"
- Tap Edit Bot → Edit Botpic — upload a profile picture (optional but nice)
- Tap Bot Settings → Group Privacy → Turn off
When You're Done
- Telegram account created (or existing account ready)
- Two-factor authentication enabled
- Bot created via BotFather
- Bot token saved in Bitwarden
- Bot privacy set to Disabled (for future group use)