Telegram Ads can promote a mobile app, but it has no dedicated app-install campaign type: an ad links to a website or an app store page, and you have to count installs with your own tools. What it does offer is device targeting (iOS or Android) and placement in channels where your audience already reads. Below: how to set up the funnel, how to calculate cost per install and what published case studies show.
Can you advertise an app with Telegram Ads?
Yes. Since 2023, Telegram Ads has allowed links to external websites, not only to channels and bots: Sostav reported a test launch in June 2023, and Spot.uz reported the wider rollout in August. There is no install-optimized campaign type like the ones mobile ad networks offer: an ad is text of up to 160 characters, optional media and a button with a link.
The Telegram Ads guidelines (ads.telegram.org/guidelines) have no separate section on apps. The general rules apply: no URL shorteners, a working destination, no pages that only redirect automatically to another domain, and the ad, the channel and the landing page must be in the same language. Real-money gambling and modified apps containing malicious code are also prohibited.
Where to send traffic: three options
| Option | How it works | Pros and cons |
|---|---|---|
| Landing page or app web page | The ad leads to a website, from which the user goes to the App Store or Google Play | You can use a pixel and UTM tags; the extra step lowers conversion |
| Tracking link (deep link) | A mobile measurement link opens the store or the already installed app | More accurate install attribution; a link with a redirect has to pass moderation |
| The app’s channel or bot | The user first joins a channel or starts a bot, then moves on to install | The audience stays in Telegram for follow-up touches; the path to install is longer |
If your product has a Telegram bot or Mini App, you can promote it directly, and no store install is needed at all. That scenario is covered in how to promote a Telegram bot or Mini App with Telegram Ads.
Targeting for apps
The Target users mode of the euro account has a device type setting. According to the eProfit.me blog (August 2026), the options are all devices, iOS, Android, mobile and desktop. The authors recommend narrowing by device only when it really affects conversion, for example when the app exists for only one operating system.
- Device type. Cuts out desktop and the “wrong” platform. If the app is on both systems, run separate ads for iOS and Android so you can see the cost per install for each.
- Channels and topics. Show ads in channels close to what the app does: finance for a banking app, sports for a fitness tracker. All settings are described in Telegram Ads targeting.
- Language and location. The ad and the store page must match the channel’s language, and the country is determined by the user’s IP address.
Telegram Ads has no age or gender targeting, so demographics have to be approximated through channel selection.
How to track installs
The Telegram Ads account shows impressions, clicks and CTR, but not installs: app stores don’t pass that data to it. So installs are counted on your side.
- Tag your links. Use a separate link for each ad or channel group: UTM tags for a website, tracking links from a mobile measurement service for the app.
- Put the pixel on the landing page. The Telegram Ads pixel records actions on the website, such as a tap on the store button, but not the install itself.
- Combine the data. Cost per install (CPI) = spend ÷ installs. Include the reseller’s fee and taxes in spend, or your CPI will look lower than it is.
- Look beyond the install. Sign-ups, first payments and retention matter more than the install itself.
Before launching, ask your reseller whether moderation will accept your tracking link: the rule on auto-redirecting pages is applied by moderators, and Telegram does not publish a list of approved services.
What case studies show
There are few public case studies with installs, and almost all are published by the agencies that ran them. Two examples:
- Insurance app, Ukraine (Netpeak). According to the agency’s column on komersant.ua (the campaign dates aren’t given): nearly 1 million impressions over two weeks, CTR 0.49%, click-to-install conversion 14.27%, and a cost per install of 74 UAH against a planned 150 UAH. The team used deep links and Branch.io analytics and excluded existing users. Image ads had a 40.8% higher CPM than text ads but converted better.
- Crypto exchange (Magnetto.pro). In a case study published in March 2024 and updated in July 2026, traffic to the website and to the app was tested in parallel. €891.29 went to the app, and that direction performed worse than the website; iOS-only targeting was dropped after the test.
The takeaway from both: results depend heavily on the offer and the niche, so your app needs its own test rather than borrowed numbers.
Budget and pitfalls
For Russian advertisers working through resellers, the first top-up of a euro account is usually €250–500 plus the reseller’s fee and VAT (as of October 2026); see how much Telegram Ads costs and compare intermediaries in the resellers section.
- No install optimization. The auction runs on your CPM bid; the algorithm doesn’t look for people likely to install. Optimization is your manual work with channels and creatives.
- Restricted categories. Real-money gambling is banned, and financial and medical products face stricter review; see moderation rules.
- Russia-specific rules. Ads aimed at a Russian audience must be labeled with an erid token. In addition, in 2026 Russia’s competition regulator (FAS) stated that advertising in Telegram may violate the Advertising Law and announced a transition period without penalties until the end of 2026. This is not legal advice; details are in Telegram Ads labeling in Russia.
Who Telegram Ads works for in app promotion
The channel makes sense when an app’s audience actively reads niche channels: fintech, crypto, media, education, Telegram utilities. It is a weaker fit for mass-market games and apps that need cheap installs at high volume with automatic optimization; mobile ad networks handle that job more easily. To automate bids and reporting across many ads, see the tools in the services section, such as the free TG Adviser.
FAQ
Can a Telegram ad link directly to the App Store or Google Play?
The Telegram Ads guidelines don’t treat app store links as a separate category: an ad may lead to an external website. URL shorteners and pages that only redirect to another domain are not allowed. It’s best to clear tracking links with redirects with your reseller in advance.
Does Telegram Ads support iOS and Android targeting?
Yes. In Target users mode you can choose the device type: all devices, iOS, Android, mobile or desktop. The setting can’t be changed after launch, so it’s convenient to create a separate ad for each platform.
Does the Telegram Ads account report installs?
No. It shows impressions, clicks, CTR and, for Telegram destinations, joins. Installs are counted with mobile measurement services and tagged links, and landing page actions with the pixel and UTM tags.
How much does an app install cost with Telegram Ads?
There is no universal figure. In Netpeak’s published case for an insurance app in Ukraine, an install cost 74 UAH, but that is one example in one niche. You can only learn your own cost per install by testing.
Is it better to send users to a website or straight to the store?
A direct store link removes a step but is harder to measure without tracking links. A landing page gives you a pixel and UTM tags but loses some users along the way. Many advertisers test both with separate ads.
Can you advertise mobile games with Telegram Ads?
Yes, as long as the game doesn’t involve gambling for real money, prizes or anything of value; such ads are banned by the Telegram Ads guidelines. For games that run inside Telegram, it’s easier to promote the bot or Mini App.
