When Telegram will not connect, or goes quiet

Connecting takes four steps and has its own article. This is the list of reasons it does not work, in roughly the order they happen.

The code expired

The code you paste to the bot is good for 15 minutes. Ask for a new one from Settings → Delivery — issuing a new code replaces the old one on the spot, which is deliberate: nobody should be left with two live codes, one of them sitting in an older screenshot.

"Telegram is already linked. Unlink it first."

One account points at one chat. We refuse to re-point a live link rather than doing it quietly, because a row holding two answers to "where do this reader's picks go" will eventually send a paid selection into a chat the account no longer controls. Disconnect first, then connect the chat you want.

The toggle is greyed out

There is nothing to switch on until the chat is connected. Connect first, switch on after.

Connected, but nothing arrives

• Your balance is at zero. You get the empty-balance notice instead of the card. Add days and the next release arrives in full.
• Delivery is paused. A pause suppresses pick alerts on every channel until it ends.
• The alert or the channel is switched off in Settings → Alerts. They are two separate switches.
• You blocked the bot. Blocking works instantly and does not depend on us; unblock it in Telegram and press Start again.