Everybody: If you select this, anyone on Telegram who searches for your phone number can find your profile.
My Contacts: Only users who have your phone number saved in their device's address book (and also use Telegram) will be able to find your profile by searching for your number.
Nobody (Recommended for highest privacy): If you telegram number database choose this, no one, not even your contacts, will be able to find your Telegram profile by searching for your phone number. This significantly limits discoverability via your number.
How to Set:
Tap on "Who can find me by my number?"
Select your preferred option.
4. Adding Exceptions ("Always Allow" / "Never Allow")
For both "Who can see my phone number?" and "Who can find me by my number?", Telegram allows you to set exceptions. This means you can override your general setting for specific users.
"Always Allow": Users added to this list will always be able to see/find your number, even if your general setting is "Nobody."
"Never Allow": Users added to this list will never be able to see/find your number, even if your general setting is "Everybody" or "My Contacts."
How to Use:
After selecting your general setting (e.g., "Nobody" for maximum privacy), look for the "Add Users" option under "Always Allow" or "Never Allow" at the bottom of the screen.
Tap it and select contacts from your list.
Important Related Privacy Settings & Tips:
Go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Contacts.