Telegram: bot shows connected but receives no messages

Symptoms

• Telegram token is configured and the gateway reports Telegram as started/connected.
• But the bot never receives messages (DM or group), even though Telegram shows them delivered.

Cause

Common causes:

• Telegram privacy mode prevents group messages unless the bot is mentioned (depends on how you use it).
• A webhook/polling conflict (another bot framework/webhook is registered for the same token).
• Network/DNS restrictions prevent long-polling from working reliably on the gateway host.

Fix

1) Probe channel status from the gateway

On the gateway host:

openclaw channels status --probe

2) Check group behavior (mentions/privacy mode)

In groups, try mentioning the bot explicitly.

If you need the bot to react without mentions, adjust your group activation/rules (and consider allowlists to avoid spam).

3) Ensure the token is not used elsewhere

If you previously used the same bot token with another framework that set a webhook, remove it (or create a new bot token dedicated to OpenClaw).

4) If you’re on a restricted network

Run the gateway on a host that can reliably reach Telegram (VPS), or use an egress path that allows Telegram connections, then restart the gateway.

Verify

• Sending a DM triggers a response.
• In a group, mentioning the bot triggers a response (and your desired activation mode works).