To get camera alerts on Telegram, create your own bot with @BotFather, paste its token into the Forwarding Hub in the AndrIoT dashboard, start the bot in Telegram, and press Find my chat. From then on, motion alerts and other events from your old phone arrive as Telegram messages. Webhook and MQTT forwarding work the same way, and are available on the Pro plan.
This guide walks through the Telegram setup, explains when to use a webhook or MQTT instead, shows which events can be forwarded, and covers the common reasons an alert does not arrive.
Key takeaways
- Telegram alerts need a bot that you create yourself with @BotFather. It takes about five minutes.
- Paste the bot token in the Forwarding Hub, start the bot in Telegram, then press Find my chat so the dashboard learns your chat.
- Telegram is on Standard and Pro. Webhook and MQTT are on Pro.
- Webhook sends events to a web address you control. MQTT publishes them to a broker, which suits home automation.
- Keep the bot token private: anyone with it can send messages as your bot.
What the Forwarding Hub does
Push notifications are fine for a quick ping, but a chat message can be searched, shared with family and read on any device. The Forwarding Hub takes events from the dashboard (motion, tamper, power outage, sensor readings) and sends them on to the place you choose.
| Destination | Plan | Best for | You need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telegram | Standard and Pro | Alerts in a chat you already use | A Telegram account and a bot you create |
| Webhook | Pro | Your own server, a no-code automation tool, a script | A web address that accepts requests |
| MQTT | Pro | Home automation and dashboards | An MQTT broker you run or rent |
Set up Telegram alerts, step by step
There is no Link Telegram button. You create a small bot that belongs to you and the dashboard talks to Telegram through it. That keeps alerts under your control.
- Open @BotFather in Telegram. Search for BotFather (the official bot with a blue tick) and press Start.
- Create the bot. Send
/newbot, choose a display name, then choose a username that ends inbot. BotFather replies with a token, a long string of letters and numbers. - Copy the token and keep it private. It is the password for your bot.
- Open the Forwarding Hub in the dashboard at app.andriot.net and choose Telegram.
- Paste the token into the Telegram bot field and save.
- Start your bot. In Telegram, open your new bot by its username and press Start or send any message. The bot cannot message you until you have done this.
- Press Find my chat in the Forwarding Hub. The dashboard finds your chat with the bot and fills it in.
- Send a test message and then trigger a real alert, for example by walking in front of the camera.
Sending alerts to a family group
If more than one person should get alerts, add the bot to a group chat and send a message in the group. Then run Find my chat, and pick the group if the dashboard offers a choice. Anyone in the group will see every alert, so only add people who should see the camera events. For privacy, avoid large groups.
Webhook: send alerts to your own system
A webhook is a web address that receives a message when something happens. Use it to start a script, post to a chat service, write to a spreadsheet or trigger a no-code automation. Webhook forwarding is on the Pro plan.
- Create a receiving endpoint. Many automation tools give you a web address to paste in.
- Open the Forwarding Hub and choose Webhook.
- Paste the address and save.
- Trigger a test event and check that your endpoint receives it.
- Use HTTPS addresses and keep the address secret, because anyone with it can post to your endpoint.
Check the format of the message in the test event before you build on it, and handle failures on your side, such as the endpoint being offline.
MQTT: connect to home automation
MQTT is a light messaging system used by many home automation tools. A broker receives messages, and other devices subscribe to topics. With the Forwarding Hub you can publish alerts and sensor readings to a broker and let your automation react, for example turning on a light when motion is seen. MQTT is on the Pro plan.
- Use a broker you control, either at home or hosted, and protect it with a username and password.
- Choose clear topic names, such as one per phone.
- Test by subscribing with an MQTT client and triggering an event.
- If the broker is at home, it must be reachable from the internet, so protect it properly or choose a hosted broker.
Which events can be forwarded
- Motion alerts from the zones you draw. See the motion guide.
- Tamper and tripwire alarms when the phone is moved.
- Power-outage alarm when the phone stops charging.
- Sound-level alerts (decibel) on Standard and Pro.
- Sensor readings such as temperature, battery and light. See the sensor hub guide.
If an alert does not arrive
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Test message never arrives on Telegram | The bot was not started | Open the bot in Telegram, press Start, then Find my chat again |
| Find my chat finds nothing | No message sent to the bot yet | Send any message to the bot and try again |
| Bot token rejected | Typo or a revoked token | Copy the token again from BotFather |
| Alerts stop after some days | Phone stopped by battery saver | Exempt the app; see the power guide |
| Webhook gets nothing | Wrong address or endpoint down | Test the address with a request from your computer |
| MQTT messages missing | Wrong broker details or topic | Subscribe to all topics from a client to check |
If you think the bot token has leaked, send /revoke to BotFather to create a new one and paste it in the Forwarding Hub.
Tips for useful alerts
- Start with one alert type. Motion in a zone is enough. Add tamper and power later.
- Name the phones clearly so a message tells you which phone raised it.
- Mute the chat at night if the alert is not urgent, and unmute for the one phone that matters.
- Do not forward everything. If alerts become noise you stop reading them.
- Use one chat per person or one group per household, not a public channel.
Pros and limits
Pros
- Alerts in a chat you already use and can search.
- Webhook and MQTT let you connect to your own systems.
- Works for motion, tamper, power and sensor events.
- The bot is yours, so you control who receives alerts.
Limits
- Telegram needs a bot you create yourself.
- Webhook and MQTT need the Pro plan.
- You must start the bot before it can message you.
- Alerts need the phone online and the app running.
FAQ
How do I get camera alerts on Telegram?
Create a bot with @BotFather, paste its token in the Forwarding Hub, start the bot in Telegram, and press Find my chat. Then send a test message.
Is there a Link Telegram button?
No. You create your own bot with BotFather and paste its token. The Find my chat button then finds your chat once you have started the bot.
Which plan do I need?
Telegram is on Standard and Pro. Webhook and MQTT forwarding are on Pro.
Can I send alerts to a group?
Yes. Add the bot to the group, send a message there, and press Find my chat. Everyone in the group will see every alert.
What if I leaked my bot token?
Send /revoke to BotFather to get a new token and paste it into the Forwarding Hub.