Telescope (telescope.me): creator live streams on the web and in Telegram

Telescope is built around live video. Creators go live, and viewers watch from the Explore page, which groups streams into three tabs: Trending, Most Popular and New. Next to the live streams there is a Reels feed of short videos and a public creator directory where each creator has a profile with their @handle.

The business model is closer to a live-cam site than to a subscription site. Telescope’s Terms make watching public streams free and sell optional extras through Coins, a virtual currency. Viewers spend Coins on Gifts they send to a creator during a stream, on VIP status with a specific creator, and on premium or private streams. The Terms do not describe a monthly subscription.

The Terms also set the ground rules: users must be 18 or older, creators complete KYC/AML checks when Telescope requests them, the content standards prohibit content involving minors (among other things), and Telescope handles copyright complaints through DMCA takedowns with a repeat-infringer policy.

You can use Telescope in two places. On the web, you open telescope.me in any browser, on a phone or a computer. Inside Telegram, Telescope runs as a Mini App: a web app that opens within the Telegram app instead of a separate browser tab.

Mini Apps are a standard Telegram feature. Telegram’s developer docs describe them as apps that can be launched from a t.me link, run full-screen and be added to the home screen, and Telegram’s Mini App terms treat them as third-party services that operate independently of Telegram. In practice: Telescope is not made by Telegram, and its own Terms, not Telegram’s, govern what you do there.

Several unrelated bots and products on Telegram also use the name “Telescope”, so the safest route is to start from telescope.me (the buttons on this page go there) rather than searching Telegram for the name.

“Free to watch” does not mean everything is free: a creator can mark a stream or content as premium. Our how Telescope works guide explains Coins, Gifts, VIP and premium streams in plain terms, and our comparisons put Telescope next to OnlyFans, Fansly and Chaturbate.

On Telescope itself, the Explore tabs show who is live now, and the public creator directory lists creator profiles by @handle. The “Live now on Telescope” row near the top of this page (and on the Lovitro homepage and directory) comes straight from Telescope’s own public live feed and refreshes about once a minute; when nobody is live, or the feed can’t be reached, the row simply isn’t shown. Lovitro creators who are live on Telescope also get a LIVE badge and move to the top of our grid.

If you are looking for a creator’s Telegram channel rather than a live stream, the Lovitro creator directory lists Telegram links we have checked. “Link verified” on Lovitro means the Telegram link works and the name matches the profile — it is not an ID check. Our guide on how to find Telegram creators covers how to spot impersonators.

Whichever platform you use, check that the @username matches the one the creator publishes on her own profiles, and be wary of accounts that message you first with a link or ask for a fee to “unlock” a chat.