Telegram is one of the most popular messengers, but over time its cache and downloads Media files take up gigabytes of memory on a smartphone. This is especially true for videos that are automatically downloaded in high quality. If you notice that memory on Android is running out, and folders Telegram with thousands of files appear in the gallery, it’s time to clear the media.

In this article, we will look at how to delete unnecessary videos, photos and other files from Telegram without losing important data. You'll learn how to clear your chat history, set up auto-delete media, and free up space on your device. All instructions are relevant for the latest versions of the application on Android 12-15 and are adapted for different smartphone models.

The problem is not only in volume - many users are faced with the fact that files deleted from the chat remain in the phone’s memory. This happens due to the peculiarities of the cache and media storage in Telegram. We will tell you how completely erase files, and not just hide them from the messenger interface.

📊 How often do you clear media in Telegram?
Once a month
Only when you run out memory
Never cleared
I use automatic cleaning

Why does Telegram take up so much space on Android

Telegram by default saves all received media files to the device's memory. Even if you haven't clicked download, many files are downloaded automatically - especially in groups and channels. Here are the main reasons why the messenger is “bloated”:

🔹 Media Autoload. In default settings, Telegram downloads photos and videos when connected to Wi-Fi. For large chats, this means gigabytes of unnecessary files.

🔹 Chat cache. The messenger stores temporary copies of messages, stickers and animations for quick display. Over time, the cache can take up to 1-2 GB.

🔹 Telegram folder in the gallery. All downloaded files are saved in /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/. Even after being deleted from the chat, they remain on the device.

🔹 Secret chats. Files from secret chats are not synchronized with the cloud and are stored only on your phone, taking up additional space.

To check exactly how much memory Telegram takes up:

  1. Open Android Settings → Storage.
  2. Find Telegram in the list of applications.
  3. Look at the volume in the "Memory" section (usually from 500 MB to several GB).
💡

If Telegram is not displayed in the list of applications, try finding it through a search in the settings or use a file manager to check the folder /Telegram/.

How to delete individual videos and photos from a chat

If you need to get rid of specific files without clearing the entire chat, use the built-in Telegram tools. This method is suitable for deleting individual media without losing the correspondence history.

📌 Step 1. Deleting from the chat interface

  1. Open the chat where the unnecessary video or photo is located.
  2. Find the message with file and click on it.
  3. In the upper right corner, tap on three dots (⋮) → Delete.
  4. Select Delete for me (if you want to delete only your own) or Delete for everyone (if the message was sent you).

⚠️

Attention: Deletion for everyone works only during 48 hours after sending the message. For old messages, only deletion is available for me.

📌 Step 2. Checking deletion in the gallery

Even after deleting from the chat, the file may remain in the phone's memory. To completely erase it:

  1. Open the standard application Gallery or any file manager (for example, Files by Google).
  2. Go to the folder Telegram/Telegram Images (for photos) or Telegram/Telegram Video (for video).
  3. Find the file and delete it manually.

💡 If the folder Telegram is not displayed, turn on showing hidden files in the file manager settings.

Is the message deleted from the chat|Has the file disappeared from Telegram folders|Is the application cache cleared (in Android settings)|Is the free storage space checked-->

Clearing the entire chat history with media files

If you need to delete all correspondence along with media, use the clear history function. This is useful for groups, channels or personal chats where a lot of unnecessary ones have accumulated. files.

🔄 Method 1. Clearing history without deleting the chat

  1. Open the desired chat.
  2. Tap on the name of the interlocutor or the name of the group at the top of the screen.
  3. Select ⋮ → Clear history.
  4. Tick the box next to Delete media (if available).
  5. Confirm action.

🗑️ Method 2. Completely deleting the chat

If the chat is no longer needed:

  1. Hold your finger on the chat in the main list.
  2. Select Delete chat (for groups) or Clear history (for personal chats).
  3. Confirm deletion.

⚠️

Attention: When deleting secret chat all media files are permanently deleted and cannot be restored. In regular chats, files may remain in the folder Telegram on the device.

📊 Comparison of cleaning methods:

Method Deletes media Deletes messages Recovery is possible
Deleting a separate file ✅ (only selected) ❌ ❌
Clearing history ✅ (optional) ✅ ❌
Deleting a chat ✅ ✅ ❌
Manually clearing the Telegram folder ✅ ❌ ✅ (if not overwritten)

Setting up auto-delete media in Telegram

To avoid clearing media manually, set up automatic deletion of unnecessary files. Telegram allows you to flexibly manage media storage through the app settings.

⚙️ How to disable auto-download of media:

  1. Open Telegram Settings → Data and Memory.
  2. Select Media Autoload.
  3. For each network type (mobile, Wi-Fi, roaming) configure parameters:
    • 📷 Photo —disable or select minimum quality.
    • 🎥 Video —install Never or Less than 50 MB.
    • 🎵 Audio and 📄 Files — limit by size.

🧹 How to enable automatic cache clearing:

  1. Go to Settings → Data and memory.
  2. Activate the option Clear cache.
  3. Select a period (for example, Every week).

    4. 🔍 Additional settings to save space:

    • 📥 Limit downloads in groups: In the group settings, you can disable auto-loading of media.
    • 🗃️ Storing media in the cloud: Enable Save to Telegram Media (available in some versions).
    • 🔄 Clearing on exit: In the privacy settings, you can enable the removal of media after logging out of your account.
What to do if the startup settings are not saved?

In some versions of Telegram on Android 12 and below, the startup settings may be reset after the update. To do this. fix:

1. Clear the application cache in the Android settings.

2. Restart Telegram.

3. Re-configure auto-download.

If the problem persists, check the application permissions (storage and network access).

Manually cleaning the Telegram folder through the file manager

Even after deleting files from the chat, they can remain in the device memory. To completely erase mediayou need to manually clear the Telegram folder.

📁 Step-by-step guide:

  1. Open any file manager (for example Files by Google, Total Commander or standard Explorer).
  2. Navigate to the path: 
    /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/
  3. Delete unnecessary folders:
    • Telegram Images — photos
    • Telegram Video — video
    • Telegram Audio —voice messages and music
    • Telegram Documents — files and documents
  • Empty the file manager recycle bin.

    • ⚠️

    Attention: Deleting files from a folder Telegram irreversible. If you accidentally deleted an important file, you can only restore it through a backup copy or specialized apps (for example, DiskDigger), but success is not guaranteed.

    🔎 How to find hidden files in Telegram:

    Some media files may be stored in hidden folders. To see them:

    1. In the file manager, enable the display of hidden files (usually in the settings or through menu ⋮ → Show hidden).
    2. Check folders: 
      /storage/emulated/0/Telegram/Telegram Cache/

      /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/org.telegram.messenger/cache/

    💡

    Manually cleaning the Telegram folder is the most reliable way to free up space, but it requires caution. Always check the contents before deleting so as not to lose important files.

    Clearing the Telegram cache through Android settings

    If you do not want to manually delete files, you can clear the Telegram cache through the system settings. This will delete temporary data, but will not affect the main media files.

    🗑️ Instructions:

    1. Open Android Settings → Applications.
    2. Find Telegram in the list and tap on it.
    3. Select Storage → Clear cache.
    4. For complete clearing, tap Clear data (⚠️ this will delete all settings and login to your account!).

      5. 📊 What is deleted when clearing the cache:

      • ✅ Temporary files (thumbnails, previews)
      • ✅ Cache of stickers and animations
      • ✅ Logs and temporary data
      • ❌ Main media files (photos, videos from chats)
      • ❌ Message history

      ⚠️

      Attention: Clearing application data (not the cache!) will lead to logging out of your account and deleting all local settings. After this, you will have to re-enter your phone number and configure Telegram.

      🔄 How often to clear the cache:

      Recommended. frequency depends on activity:

      • 📱 Active users (many groups/channels) - once every 1-2 weeks.
      • 📲 Average activity - once a month.
      • 📵 Minimal use - once every 2-3 months.

      Recovering accidentally deleted media in Telegram

      If you deleted important files from Telegram, you can try to restore them depending on how long ago the cleaning took place and whether data recovery apps were used after that.

      🔄 Recovery methods:

      1. Checking the recycle bin:
        • Some file managers (for example, Google Files) have a recycle bin where files are stored for 30 days.
        • Open the menu Trash and check if the required media is there.
      2. Recovering via backup:
        • If you have Android backup enabled (for example, via Google Drive), try restoring data from backup.
        • To do this, go to Android Settings → System → Backup.
      3. Specialized apps:
        • Use utilities like DiskDigger, Recuva (for PC) or Dumpster (recycle bin app).
        • Efficiency depends on whether the files have been overwritten with new data.
    5. Telegram cloud storage:
      • If the files were sent to the cloud (not secret chat), they can be downloaded again.
      • Open the chat, find the message with the file and click Download.

    ⚠️ What will NOT help restore files:

    • ❌ Clearing history in Telegram (files are deleted permanently).
    • ❌ Reinstalling the application (local files are erased).
    • ❌ Resetting the phone to factory settings.

    💡 Tip for future: To avoid losing important files, regularly save them to the cloud (Google Drive, Yandex.Disk) or to your computer.

    Additional tips for managing media in Telegram

    To avoid having full memory in the future, follow these recommendations:

    🔹 Use cloud services

    Set up automatic downloading of important files to Google Photos, Yandex.Disk or Dropbox. This will free up space on your phone without losing access to media.

    🔹 Limit downloads in groups

    In large groups and channels, disable auto-loading media:

    1. Open information about the group.
    2. Select Notifications → Auto-loading media.
    3. Install Never or limit by size.

    🔹 Check your storage regularly

    Use built-in Android tools to monitor used space:

    • 📊 Settings → Storage → Telegram —here you can see how much the application is taking up.
    • 🔍 Applications like Storage Analyzer help you find large unnecessary files.

    🔹 Set up notifications about overflow

    In some firmware (for example MIUI or One UI) you can enable alerts when the memory is more than 90% full. To do this:

    1. Go to Settings → Storage.
    2. Activate option Notify about low memory.
    💡

    If you often share large files, consider using Telegram Premium. A subscription allows you to download files up to 4 GB (instead of 2 GB in the free version) and gives access to advanced settings. storage.

    FAQ: Frequently asked questions about deleting media in Telegram

    Is it possible to delete media from Telegram without deleting them from the gallery?

    No, Telegram saves all downloaded files to a folder /Telegram/, which is displayed in the gallery. To prevent files from appearing in photos, you can:

    1. Hide the Telegram folder in the gallery settings (if such an option exists).
    2. Use a file manager that does not scan the folder Telegram.
    3. Add a file to the folder .nomedia (create it using any text editor).
    Why does it remain on the phone after deleting a video from the chat?

    Telegram stores files in two places:

    • B chat interface (deleted when cleared history).
    • In device memory (folder Telegram), from where files must be deleted manually.

    This is done for speed up the work of the messenger - re-downloading files is not required.

    How to disable the creation of a Telegram folder in the gallery?

    You cannot completely disable the creation of a folder, but you can:

    1. Disable auto-downloading of media in the Telegram settings (Data and memory → Autoload media).
    2. Use Telegram X —an alternative client with more flexible storage settings.
    3. On some firmware (for example, ColorOS) you can exclude a folder from scanning by the gallery.
    You can Is it possible to restore a video deleted from a secret chat?

    No. Files from secret chats are not synchronized with the cloud are stored only on your device. After deletion, they cannot be restored if:

    • The file was not copied to another location.
    • The phone's memory was not scanned by recovery apps immediately after deletion.
    How to clear media in Telegram on an SD card?

    If you save files to an SD card:

    1. Open the file manager and go to /storage/[SD_CARD]/Telegram/.
    2. Delete unnecessary folders (Telegram Video, Telegram Images etc.).
    3. Clear the Telegram cache in Android settings (section Storage).

    ⚠️ Deleting files from the SD card does not affect their display in chats, since Telegram only stores links to them.