Cleaning Telegram on Android: how to free up Samsung phone memory

Messenger Telegram has become an integral part of everyday communication, but its active use often leads to to overflowing the internal memory of the smartphone. This problem is especially acute for owners of devices Samsung with limited storage capacity (16–64 GB). Even if you regularly delete unnecessary files, media files and service data can take up gigabytes of space, slowing down your phone. Telegram cache, media files and service data can take up gigabytes of space, slowing down your phone.

In this article we will analyze unique Telegram cleaning methods adapted for firmware One UI from Samsungwhich will help not only free up memory, but also optimize performance messenger. You will learn how to safely delete unnecessary data, set up automatic cleaning and avoid common mistakes that lead to the loss of important messages or media files.

Why does Telegram take up so much memory on Samsung?

Unlike other messengers Telegram by default saves all media files (photos, videos, documents) in the device’s memory, even if you did not download them deliberately. This is due to the architecture of the application, where:

• 📁 Cache — temporary files for quick loading of chats (can weigh up to 1–2 GB).
• 🖼️ Media — automatically downloaded photos/videos from dialogues (often takes 5+ GB).
• 🗃️ Database —message history and service files (grows with active use).
• 🔄 Residual files —undeleted data after reinstalling Telegram.

On smartphones Samsung the situation is aggravated by the peculiarities of the file system F2FS (used in most models with Android 9+), which fragments small Telegram files, slowing down access to them. In addition, the firmware One UI aggressively caches application data, which leads to folder bloat /Android/data/org.telegram.messenger.

Preparation: what to do before cleaning

Before you start deleting files Be sure to back up. Telegram does not sync local media files to the cloud, so losing them may be irreversible. Follow the checklist:

Export important chats to Settings → Advanced → Export chat history

Copy folder Telegram/Telegram Images on PC or cloud

Check for free space (minimum 10% of total memory)

Close all background applications (especially file managers)

Disable automatic media downloading in Settings → Data and memory-->

Pay special attention to the folder /storage/emulated/0/Telegram —all downloaded files are stored here. On Samsung it can be found through standard My files or third-party managers like Solid Explorer. If you use SD cardcheck whether the Telegram cache has been transferred to it (this may happen automatically when setting up default storage). One UI this may happen automatically when you configure default storage).

⚠️ Attention: On some models Samsung Galaxy (for example, A52, S21) the folder Android/data is hidden. To see it, click My files Attention: ⋮ → Settings → Show hidden files.

Method 1: Clear cache through Telegram settings

The safest method is to use the messenger’s built-in tools. They allow you to delete unnecessary data without the risk of damaging the system. Follow the instructions:

1. Open Telegram and go to ⚙️ Settings → Data and memory.
2. Tap on Memory Usage —a detailed report on occupied space will be displayed here.
3. Select Clear cache (will delete temporary files, but will not affect media).
4. For deep clearing, click Memory management → Clear history and select a range (e.g. "Older than 6 months").

On smartphones Samsung s Android 12+ after clearing the cache, it is recommended to restart the device - this will reset background processes. One UIthat could hold deleted files in memory.

Data type	What is deleted	Is it restored after cleaning?
Application cache	Temporary files for fast loading of chats	Yes, the next time you open Telegram
Media files	Photos, videos, documents from chats	No (if not saved in the cloud)
Database	Message history and settings	Partially (messages will remain in the cloud, but the local history will be deleted)
Residual files	Undeleted data after uninstallation	No

Method 2: Manual cleaning through the file manager

For complete control over deleted files, use My files (standard application Samsung) or Total Commander. Algorithm of actions:

1. Open My files and go to Internal storage → Android → data → org.telegram.messenger.
2. Delete the folders:
   • cache — application cache.
   • files — downloaded media files.
   • temp — temporary files.
3. Return to the root directory and delete the folder Telegram (if it is empty or contains unnecessary files).

On Samsung Galaxy s Android 13 and later, some folders may be protected Scoped Storage. If you see the "No access" message, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings → Applications → Telegram → Permissions.
2. Activate permission Manage all files (required for manual clearing).
3. If the option is missing, use ADB command:

   adb shell pm grant org.telegram.messenger android.permission.MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

⚠️ Attention: Deleting a folder org.telegram.messenger will completely reset the application settings. Before doing this, export your chat history as described in the "Preparation" section.

Method 3: Using Samsung system tools

Firmware One UI offers built-in memory optimization tools that can be applied to Telegram. Here's how it works:

1. Open Settings → Device Maintenance → Memory.
2. Tap on Clear —the system will scan unnecessary files, including the Telegram cache.
3. For deep cleaning, select Advanced → Unneeded data and mark Telegram in the list.
4. Click Clear and confirm the action.

On models Galaxy S22, S23 and newer, a function is available RAM Plusthat may conflict with Telegram background processes. If after cleaning the messenger continues to slow down, turn off RAM Plus to Settings → Device maintenance → Memory → RAM Plus.

What if Telegram does not open after cleaning?

If after manually deleting files Telegram has stopped launching, follow these steps:

1. Reinstall the application via Galaxy Store or Google Play.

2. When starting for the first time, wait for synchronization (may take up to 10 minutes).

3. If chats are not restored, use the function Restore from cloud in your account settings.

4. One UI 5.0+ may need to reset permissions: go to Settings → Applications → Telegram → Permissions → Reset Samsung With One UI 5.0+ may need to reset permissions: go to Settings → Applications → Telegram → Permissions → Reset.

Method 4: Settings automatic cleaning

To avoid manual cleaning, configure Telegram to automatically manage memory:

1. Open Settings → Data and memory.
2. Enable the option Optimization memory.
3. Set a storage limit (for example, 1 GB) in the section Memory usage.
4. Activate Auto-cleaning cache and select a period (weekly/monthly).

For users Samsung DeX (desktop mode), it is recommended to additionally disable caching of media files in the settings DeX (Settings → DeX functions → Application optimization, since in this mode Telegram can create duplicate cache files.

Parameter	Recommended value	Effect
Memory optimization	Enabled	Automatically deletes old media files
Storage limit	1–2 GB	Prevents memory overflow
Auto-cleaning cache	Weekly	Reduces the volume of temporary files
Autoload media	Disabled (or only via Wi-Fi)	Reduces the flow of incoming files

What to do if the memory still runs out?

If after all the manipulations Telegram continues to take up too much space, consider alternative solutions:

• 🔄 Transfer to SD card: On some models Samsung (for example, Galaxy A72, M52) you can transfer the Telegram cache to a memory card. To do this:
  1. Insert SD card (format exFAT or FAT32).
  2. In My files select folder Telegram, click ⋮ → Move → SD card.
  3. In the Telegram settings, specify the SD card as the default storage location (Settings → Data and memory → Folder for downloads).
• ☁️ Cloud storage: Use Google Drive or Samsung Cloud to backup media files. In Telegram, set up automatic uploading of photos/videos to the cloud (Settings → Data and memory → Saving media).
• 📱 Light version of Telegram: Install Telegram X —an optimized version of the messenger with less memory consumption. You can download it in Galaxy Store.

On devices with Android 14 and One UI 6.0 a function has appeared that automatically archives rarely used files. To activate it: Adaptive storage, which automatically archives rarely used files. To activate it:

1. Go to Settings → Device Maintenance → Memory → Advanced.
2. Enable Adaptive storage and add Telegram to the list of optimized applications.

⚠️ Attention: Transferring data to an SD card may reduce the speed of Telegram, so how Samsung uses slower controllers for external drives. Test performance after transfer.

💡

Regularly clearing the Telegram cache (every 1-2 weeks) and setting up automatic memory management can save up to 30% of internal storage on Samsung smartphones with active use messenger.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about clearing Telegram on Samsung

Is it possible to clear Telegram without losing messages?

Yes, if you delete only the cache and media files, the message history is stored in the Telegram cloud and will be restored the next time you log in. local media files (photos, videos, documents) will be deleted permanently if not saved elsewhere.

Why does Telegram quickly fill up the memory again after cleaning?

This happens due to automatic downloading of media files Open Settings → Data and memory → Autoload media and disable photo/video downloading in mobile data or set a limit on the size of downloaded files.

How to clear Telegram on Samsung if it does not open?

Use a file manager to manually deleting folders /Android/data/org.telegram.messenger i /Telegram. After that, reinstall the application via Galaxy Store. If the problem persists, check the availability of free space (at least 500 MB is required for correct operation).

Is it possible to transfer Telegram to a memory card on all models Samsung?

No, the possibility of transfer depends on the version Android and policy. On devices with Scoped Storage. On devices with Android 11+ full transfer of applications to the SD card is blocked, but you can manually move media files to Android 10 and below. possible through Settings → Applications → Telegram → Memory → Edit.

How to clear Telegram without deleting important files?

Before cleaning, copy the folder Telegram/Telegram Images to a PC or cloud. Then manually delete unnecessary files (for example, memes or old screenshots) via My files, leaving important documents. You can also use the Save to. gallery function to transfer the necessary media files to standard storage Samsung.