Links in Telegram accumulate unnoticed: they are sent by friends, they remain in chat history, are saved in the application cache, and can even “expose” your online activity. On Android smartphones cleaning such links requires a special approach - simply deleting the message is not enough. In this article we will look at how to remove links from personal and group chats, clear them from application cache, and also why this is important for privacy and performance devices.

The problem is that Telegram does not provide a direct “delete all links at once” function. You have to act manually or use hidden settings. We tested all methods on the latest versions of the application (including Telegram X) and collected working solutions - from basic to advanced. If you want to not only hide links, but completely erase their traces from your device, read on.

At first glance, links in the messenger seem harmless. But they pose several risks:

  • 🔗 Data leak: even deleted messages can remain in the cache, and links can lead to personal pages, documents or geolocations.
  • 📱 Memory clogged: Telegram caches link previews (pictures, headlines), which takes up to 500 MB on active accounts.
  • 🕵️ Activity tracking: some services (for example, Bitly or Google Analytics) record clicks on shortened links.
  • 🚨 Phishing and viruses: old links may lead to malicious sites if their sender has been hacked.

In addition Telegram stores link history in the cloud, even if you clear the chat on your phone. This means that when you log in from another device, they may appear again. To delete them permanently, you will need a combination of local and cloud actions.

⚠️ Attention: If you use Telegram to work with sensitive data (for example, links to documents or corporate resources), clear them at least less often 1 time per month. In corporate versions of the messenger (for example Telegram for Business), additional data storage rules may apply.

The most obvious, but time-consuming method is to delete links manually. It is suitable if there are few links or they are concentrated in several dialogs.

How to do this:

  1. Open a chat where there are unnecessary links.
  2. Find a message with a link, hold it with your finger until a menu appears.
  3. Select Delete → Delete for everyone (if you need to erase the interlocutor too) or Delete from me.
  4. For mass deletion: click on the avatar of the interlocutor → Clear history → select the date range.

Important: when deleting for everyone the interlocutor will see the “Message deleted” notification. If the chat is a group one, administrators will see who exactly deleted the message.

Make sure that the message does not contain important information|Save a backup copy of the chat (if necessary)|Check if the link leads to your personal account|Assess whether deleting the context of the conversation-->

Links in Telegram are not only stored in the message history, but also cached - the application saves previews (tables of contents, pictures) for quick loading. This takes up space and can “give away” your activity.

To clear the cache:

  1. Open Telegram, tap on the three lines in the top left → Settings.
  2. Go to Data and Memory → Memory Usage.
  3. Select Clear Telegram cache. Here you can delete:
    • 🖼️ Image cache (including link previews).
    • 🎵 Music and voice message cache.
    • 📄 Documents and stickers cache.
  • For deep cleaning, click Clear all (will delete up to 1–2 GB data on active accounts).
    • Data type What is being deleted Consequences
    Image cache Link previews, avatars, photos Links will remain, but the previews will be loaded again
    Cache documents PDF, ZIP and other files from links Files will have to be downloaded again
    Local history Messages not synchronized with the cloud Loss of unsent messages drafts
    ⚠️ Attention: Clearing the cache does not delete the links themselves from the chat history - only their previews and accompanying files. For complete removal, use a combination of this method with manual clearing (Method 1).
    📊 How often do you clear the Telegram cache?
    Once a week
    Once a month
    Only when memory runs out
    Never

    Method 3: Using secret chats for automatic cleaning

    If you often exchange links that then need to be deleted, secret chats is your salvation. In them, messages (including links) are automatically deleted after a specified time.

    How to set up:

    1. Open Telegram, click on the pencil below → New secret chat.
    2. Select your interlocutor.
    3. Click on the timer at the top → set the auto-deletion time (from 1 second to 1 week).
    4. All links sent in this chat will disappear automatically.

    Advantages of secret chats:

    • 🔒 End-to-end encryption (even Telegram cannot read messages).
    • 🧹 Auto-cleaning without traces in the cloud.
    • 📱 No caching of preview links.

    Disadvantages:

    • 🚫 It is impossible to forward messages from a secret chat.
    • 📱 The chat is only available on the device where it is created.
    💡

    Secret chats are ideal for sending temporary links (for example, one-time verification codes or private documents). But remember: if the other person takes a screenshot, you will not receive a notification (unlike WhatsApp or Signal).

    This method is suitable if you need to clear all links at oncebut keep the rest of the history. The idea is to export chats, edit the file manually (removing links), and then import back.

    Instructions:

    1. In Telegram go to Settings → Advanced → Export chat data.
    2. Select the chat to export, format JSON (easier to edit).
    3. Open the resulting file in a text editor (for example, Notepad++ or VS Code).
    4. Find all URLs using a pattern search: 
      https?://[^\s]+|www\.[^\s]+

      Remove unnecessary links (or replace them with text, for example, "[link removed]").

    5. Save the file and import it back through Settings → Advanced → Import data chat.

    This method requires technical skills, but allows selectively delete linkswhile preserving the rest of the content. Suitable for cleaning archives or work chats.

    ⚠️ Attention: When importing chats Telegram It may not be possible to restore some media files (for example, stickers or voice messages). Before the procedure, make a backup copy of the original chats.

    Method 5: Reset Telegram to factory settings

    The last resort - a complete reset of the application - use if other methods did not help or is necessary delete all data without a trace. This erases:

    • 📂 All chat history (including cloud copies if not synchronized).
    • 🔗 All links, media files and documents.
    • ⚙️ Account settings (topics, notifications, linked devices).

    How to reset:

    1. Open Android Settings → Applications → find Telegram.
    2. Click Storage → Clear data and Clear cache.
    3. Delete the application and install it again from Google Play.
    4. When you first start, select Skip recoverynot to load old data from the cloud.

    After After resetting, you will have to do it again:

    • 🔑 Log in to your account (code from SMS is required).
    • 📥 Restore important chats (if they are synchronized with the cloud).
    • ⚙️ Customize notifications and appearance.
    💡

    Resetting to factory settings is the only way to ensure that all links are removed, including those stored in hidden folders /Android/data/org.telegram.messenger. But use it only as a last resort: it is impossible to restore data after a reset.

    To avoid clearing links manually, set Telegram to keep them to a minimum:

    • 🛡️ Disable link preview: Settings → Data and memory → Link preview → turn off the option. This will stop preview caching.
    • 🗑️ Set up automatic media cleanup:

      B Settings → Data and memory enable Auto media cleanup and set a limit (for example, 500 MB).

    • 🔄 Use bots to manage links:

      Bots like @LinkCleanerBot or @SaveToPocketBot help archive or delete links automatically.

    • 📌 Pin important links:

      To avoid losing useful resources, pin them to the top of the chat (Hold message → Pin).

    It is also useful to regularly check active sessions: Settings → Confidentiality → Active sessionsIf you see unfamiliar devices, end them immediately - this may be a sign of hacking, and attackers could save your links.

    What to do if the link has already gone to scammers?

    If you sent a confidential link (for example, to access a cloud storage) to the wrong person or it was intercepted:

    1. Immediately revoke access (for example, Google Drive or Dropbox change access rights).
    2. If the link leads to an account - change the password and enable two-factor authentication.
    3. Delete the message from yourself and ask the recipient to do the same.
    4. Check the activity logs in the service to which the link led (for example, Last activity in Gmail).

    Is it possible to delete a link without the other person seeing it?

    No. If you delete a message with a link for everyonethe other person will see it. notification “Message has been deleted.” The only way to send a link “invisibly” is to use secret chat with a self-destruct timer (1 second). But even in this case, the interlocutor will have time to see it if he is online.

    Why do the links appear again after clearing the cache?

    Most likely, you only cleared local cache on the phone, and the messages themselves remained in the cloud Telegram. The next time you open the chat, they will be loaded again. To delete permanently, you need to delete messages manually (Method 1) or reset your account (Method 5).

    How to delete all links from a group or channel?

    In regular groups, you can only delete your own messages. If you administrator, use the function Clear history (available in Group information → Delete all messages). In channels, only the owner can delete other people's messages. For mass clearing, it is easier to create a new chat and transfer participants there.

    Is it possible to restore deleted links?

    If you deleted the link Only for yourself, it can be restored from the cloud history (provided that the chat was not completely cleared). To do this:

    1. Close and open again Telegram - sometimes messages are loaded again.
    2. Check the chat archive (scroll up in the list of dialogues).
    3. If there was a chat exported earlier, import the backup.

    If the link is deleted for everyone or the chat is cleared, restoration is not possible.

    Is it safe to use third-party applications to clean Telegram?

    No. Applications like Cleaner for Telegram or Telegram Data Eraser require access to your messages, which violates your privacy. Moreover, they can:

    • 🔓 Intercept your data (including links).
    • 📱 Slow down your phone due to background activity.
    • 🚫 Break the rules Telegram, which can lead to account blocking.

    Use only built-in functions Telegram or proven methods from this article.