How to Backup and Restore Telegram Data
Posted: Thu May 29, 2025 5:16 am
Automatic Sync: All your personal chats, group chats, channels, media, and files are automatically synchronized across all your logged-in devices (phone, tablet, desktop). If you send a message on your phone, it instantly appears on your desktop.
No Manual "Backup" to Cloud Needed: You don't need to manually back up your chats to Telegram's cloud; it happens seamlessly and continuously in the background. If you lose your phone, simply log in to Telegram on a new device, and your entire chat history will be downloaded.
Encrypted Data: While stored on Telegram's servers, your data is encrypted. Secret Chats, however, are end-to-end encrypted and are not stored on Telegram's cloud, meaning they are telegram data device-specific and will be lost if you lose the device they were on.
Given this cloud architecture, a "backup" in the traditional sense for Telegram usually refers to creating a local, offline copy of your data, rather than uploading it to another cloud service. This is especially useful for record-keeping, data migration, or simply having an independent archive.
How to Backup Your Telegram Data (Local Export)
As Telegram's primary storage is cloud-based, a "backup" typically involves exporting your data to your local device. This is done through the Telegram Desktop application.
Step 1: Install and Log In to Telegram Desktop
Ensure you have the Telegram Desktop application installed on your Windows, macOS, or Linux computer. Download it from desktop.telegram.org if you don't have it. Log in using the QR code scanner on your phone or by entering your phone number.
Step 2: Access the Export Data Feature
Open the Menu: Click the three horizontal lines (hamburger icon) in the top-left corner of the Telegram Desktop app to open the main menu.
Go to Settings: Select "Settings" (gear icon).
Navigate to Advanced: In the Settings menu, click on "Advanced."
Find "Export Telegram Data": Scroll down in the Advanced settings and click on "Export Telegram Data."
Step 3: Configure Your Export Settings
A "Chat export settings" window will appear, allowing you to customize your backup:
Select Data Types: Choose what you want to export (e.g., Personal Chats, Group Chats, Channels, Photos, Videos, Files, Voice Messages, etc.).
Media Size Limit: This is critical! Drag the slider to increase the media size limit (up to 4GB) to ensure larger media files are included.
Date Range: Specify a "From" and "Until" date if you only need data from a specific period.
Format: Select "Human-readable HTML" for easy viewing in a web browser, or "Machine-readable JSON" for programmatic use.
Download Path: Choose the folder on your computer where the exported data will be saved.
Step 4: Start the Export (Backup) Process
Click the "Export" button. Telegram will begin downloading your selected data. This can take a significant amount of time depending on the volume of your data and your internet speed. A progress bar will show the status.
Step 5: Verify Your Local Backup
Once the export is complete, Telegram will notify you. Go to the chosen download path. If you selected HTML format, open the export_results.html file in your web browser to browse your backed-up chats and media. Your media will be organized into subfolders. This exported folder is your local backup. You can copy this folder to an external hard drive, USB stick, or cloud storage for safekeeping.
How to "Restore" Telegram Data
The concept of "restoring" Telegram data is different from traditional backups because of its cloud-centric nature.
Login is the "Restore": If you get a new device or reinstall the Telegram app, simply logging in with your phone number and verifying your identity (via SMS code or a code sent to another active Telegram device) will automatically "restore" your entire chat history, contacts, and media from Telegram's cloud servers. All your conversations will reappear, exactly as they were.
Local Backups for Archiving/Viewing: The local data you exported (your "backup" from the previous steps) is primarily for offline viewing or for re-importing content manually if needed (e.g., copying specific photos or documents back to your device). There is no direct "import" or "restore" function within Telegram to re-integrate an exported HTML/JSON backup file back into your live Telegram account.
In essence, Telegram handles the "restoration" for you by constantly syncing your data to its cloud. Your local exports serve as valuable archives and provide a personal copy of your data for external use or safekeeping.
No Manual "Backup" to Cloud Needed: You don't need to manually back up your chats to Telegram's cloud; it happens seamlessly and continuously in the background. If you lose your phone, simply log in to Telegram on a new device, and your entire chat history will be downloaded.
Encrypted Data: While stored on Telegram's servers, your data is encrypted. Secret Chats, however, are end-to-end encrypted and are not stored on Telegram's cloud, meaning they are telegram data device-specific and will be lost if you lose the device they were on.
Given this cloud architecture, a "backup" in the traditional sense for Telegram usually refers to creating a local, offline copy of your data, rather than uploading it to another cloud service. This is especially useful for record-keeping, data migration, or simply having an independent archive.
How to Backup Your Telegram Data (Local Export)
As Telegram's primary storage is cloud-based, a "backup" typically involves exporting your data to your local device. This is done through the Telegram Desktop application.
Step 1: Install and Log In to Telegram Desktop
Ensure you have the Telegram Desktop application installed on your Windows, macOS, or Linux computer. Download it from desktop.telegram.org if you don't have it. Log in using the QR code scanner on your phone or by entering your phone number.
Step 2: Access the Export Data Feature
Open the Menu: Click the three horizontal lines (hamburger icon) in the top-left corner of the Telegram Desktop app to open the main menu.
Go to Settings: Select "Settings" (gear icon).
Navigate to Advanced: In the Settings menu, click on "Advanced."
Find "Export Telegram Data": Scroll down in the Advanced settings and click on "Export Telegram Data."
Step 3: Configure Your Export Settings
A "Chat export settings" window will appear, allowing you to customize your backup:
Select Data Types: Choose what you want to export (e.g., Personal Chats, Group Chats, Channels, Photos, Videos, Files, Voice Messages, etc.).
Media Size Limit: This is critical! Drag the slider to increase the media size limit (up to 4GB) to ensure larger media files are included.
Date Range: Specify a "From" and "Until" date if you only need data from a specific period.
Format: Select "Human-readable HTML" for easy viewing in a web browser, or "Machine-readable JSON" for programmatic use.
Download Path: Choose the folder on your computer where the exported data will be saved.
Step 4: Start the Export (Backup) Process
Click the "Export" button. Telegram will begin downloading your selected data. This can take a significant amount of time depending on the volume of your data and your internet speed. A progress bar will show the status.
Step 5: Verify Your Local Backup
Once the export is complete, Telegram will notify you. Go to the chosen download path. If you selected HTML format, open the export_results.html file in your web browser to browse your backed-up chats and media. Your media will be organized into subfolders. This exported folder is your local backup. You can copy this folder to an external hard drive, USB stick, or cloud storage for safekeeping.
How to "Restore" Telegram Data
The concept of "restoring" Telegram data is different from traditional backups because of its cloud-centric nature.
Login is the "Restore": If you get a new device or reinstall the Telegram app, simply logging in with your phone number and verifying your identity (via SMS code or a code sent to another active Telegram device) will automatically "restore" your entire chat history, contacts, and media from Telegram's cloud servers. All your conversations will reappear, exactly as they were.
Local Backups for Archiving/Viewing: The local data you exported (your "backup" from the previous steps) is primarily for offline viewing or for re-importing content manually if needed (e.g., copying specific photos or documents back to your device). There is no direct "import" or "restore" function within Telegram to re-integrate an exported HTML/JSON backup file back into your live Telegram account.
In essence, Telegram handles the "restoration" for you by constantly syncing your data to its cloud. Your local exports serve as valuable archives and provide a personal copy of your data for external use or safekeeping.