How to Export Telegram Chat Attachments
Posted: Thu May 29, 2025 6:52 am
Telegram's cloud-based nature means your chat history, including attachments, is generally accessible across your devices. However, there are times when you might need to export these attachments for offline access, backup, or simply to free up space on your device. While the mobile apps offer limited direct export options for individual media, the Telegram Desktop application provides a powerful tool for bulk exporting.
Exporting Attachments via Telegram Desktop (Recommended Method)
This is the most comprehensive way to export your Telegram chat attachments. It telegram data allows you to select specific chats, media types, and even date ranges.
Download and Install Telegram Desktop: If you don't already have it, download the official Telegram Desktop application from the Telegram website (desktop.telegram.org) and install it on your Windows, macOS, or Linux computer. Log in to your Telegram account.
Access Export Options:
For Individual Chat History: Open the specific chat (personal, group, or channel) from which you want to export attachments. Click on the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right corner of the chat window. From the dropdown menu, select "Export chat history."
For All Telegram Data: If you want to export attachments from multiple chats or all your Telegram data, click on the three horizontal lines (☰) in the top-left corner to open the main menu. Go to "Settings" > "Advanced" > "Export Telegram Data."
Configure Export Settings:
Select Data Types: In the export settings window, you'll see various options. Crucially, check the boxes for the types of attachments you want to export. This can include:
Photos
Videos
Voice Messages
Video Messages
Stickers
GIFs
Files (documents, archives, etc.)
Set Size Limit: For media files (photos, videos, etc.), there's a "Size limit" slider. By default, it might be set to a small value (e.g., 8MB). Crucially, drag this slider to the maximum (up to 4GB) to ensure larger files are included in the export. If you have files larger than 4GB, you might need to export them separately or in smaller batches.
Choose Date Range (Optional): If you only need attachments from a specific period, you can set a custom date range.
Select Format: For general viewing and accessibility, choose "Human-readable HTML." If you plan to process the data programmatically, "Machine-readable JSON" is also an option. The HTML format will create an easy-to-navigate web page that displays your chat history with the exported media embedded or linked.
Choose Download Path: Select the folder on your computer where you want the exported data to be saved.
Initiate Export: Click the "Export" button. Telegram will then process and download the selected data to your chosen location. This process can take a significant amount of time depending on the volume of data you're exporting.
Access Exported Data: Once the export is complete, you can click "Show my data" to open the destination folder. You'll find a folder structure containing HTML or JSON files for the chat history and separate folders for each media type (e.g., "photos," "videos," "files"). You can open the export_results.html file (or messages.html for individual chat exports) in your web browser to view your chat history with all the exported attachments.
Limitations on Mobile Devices
While the Telegram mobile apps (Android and iOS) are excellent for everyday use, they lack a direct, comprehensive "export chat history" feature like the desktop client.
Individual Media Saving: You can save individual photos and videos to your device's gallery or camera roll by opening them in Telegram and tapping the "Save to Gallery" or "Save Video" option (usually found in the three-dot menu).
Automatic Media Download: You can enable automatic media download in Telegram's settings (Settings > Data and Storage > Automatic Media Download) to ensure photos and videos are downloaded to your device when you receive them. Coupled with enabling "Save to Gallery" (under "Save to Photos" on iOS, or "Save to Gallery" on Android), this can help keep your recent media backed up.
Forward to "Saved Messages": For individual messages or small groups of messages, you can forward them to your "Saved Messages" chat. This keeps them readily accessible within Telegram but doesn't export them outside the app.
For a true bulk export of Telegram chat attachments, the desktop application remains the most effective and user-friendly solution.
Exporting Attachments via Telegram Desktop (Recommended Method)
This is the most comprehensive way to export your Telegram chat attachments. It telegram data allows you to select specific chats, media types, and even date ranges.
Download and Install Telegram Desktop: If you don't already have it, download the official Telegram Desktop application from the Telegram website (desktop.telegram.org) and install it on your Windows, macOS, or Linux computer. Log in to your Telegram account.
Access Export Options:
For Individual Chat History: Open the specific chat (personal, group, or channel) from which you want to export attachments. Click on the three vertical dots (⋮) in the top-right corner of the chat window. From the dropdown menu, select "Export chat history."
For All Telegram Data: If you want to export attachments from multiple chats or all your Telegram data, click on the three horizontal lines (☰) in the top-left corner to open the main menu. Go to "Settings" > "Advanced" > "Export Telegram Data."
Configure Export Settings:
Select Data Types: In the export settings window, you'll see various options. Crucially, check the boxes for the types of attachments you want to export. This can include:
Photos
Videos
Voice Messages
Video Messages
Stickers
GIFs
Files (documents, archives, etc.)
Set Size Limit: For media files (photos, videos, etc.), there's a "Size limit" slider. By default, it might be set to a small value (e.g., 8MB). Crucially, drag this slider to the maximum (up to 4GB) to ensure larger files are included in the export. If you have files larger than 4GB, you might need to export them separately or in smaller batches.
Choose Date Range (Optional): If you only need attachments from a specific period, you can set a custom date range.
Select Format: For general viewing and accessibility, choose "Human-readable HTML." If you plan to process the data programmatically, "Machine-readable JSON" is also an option. The HTML format will create an easy-to-navigate web page that displays your chat history with the exported media embedded or linked.
Choose Download Path: Select the folder on your computer where you want the exported data to be saved.
Initiate Export: Click the "Export" button. Telegram will then process and download the selected data to your chosen location. This process can take a significant amount of time depending on the volume of data you're exporting.
Access Exported Data: Once the export is complete, you can click "Show my data" to open the destination folder. You'll find a folder structure containing HTML or JSON files for the chat history and separate folders for each media type (e.g., "photos," "videos," "files"). You can open the export_results.html file (or messages.html for individual chat exports) in your web browser to view your chat history with all the exported attachments.
Limitations on Mobile Devices
While the Telegram mobile apps (Android and iOS) are excellent for everyday use, they lack a direct, comprehensive "export chat history" feature like the desktop client.
Individual Media Saving: You can save individual photos and videos to your device's gallery or camera roll by opening them in Telegram and tapping the "Save to Gallery" or "Save Video" option (usually found in the three-dot menu).
Automatic Media Download: You can enable automatic media download in Telegram's settings (Settings > Data and Storage > Automatic Media Download) to ensure photos and videos are downloaded to your device when you receive them. Coupled with enabling "Save to Gallery" (under "Save to Photos" on iOS, or "Save to Gallery" on Android), this can help keep your recent media backed up.
Forward to "Saved Messages": For individual messages or small groups of messages, you can forward them to your "Saved Messages" chat. This keeps them readily accessible within Telegram but doesn't export them outside the app.
For a true bulk export of Telegram chat attachments, the desktop application remains the most effective and user-friendly solution.