How to Export Telegram Chat History with Telegram Desktop

What are the two ways to export from Telegram?

Telegram Desktop offers two export entry points that produce the same kind of archive. Which one you use depends on scope.

How do I export all my Telegram data, step by step?

1. 1

   Step 1: Use an up-to-date Telegram Desktop

   Install or update it from desktop.telegram.org (opens in a new tab). Other Telegram apps, including Telegram Web, don’t necessarily offer the same full export, so use Telegram Desktop for this.

2. 2

   Step 2: Open Settings › Advanced

   Scroll to the bottom of the Advanced section and choose Export Telegram data.

3. 3

   Step 3: Select chat types

   Choose from personal chats, bot chats, private groups, private channels, public groups and public channels. For groups you can export only your own messages, which keeps archives smaller and limits how much of other people’s content you hold.

4. 4

   Step 4: Select media

   Photos, videos, voice messages, round video messages, stickers, GIFs and files can each be switched on or off. Set a per-file size limit to skip very large videos.

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   Step 5: Include account information if you want it

   Profile information, your contact list, the list of active sessions and miscellaneous data can be added. The contact list is useful later if you need to find people again.

6. 6

   Step 6: Choose location, format and time period

   Pick a download folder, a format (HTML, JSON or both) and, optionally, a date range. Then start the export.

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   Step 7: Approve the request if Telegram asks

   For security, Telegram can ask you to confirm the export from another logged-in device, and may delay it before the download can begin. Keep Telegram Desktop open until the export finishes.

8. 8

   Step 8: Check the result

   Open the folder, check that the chats you care about are there, and spot-check that media opened correctly. Then move the archive to secure storage.

Should I choose HTML or JSON?

HTML

A set of linked web pages that look much like the chat itself. Open the main file in any browser to read. Best if a person is going to read the archive.

JSON

A single structured data file (plus media folders) that scripts and search tools can process. Best for searching years of messages or moving the data into another tool you trust.

If you aren’t sure, choose both. The media files are shared, so the extra size is mostly text.

What doesn’t a Telegram export include?

• Secret Chats. They are end-to-end encrypted, stored only on the device that started them, and not available to Telegram Desktop.
• Messages that were deleted before you exported. Telegram says deleted messages leave no trace on its servers.
• Your access to private groups. The archive shows the group’s history but gives you no way to rejoin it.
• Anything you left unticked, including media above your size limit.
• An account you can restore. The archive is a copy to read. It is not a restore point.

How long does a Telegram export take?

It depends mostly on media. A text-only export of a modest account can finish in minutes. Years of photos and videos can take hours and tens of gigabytes. Exporting text first, then media in a second pass, makes a stalled export less painful.

How should I store an exported Telegram archive?

Treat it as one of the most sensitive files you own. It may contain years of private conversations, other people’s messages and photos, and your contact list.

• Keep it on an encrypted disk or inside a password-protected encrypted archive.
• Keep one copy offline, for example on an encrypted external drive, and know where it is.
• Don’t upload it unencrypted to shared cloud folders.
• Delete old exports you have replaced, and remember they include other people’s messages too.

An export is one layer of preparation, not the whole plan. See Telegram backup vs export for the other layers.