Here’s where Telegram saves files on your iPhone and how to delete them:
You can control how Telegram stores files on your iPhone through the Telegram settings.
Within those settings are controls for storing data, clearing out data, automatic downloads, and the location for local storage.
Finding and deleting Telegram files on your iPhone all happen within these settings.
So if you want to learn all about where Telegram saves files exactly on your iPhone, then this article is for you.
Let’s get started!
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What Is Telegram?
Let’s start with the basics.
What is Telegram all about?
It’s an instant messaging service that doubles as a bit of a social media platform.
Since 2014, millions of users have enjoyed Telegram and a big part of the reason why is because of the design philosophy that governs the app.
For starters, Telegram is all about the cloud.
The vast majority of stuff that happens through Telegram is run by the cloud.
This allows the app to use up very little storage space on your device.
It also makes it easy to sync conversations across all of your devices.
Another big appeal of Telegram is its commitment to privacy.
All messages are encrypted, and you can even use secret messages that use end-to-end encryption.
Skipping a long, technical explanation, this basically means that only you and the other person in the conversation are ever able to see the messages.
Secret messages are never even uploaded to Telegram’s cloud servers.
Tied to the privacy policy is the way Telegram handles ads.
They don’t run ads through private conversations.
There are public conversations that look a lot like Tweets and other social media platforms.
You’ll see ads there, but when you use the private features, Telegram has promised that there will never be any ads.
Why Does Telegram Save Files on Your iPhone?
Since Telegram is all on the cloud, why does it save anything to your phone at all?
First off, every app has to save some files to your phone in order to function.
Usually called system files, these are the bones of the app that actually make it work.
But aside from that, Telegram makes it easy to download conversations, pictures, videos, and other content from the cloud if you are so inclined.
You can manage how these downloads work (which I’ll show you in a later section).
But, if you want certain things available when you aren’t connected to the internet, downloading them is the only way.
Where Are the Telegram’s Files Located?
If you want to see where Telegram files are stored on your phone, here’s how.
Open up Telegram. Go to the settings in the app. Then, choose “advanced.”
From the options that appear, you need “Local Storage.”
This is showing you where Telegram items are stored on your phone.
How Do You Delete Telegram’s Files? (2 Things)
Of course, finding files on an iPhone isn’t the same as accessing them for removal.
That process is a little different, although it still involves the Telegram settings.
For the most part, you can remove files from Telegram by clearing your Cache.
I’ll show you how to do that in the next section.
I’ll also show you how to manage automatic downloads so that you might not have to repeat the process too often.
#1 Clearing the Cache
Whether Telegram is eating up too much storage space or you just want to get rid of some stuff on your phone, clearing out Telegram is pretty easy.
All you need to do is clear the cache, and you have a lot of control over how this works.
To get to the cache settings, open up Telegram.
Navigate to the Settings.
From there, you ant “Data and Storage.”
Then, from the new options, select “Storage Usage.”
You will now see the option to Clear Telegram Cache.
Tap on it, and you’ll get a checklist.
You can choose which items are cleared (by making sure they have a checkmark next to them).
Anything without a check will not be cleared.
When things are the way you want them, tap the “clear” button, and you’re all done. This will free up space and get items off of your phone.
There’s one thing to keep in mind when you do this.
Clearing the cache does not delete items from the Telegram cloud.
So, if you’re trying to get rid of a conversation, photo, or other items entirely, you’ll need to delete that item or message independently.
#2 Managing Automatic Downloads
One of the best ways to get rid of Telegram files is to prevent their appearance on your phone in the first place.
There are tools and settings you can use and control that will help manage Telegram storage.
That way, you won’t constantly need to manage Telegram storage manually.
To do this, go back into the settings within the Telegram app.
Go back to Data and Storage.
Look for the setting that is called “multimedia self-downloading.”
You’ll have a few options here.
You can deactivate some or all (or none) of them. It’s up to you.
If you’re having a problem with storage space, it’s probably best to deactivate them all.
If you want to customize your experience a little more, that’s fine too.
Is It Safe to Delete Telegram’s Files?
Yes.
That’s a pretty short answer, so let me elaborate.
There are two things to consider when deleting files.
Will it hurt your experiences?
Can you ever get the files back?
Let’s start with the first.
Telegram is designed to have a minimal impact on your phone, so clearing the cache or preventing automatic downloads shouldn’t hurt your experience.
It doesn’t fundamentally change how Telegram works, so everything should be just fine.
You can clear things whenever you want without worry on this front.
But, do you want to risk permanently deleting a photo or video that you like?
Well, that’s not a concern either.
While you can remove items from the Telegram cloud, neither of the things I showed you today will do that.
So, if you delete content from your phone that you might want to revisit later, you can.
You can simply download it from the cloud again.
Everything will still be saved in your conversations on the cloud, so you can view it whenever you like, and you can select any individual item in a conversation and download it at will.
You have a lot of freedom here.