With the evolution of instant messaging applications, Telegram has managed to stand out thanks to its security, privacy and advanced featuresHowever, the ability to delete messages, files, and entire conversations can lead many people to accidentally delete relevant information. This creates a constant concern: Is it possible to recover deleted conversations and messages on Telegram? In this article, you will find a guide comprehensive, up-to-date and supported by the most effective techniques and methods to try to recover lost chats, photos, videos, and files in Telegram, both on Android and iOS devices, as well as on PCs and Macs. We'll analyze all the native and third-party options, tricks, privacy recommendations, peculiarities of secret chats, and professional recovery tools, integrating all the real and up-to-date knowledge so you can recover as much information as possible in each case.
Can you really recover deleted Telegram conversations and files?
Before starting with the practical methods, it is vital to understand how the system works. data storage in Telegram and in what situations it is possible to recover something that seemed lost:
- Telegram manages messages through the cloud: When you access your account from any device, your messages, photos, and files remain available unless they have been deleted without prior backup.
- Secret chatsMessages in Secret Chats are end-to-end encrypted and only exist on the participating devices. Once deleted or after a device change, they cannot be recovered by any means, not even with professional tools.
- Multimedia and files: Often, photos, videos, documents, and audio files remain stored on the device, even if the original message has been deleted in the app. This opens the door to recovery methods by exploring internal folders.
- There is no standard automatic backup like in WhatsApp.Telegram doesn't make regular backups to Google Drive or iCloud. However, it does allow you to export data manually (from the desktop), and on iOS devices, you can restore if you have a backup of the entire device before wiping.
- Telegram Technical Support: It's not possible to recover deleted messages by contacting support, as due to their privacy and encryption policies, they don't store access to individual messages deleted by the user. They can only help with account access issues or general issues.
Is it possible to recover deleted Telegram conversations?
1. “Undo” option after deletion (works only for a few seconds)
The fastest and most direct way to recover a deleted chat or message in Telegram is to locate the button "Undo" that appears immediately after confirming the deletion. You'll see it on both the mobile app (Android/iOS) and Telegram Desktop. This window usually lasts about five seconds:
- Works for entire chats or selected messages as long as you press “Undo” before the prompt disappears.
- Does not apply to messages deleted selectively if the time limit has passed, nor to messages from secret chats or files deleted at both ends and confirmed.
- Telegram requests confirmation before deleting to prevent accidental errors, adding a layer of security prior to final deletion.
This mechanism is only useful if you act quickly. Once this brief period has elapsed, the message or chat will be deleted. It cannot be recovered directly from the app itself..
2. Restore Telegram messages and chats using backups on iPhone/iOS
Telegram does not create automatic copies of chats, but if you have an iPhone and have made one, full device backup in iCloud or iTunes/Finder before deletion, you can restore your messages and files like this:
- Restoring from iCloud: Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Erase All Content and Settings. During the initial setup process, select “Restore from iCloud Backup” and choose the most recent backup that includes your Telegram chats.
- Restoring from iTunes/Finder on Mac or PC: Connect your iPhone, open iTunes or Finder, select your device, and tap “Restore Backup.” Choose the backup created before the accidental deletion.
- Important: This process restores the phone to its full state at the time of the backup. Any data, chats, or files created after the backup will be lost. It's not possible to restore just Telegram chats, but the entire device.
3. Export chats and files with Telegram Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Telegram Desktop has the function of export data which allows you to manually copy your conversations, files, groups, channels, images, audio, videos, GIFs and more:
- Open Telegram Desktop on your computer and log in.
- Tap the menu (three horizontal lines), go to “Settings” and select “Advanced.”
- Go to “Export Telegram data”.
- Select the items you want to export: personal chats, channels, groups, stickers, files, photos, videos, etc.
- Choose the output format (HTML, for reading from any browser, or JSON for advanced use).
- For security reasons, Telegram may require you to approve the export from the mobile app and sometimes wait up to 24 hours for the process to complete.
- Once available, download the “export_results.html” file where you can view the content saved up to the export date.
Note: Messages deleted before export will not appear, but this method is the best way to prevent future lossesPerform regular exports to keep your data safe.
4. Recover multimedia (photos, videos, audios and documents) from internal storage (Android and iOS)
Although deleted text messages cannot be recovered after they are deleted and the “Undo” time has passed, in many cases the photos, videos, audios and files remain stored on the mobile device:
- On Android: Use a file explorer and access these paths:
- Internal Storage/Telegram/Telegram Images for photos and videos received or sent that were downloaded.
- Internal storage/Android/data/org.telegram.messenger/cache for temporary files and multimedia files from chats, even if they have been deleted in the app.
- On iOS: If you have automatic media downloads enabled, files are usually saved to your device's gallery, a "Telegram" folder, or similar.
This method is especially useful if you've deleted a chat but need to recover a specific photo, video, document, or audio file. Just browse to the corresponding folder.
5. Search in the phone gallery (Android/iOS)
Telegram can automatically save downloaded images and videos to your gallery. To take advantage of this:
- If you've set up the app to save media files, simply go to the Gallery and search the "Telegram," "Telegram Images," or "Telegram Video" folder for the content you thought was lost when you deleted the chat or message.
- If you have this option disabled, you should enable it in Settings > Data & storage > Auto-download media.
6. Enable auto-save media in Telegram to avoid future media loss
- Go to Telegram, open the three-line menu, and go to “Settings” > “Data and storage.”
- Turn on “Auto-download media” for Wi-Fi, mobile data, and roaming based on your preferences.
- Thanks to this, images, videos, music, and documents will be downloaded and stored locally, making them easy to recover even if the original chat is deleted.
7. Retrieve messages from notification history
On Android, starting with version 11, there is a notification history which allows you to view received notifications, even if they have been deleted from the app:
- Turn this feature on in Settings > Notifications > Notification History.
- You'll be able to view all reported messages, as long as the chat isn't muted and the notification arrived before the deletion.
- In previous versions or if the device does not have this functionality, there are apps like Notification History Log, Notification Log o WAMR that store and manage the notification log.
These applications allow you to recover deleted messages, voice notes, images, and files sent by other users, as long as the notification was registered before the deletion.
8. Apps and software specialized in data recovery
If you're unable to recover your messages using the options above, you can try professional tools. The most commonly used are:
- EaseUS MobiSaver for Android: Scans the memory of a rooted Android phone and recovers deleted photos, videos, documents, and, in some cases, Telegram messages. Requires root.
- iMyFone D-BackAvailable for iOS and Android. Analyzes both the device's internal storage and backups to try to recover Telegram messages and files. Useful if you don't have a previous backup.
- Recuva, Stellar Data Recovery: Advanced recovery tools that can scan PC or mobile storage to find deleted files.
- WAMR: An Android app that records messages and files received in messaging apps, allowing access to them even after they've been deleted, provided the app is installed first.
- AirDroid Parental ControlIf you have this solution installed on both devices (parent/child), it allows you to synchronize received Telegram messages via notifications and store them, even accessing deleted messages after receiving them.
- AnyControl: A professional tool, primarily for parental control or forensic analysis, that allows you to monitor and recover messages (even deleted ones) in Telegram and other apps, after installing and physically authorizing the device.
Caution: Use only trusted tools and avoid granting permissions to unknown or dubious apps, as they can access sensitive personal data.
9. File Manager Method: Cache and Media Folder (Android)
If you use Android, in addition to the “Telegram Images” folder, you can recover media files from the folder /Android/data/org.telegram.messenger/cache:
- Use a file manager and navigate to the indicated path.
- Search for images, documents, or videos that are still stored there even if you've deleted chats in Telegram.
- You can also connect your phone to your PC via USB and manually explore the internal storage.
10. Other alternatives: Saved messages and manual export
- Saved messagesUse the dedicated "Saved Messages" chat to forward any important messages, files, or links. If the "Saved Messages" chat was deleted, you can find it by typing your username into Telegram's search. Anything forwarded there before other chats were deleted will still be available.
- Periodic manual export: It will allow you to have an offline history of your messages and relevant files.
11. Ask your contact for a copy of the chat
If you accidentally deleted only your copy of a conversation (not both participants'), you can ask the other user to forward messages or export chat using Telegram Desktop.
How to properly manage deleted secret chats, groups, and channels
- secret chats: Due to end-to-end encryption and storage only on the devices involved, there's no technical way to recover your messages after they've been deleted or you lose access to the device. This isn't possible through third-party apps or support.
- Deleted groups or channels: If they've been permanently deleted, they can't be recovered. If they've only been archived or abandoned, you can search the archived section or ask an administrator to resend you an invitation.
- Self-destructing or timed messages: They cannot be recovered by any method.
Frequently asked questions about recovering messages and files on Telegram
- Can I recover messages from a secret chat? No, due to security and encryption policies, there are no copies in the cloud or on external servers. Once deleted, or if you lose your device, there's no technical way to recover them.
- Can I restore a deleted group or channel? Only if it was archived or abandoned, you can search for it and rejoin it. If it was permanently deleted, there's no way to recover it.
- Can Telegram support help me? It's not possible to recover deleted messages by requesting them from Telegram. For privacy reasons, no one, not even the developers, can access deleted messages.
- Can messages be recovered with data recovery apps? Only if the device was rooted/jailbroken and the app was installed previously, or if you have a previous backup.
- Can I retrieve messages from notification history? Only if you had notifications enabled and didn't mute the chat. You can check the log on Android 11 or higher, or use the specialized apps described above.
- How to avoid losing important files on Telegram? Perform regular exports, use Saved Messages, and keep media auto-download enabled to ensure local backups.
Preventive recommendations to avoid losing important conversations or files on Telegram
- Makes regular exports from Telegram Desktop to keep an offline copy of your chats and relevant files.
- Enable automatic media saving and periodically check the “Telegram Images” and “Telegram Video” folders in the gallery and internal storage.
- Use notification history apps if you need to save key messages you receive.
- Forward important messages and files to “Saved Messages” as a personal backup system to avoid irrecoverable losses.
- Avoid deleting conversations or files without making sure they're irrelevant. Pay attention to the confirmation before deleting and don't ignore the "Undo" button.
- On iOS, make full backups periodically in case you need to restore your device after an accident.
- Confirm the status of chats before cleaning up- In some cases, if you just leave a group or channel, you can retrieve it later by checking search or the archived chats.
- In important groups or groups with sensitive information, you can designate multiple trusted admins, so if one accidentally deletes, others can restore or reactivate the conversation or invite you again.
The ability to recover deleted messages and files on Telegram is limited by its privacy architecture. By understanding all the aforementioned techniques and applying good preventative practices, you can minimize the risk of losing essential information and increase the chances of recovering what seemed unrecoverable. Always implement backup recommendations, activate autosave features, and, in the event of accidental deletion, act as quickly as possible to take advantage of instant recovery opportunities or through notification history and internal folders on the device.