The Telegram messenger has become an indispensable tool for communication, news, work and even entertainment. However, over time, many users notice that the application is starting to take up a huge amount of memory on the phone — sometimes several gigabytes! Why this happens and what to do about it — we figure it out in this article 👇
❓ Why is Telegram getting fatter?
The main reason is data cache. Telegram saves all photos, videos, voice files, memes, stickers and GIF animations so that you can quickly view them without re-downloading. This is especially true if you are subscribed to dozens of channels, actively communicate in chats and participate in groups.
What accumulates in memory:
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Photos and videos from chats, even if you haven't opened them
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Documents and audio
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Voice and video messages
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Copies of media files shared by others
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Stickers and GIFs
📌 The result is tens of thousands of files and several gigabytes crammed into your device.
🔍 Where can I see how much Telegram takes?
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On iPhone:
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Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage
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Find Telegram in the list - it will show how much space the app itself and the cache takes up
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On Android:
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Open Settings > Storage > Applications
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Find Telegram - you will see the total volume and data of the application
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🧹 How to clear memory without deleting Telegram?
Telegram offers built-in memory management tools:
📤 1. Clearing cache
Telegram allows you to delete media files from your device, but they will remain in the cloud (they can be downloaded again).
🔧 How to do it:
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Open Settings > Data & Storage > Storage Usage
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Click Clear Telegram cache
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Select which files to delete: photos, videos, files, voice, etc.
💡 Tip: Clear your cache regularly, once every 1–2 weeks.
🗓 2. Setting up autoload and autoremoval
You can control how long files are stored on your device:
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In the same menu "Memory usage" configure the parameter "Storing Media":
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3 days
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1 week
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1 month
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Forever
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📌 For example, if you select “3 days”, all photos and videos not used during this time will be automatically deleted from the device, but will remain in the Telegram cloud.
📥 3. Disable automatic media download
Open Settings > Data & Storage > Media Auto-Download
You can:
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Disable media downloading over mobile network and Wi-Fi
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Set auto-download for specific chats, groups, and channels only
⚙️ This is convenient if you don’t want all the memes from the channels to be automatically downloaded to your phone’s memory.
🚫 4. Disable saving media to gallery
Many people complain that Telegram duplicates photos and videos in the smartphone gallery.
To disable this:
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On Android: Settings > Chat settings > Save to gallery - disable
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On iPhone: Settings > Data & Storage > Save to Photos - Disable
💡 Additional tips
🔌 Delete unnecessary chats and channels
The more chats, the more cache. Disable or delete old channels and group chats that you haven't used for a long time.
📁 Delete old files manually
Open the Telegram folder in the file manager (especially on Android), find the section Telegram or Telegram Documents and delete old files manually.
📦 Use cloud features
Telegram allows you to save the files you need to "Favorites" - this is a personal cloud chat. You can delete them from your phone and always have access to them via the Internet.
📊 How much can be released?
Clearing Telegram cache can free up 500 MB to 10 GB and more, especially if you haven't done it in years.
This will significantly speed up your phone and free up memory for important tasks.
🧾 Conclusion
Telegram is a convenient but gluttonous messenger. However, thanks to built-in tools, you can keep it under control:
🔹 Clear your cache regularly
🔹 Set up automatic media deletion
🔹 Turn off autosave to gallery
🔹 Delete old chats and unnecessary files
This way, you will keep your phone running fast and avoid constant notifications about low memory 💪
