Short answer: open Telegram's storage settings and choose Clear Cache (or the equivalent cache-cleaning control), not Delete Chat. Cache is local data stored on the current device. Telegram says cloud data remains available and can be downloaded again when needed.
The exact labels can differ slightly by app version and operating system, but the safe principle is the same: clean cached media, not messages or exported files. Telegram documents this under clearing cache in its FAQ and in its official cache-management announcement.
What clearing the cache changes
Telegram's regular chats, groups, and channels are cloud chats. Clearing the cache removes local copies of media that Telegram downloaded to this device so you could view or play them. It does not delete the chat history from Telegram's cloud.
Afterward:
- messages stay in the conversation;
- photos, videos, documents, and music remain available in cloud chats;
- media may download again when you open or play it;
- files that you separately saved outside Telegram—such as to Files, Downloads, or another app—are not the same as Telegram's cache and are not removed by Telegram's cache control.
Be careful with Delete Chat, Delete for me, Clear History, and file-manager deletion. Those are different actions and can affect messages or files you intentionally saved.
Android: clear Telegram cache
- Open Telegram and tap Settings.
- Open Data and Storage.
- Tap Storage Usage.
- Tap Clear Cache or select the media categories you want to remove.
- Review the size and confirm the cache cleanup.
If your Android version shows a per-chat cache option, you can use it for a narrower cleanup. Telegram's official cache guide also describes removing cached media from supergroups and channels from the chats list on Android. Menu names may move as Telegram updates the app, so look for Storage Usage, Cache, or Keep Media inside Data and Storage.
Avoid Android's system Clear storage or Clear data button unless you understand the consequences. That is an operating-system control for the whole app, not Telegram's selective cache control.
iPhone and iPad: clear cache
- Open Telegram and tap Settings.
- Tap Data and Storage.
- Open Storage Usage.
- Tap Clear Cache.
- Select the categories or chats to remove, then confirm.
Telegram's official announcement says iOS can clear cached files by type and, where available, by chat. If you need to keep a local copy of a file, save it to the Files app or another destination before removing the Telegram cache. A file saved outside Telegram is separate from the cached copy.
Telegram Desktop: clear local cache
- Open Telegram Desktop and open Settings.
- Go to Advanced.
- Open Manage Local Storage (the wording can vary by release).
- Use the cache-cleaning control, review the amount to remove, and confirm.
This removes local Telegram data from the computer rather than deleting your cloud conversations. Media can be downloaded again when you access it later. If you manually exported or saved files to a folder, manage those files in the folder itself; they are not necessarily part of Telegram's local cache.
Stop the cache from growing so quickly
In Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Usage, review these options where your Telegram build provides them:
- Keep Media: shorten how long unused media stays on the device;
- Maximum Cache Size: limit how much local cached data Telegram keeps;
- Automatic media download: reduce automatic downloads on mobile data, Wi-Fi, or roaming;
- media-type controls: remove only videos, documents, music, or other categories you no longer need locally.
A shorter retention period does not erase cloud messages. It means Telegram removes older local copies and downloads them again if you access them later. Telegram describes this behavior in its official cache-management article.
Cache versus cloud messages and downloads
Think of a Telegram photo as having two relevant parts: the message in the cloud and a temporary local copy. The cloud message is what lets the conversation sync across your Telegram devices. The local copy is what lets the current device open media quickly and sometimes offline.
Clearing cache targets the second part. It is therefore a storage-management action, not a chat-deletion action. However, a copy you deliberately saved to your phone, computer, gallery, Files, or Downloads folder is outside that distinction: check that destination separately if you need to preserve it.
For more context, see our guides to sending large files in Telegram, Telegram folders, and Telegram privacy settings.
FAQ
Can I clear only videos or documents?
Usually, yes. Telegram's Storage Usage screen provides media-type controls on supported versions. Select the category you want instead of clearing everything.
Will I need to download a photo again?
If its local cached copy was removed, opening it may download it again. The cloud message remains in a regular cloud chat.
Does clearing cache work for Secret Chats?
Do not treat Secret Chats like regular cloud chats. Telegram says Secret Chats are device-specific and are not stored in its cloud in the same way. Review Telegram's official Secret Chats FAQ before removing local data or logging out.
Is “Clear Cache” the same as deleting my Telegram account?
No. They are completely different actions. Cache cleanup removes local temporary data; account deletion is permanent. Never use account or chat deletion to solve a device-storage problem.