Is it safe to delete Telegram data and media cache?
Telegram's local copy of your chats and the photos, videos and files it has downloaded.
Review first
It's your own data, or hard to recreate. Decide item by item.
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What it is
Telegram for Mac keeps a local database and a cache of the media you've viewed in this folder. Cloud chats stay on Telegram's servers, so cached media downloads again when you open it. Secret chats are stored only on the device where they started, so clear the cache in Telegram instead of removing the folder.
If it's removed
Clearing the cache in Telegram downloads photos, videos and files again when you open them, and keeps your chats. Removing the folder itself would also remove secret chats, which exist only on this Mac.
What to do instead
In Telegram, open Settings > Data and Storage > Storage Usage and click Clear cache.
The free analyzer finds it and explains it, with these steps. The app doesn't remove it for you.
Sources
- telegram.org/faq
- telegram.org/blog/cache-and-stickers
- github.com/Homebrew/homebrew-cask/blob/master/Casks/t/telegram.rb
Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.