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How to export Telegram chat history

Telegram can save a single chat, a group, a channel or your whole account as files on your computer. The option lives in Telegram Desktop, not in the phone app. Here’s the quickest way.

← Blog4 min read

The short answer

  1. Install Telegram Desktop on your computer and log in.
  2. Open the chat, click ⋮ in the top-right corner and choose Export chat history.
  3. Untick photos, videos and files, and set the format to Machine-readable JSON.
  4. Click Export. You get a folder with a result.json file inside.

Export a single chat or group

  1. In Telegram Desktop, open the chat, group or channel.
  2. Click the three dots (⋮) at the top right → Export chat history.
  3. Choose what to include. For text and stats, untick Photos, Videos, Voice messages and Files. The export is then small and fast, even for years of messages.
  4. Pick a date range if you only need part of the chat, or leave it at all time.
  5. Under Format, choose HTML to read it in a browser, or Machine-readable JSON to analyse it.
  6. Click Export and wait. Telegram saves a folder named like ChatExport_2026-10-18 in your Downloads folder.

Export your whole Telegram account

Go to Settings → Advanced → Export Telegram data. You can include your profile, contacts, personal chats, groups and channels. For security, Telegram may ask you to confirm the export from another logged-in device, and on a newly connected computer it can make you wait before the export starts.

JSON or HTML?

  • HTML looks like the chat and opens in any browser. Good for reading or keeping a record.
  • JSON is one structured file with every message, sender and timestamp. Tools can read it reliably, so choose JSON if you want stats.

If you’re unsure, export both: tick the formats one after the other, it only takes a minute without media.

Why can’t I export on my phone?

The Telegram apps for iPhone and Android don’t have a chat history export. You need Telegram Desktop for Windows, macOS or Linux. On a Mac, if the App Store version doesn’t show the option, use Telegram Desktop from Telegram’s website instead. Secret chats can’t be exported at all, because they only exist on the device where they were started.

What you can do with the export

  • Keep a backup of a group before you leave it or before it’s deleted.
  • Search old messages offline.
  • See the stats: drop result.json on the Telegram chat analyzer to see who talks more, who replies faster, when you talk, top words and emojis, and your longest streak.

Unwrapped reads the file in your browser. Messages and names never leave your computer.

Read next

FAQ

Does Telegram notify the other person when I export a chat?

No. Exporting only saves a copy on your computer. Nobody in the chat is notified.

Where does Telegram save the export?

By default in your Downloads folder, under Telegram Desktop, in a folder named ChatExport with the date. You can change the location before you start.

Can I export a channel or a group I’m not an admin of?

Usually yes, as long as you can see the messages. Groups and channels with content protection turned on block saving and exporting.

Why is my export so slow?

Media makes exports large. Untick photos, videos, voice messages and files, and the text export of even a big chat finishes quickly.

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