Although Telegram It is a very complete instant messaging platform, it has a problem: it ends up taking up a lot of storage space on your phone. It is true that having Telegram organized by folders you will find everything easily. But what will happen when you run out of space?
Well let's see the reasons why Telegram takes up so much space and the best tricks to free up storage on your phone so that it always works in the best conditions.
Why does Telegram take up so much space on your mobile?
Telegram is an instant messaging application that offers a wide range of functionality beyond simply sending and receiving text messages. These additional features are what make you run out of storage. Especially if you are involved in many groups and channels.
You must keep in mind that one of the main reasons why Telegram can take up so much space It is due to the large number of multimedia files and documents that are shared through the platform. Photos, videos, GIFs, voice notes, and files of all types are stored in the app's cache to allow quick and uninterrupted access.
And, although you didn't know it, Every time you open a file in Telegram, it is saved on your device, thus increasing the use of storage space. So Telegram caches a large part of the files you receive or send to improve the user experience, since it allows access to these files without having to download them again.
But of course, over time, This cache can accumulate and take up a significant amount of space on your device. Especially if you are in groups or channels with thousands of members and there is a constant flow of messages and multimedia content such as photos or videos. Please note that unlike other messaging apps, Telegram does not limit the size of groups or the amount of content that can be shared, which means that the volume of data stored locally on your device can be considerable.
And if you have automatic media download, any images, videos or files you receive will automatically download and take up space on your device unless you set the app to prevent it. So, now that you understand the reason why Telegram consumes so much space, let's see what are the best tricks to free up storage space on your phone or tablet step by step.
Also, keep in mind that Telegram itself tells you that many contents can be saved in the Telegram cloud so you can download them whenever you want and save space. In one of the press releases indicated that «Telegram can take up almost zero space on your device. You can remove media and files from your phone storage and re-download them from the Telegram cloud whenever you want. For years, users have been able to set a maximum cache size or auto-clean unused items after a while. With this update, you can add separate auto-clean settings for cached media in private chats, groups, and channels, with exceptions for chats specifically. The new pie chart helps you visualize what's taking up space, and dedicated tabs for media, files, and music let you clean up larger items with just a few taps.
Clear Telegram cache
One of the most effective methods to free up space is to clear the Telegram cache. This operation will delete all temporary files that the app has stored on your device, including images, videos, and other media files.
It is an effective method to recover space, but it is important to remember that files that are deleted from the cache will not disappear from the chats, but will simply be downloaded again if you decide to open them again. To do this, follow these steps.
- Open the Telegram app and go to Settings.
- Select Data and storage.
- In the Storage Usage section, tap Clear Telegram Cache.
- Confirm the action and watch how the available space on your device increases significantly.
Set the storage limit
Telegram allows you to configure how long you want media files to be stored on your device before they are automatically deleted. This feature is ideal for keeping storage usage under control without having to worry about manually deleting files.
In this way, Telegram will automatically delete older files that you no longer need, helping to conserve space. So follow these steps to activate this option.
- Go to Settings in Telegram.
- Select Data and storage.
- Under Storage Usage, set the Keep media files option to a shorter period of time, such as 3 days or 1 week.
Turn off automatic media download
Another of the best ways to save space and free up storage is by disabling automatic downloading of multimedia content. This will prevent images and videos from downloading automatically and taking up unnecessary space and will result in more space. Very useful if you are in many groups or channels. To do this, follow these steps.
- From Settings, select Data & storage.
- In the Automatic media download section, turn off the option or set it to only download when you're connected to Wi-Fi.
Manage chats and delete large files
Telegram allows you to see which chats take up the most space, and gives you the option to delete large files directly from the application. So use this trick to free up files that don't interest you and take up too much.
- Go to Settings and select Data & storage.
- Tap Storage usage.
Here you can see a list of chats ordered by the size they occupy. You can select each chat and delete specific media files to free up space.
Remove duplicate images
An additional trick to free up space on your mobile device is to delete duplicate images, an option that may not be directly related to Telegram, but is very useful to optimize space in general. Keep in mind that this function may vary depending on the Android model, but look for the option in the settings because it should be there.
- Open the Gallery application on your mobile.
- Look for the Clean or Remove Duplicate Images option.
- Select the images you want to delete.
As you have seen, they are very simple tricks to follow and that will help you when free up storage space on Telegram. So follow this tutorial to free your smartphone from unnecessary files.
