Typically, when you receive a file in the Telegram app, downloading it should save it to your phone and you should be able to access it from the Gallery app or File Manager. However, that doesn’t happen for most users. So where do you find Telegram downloaded files on mobile and PC?
Table of Contents
How Telegram Downloads Work on Mobile
Two settings in Telegram impact where your downloaded files are saved.
- Automatic media download – files are downloaded automatically but only accessible from Telegram app. To see in Gallery or Files, you need to save them manually.
- Save to Gallery (Android) or Save Incoming Photos (iPhone) – Photos and videos are saved locally and accessible in Gallery app. But other file types need to be downloaded.
Tip: Learn how to download multiple photos or videos from Telegram.
Manually Download and View Telegram Files on Android
To save a photo or video received on Telegram in the Gallery app of your Android phone, follow these steps:
1. Launch the Telegram app and open the chat from which you want to save a file.
2. Open the Photo.
3. Tap the three-dot icon and select Save to Gallery.
You can view the downloaded photo or video in the Gallery app on your phone. Files like PDF, Microsoft Office, etc. are treated differently. You can save them to internal storage and view them using the File Manager app. Here’s how:
1. Open Telegram app and find the chat where the file is located.
2. Open the chat and locate the file.
3. Tap on the three-dot icon and select Save to Downloads option.
Note: If you can’t find the downloaded photo or video on the current date in the gallery app, look for it on the date it was received in the Telegram app.
Manually Download and View Telegram Files on iPhone
1. Launch the Telegram app on your iPhone and open the chat with the photo or video.
2. Tap on the photo or video to open it in full-screen.
3. Tap on the three-dot (Kebab menu) icon at the top and select Save image or Save video option. This will download the photo or video to the Photos app.
The media file will be downloaded and saved to the Photos app. In the case of files like PDFs or others:
1. Tap on the Share icon and select Save to Files option.
Since these are not media files, you can access them using the Files app. By default, it will be saved in the Documents folder but you can choose both location and file name when saving the file from the Sharesheet.
Tip: Know how to speed up Telegram downloads.
How to Automatically Save Telegram Photos to Gallery
Use the Save to Gallery feature to avoid having to save photos and videos to your phone manually. Doing so will automatically save the received photos on Telegram to your phone. Such files will appear in the Gallery app (Android) and Photos app (iPhone). Thankfully, you can customize where to save photos such as chats, channels, or groups.
Automatically Save Telegram Pictures and Videos to Gallery App on Android
1. Open the Telegram app on your phone.
2. Tap on the three-bar icon at the top and select Settings.
3. Tap on Data and Storage.
4. Scroll down to the Save to Gallery section and enable the categories from which you want to save photos and videos automatically.
Or, tap on these categories to further customize the selection. You can even add exceptions to each category. So if you receive unwanted photos or videos in any particular Telegram group or chat, those will not be saved automatically to your phone.
Tip: To save space, you can keep Save to Gallery enabled while media auto downloads off. That way only the photos that you download will be saved to the gallery.
Download Telegram Pictures Automatically to Photos App on iPhone
1. Launch the Telegram app on your phone and tap on Settings at the bottom.
2. Go to Data and Storage.
3. Scroll down and tap on Save Incoming Photo. Enable the toggle next to the desired category like Private chats, Groups, or Channels from which you want to save photos automatically in the Photos app.
Where to Find Telegram Downloads on PC
Follow these steps to find Telegram downloads on your PC:
1. Open the Telegram app on your desktop.
2. Go to the conversation that sent you the file.
3. Right-click on the received file and select Download. The file will be downloaded and saved to the Downloads folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How to clear the Telegram cache on Android and iPhone?
Go to Telegram Settings > Data and storage > Storage usage. Tap on Clear cache.
2. How to view all Telegram files from a chat?
Open the Telegram chat and tap on the name at the top. Scroll down and you will find all the received files under the Media tab.
3. How to customize Automatic Media Download settings on Telegram?
Go to Telegram Settings > Data and Storage. Look for the Automatic Media Download section. Here you will see options like While using mobile data and While using Wi-Fi. You will see which files will be downloaded automatically. You can customize these settings according to your preference.
Tips to Use Telegram
Now that you know where to find your downloads on Telegram, it’s time to check other tips to use Telegram like a pro. Learn how to copy your Telegram profile or channel link and also know how to use animated backgrounds in Telegram.
