Telegram lets you save an offline copy of your chats, which is kinda useful if you want to keep old conversations or share them later. But here’s the thing: to get the whole chat history — especially if you’re trying to export data across multiple contacts — you need the Telegram Desktop app. Doesn’t happen on mobile, at least not easily. So, if you’re trying to do mass exports or grab a chat of just one person, setting it up right on your PC or Mac is the way to go.
How to Export Telegram Chat History for All or Single Contacts
Method 1: How to export all your Telegram chats from the desktop app
This helps if you want a complete backup of everything — all contacts, groups, maybe media files too. It’s kinda an all-or-nothing approach, but it’s the most straightforward once you get the hang of it.
- Open the Telegram Desktop. Yeah, that one you usually don’t bother updating, but you should get the latest version (download it here).
- Click on the three horizontal lines at the top left corner — that’s your menu.
- Go to Settings.
- Scroll down and click on Advanced within Settings.
- Look for the Export Telegram Data button — it’s usually in a subsection called “Data and Storage”.
- This opens a new window where you can choose what to export. Here’s where it gets tricky: you can select all chats if you want everything, or pick individual ones. You can increase the size limit (drag the slider) to include more data, especially if you’ve got huge media files.
- Decide on the format — JSON, HTML, or Text — depending on what you wanna do afterward. HTML is visual and easy to browse, JSON is for tech geeks.
- Set your download path — pick somewhere easy to remember.
- Hit Export. Now, wait a bit because depending on how much data there is, this can take quite a while. On some setups, it fails on the first try… then works after a reboot or some fiddling. Because Windows is never straightforward.
Method 2: Export chat history with a single contact
This is especially useful if you only care about one conversation and not your whole archive. It’s faster and doesn’t require mucking around with endless settings.
- Open Telegram Desktop and find the chat you want.
- Click the three dots icon at the top right of the open chat window.
- Select Export chat history. That’s usually right in that menu, no hidden stuff.
- In the export options, tick all the file types you want (photos, videos, stickers, etc.).If you really want the complete package, increase the size limit by dragging the slider — because on some chats, media files can bump the total size into the gigabytes.
- Change the file format if needed — HTML is more user-friendly, JSON for scripts or importing into other apps.
- Pick where to save it — just choose a tidy folder or desktop so you don’t lose it later.
- Click Export and then wait. It might take a while, especially if your chat’s chock-full of media. On some setups, the app might freeze or lag, so don’t panic, just be patient.
Once it’s done, you’ll find your chat history in the folder you specified. It’s pretty handy if you want to keep records offline or moved over to another device.
Honestly, the process sometimes feels a bit frustrating — because of course, Telegram’s export feature isn’t perfect and can hiccup depending on your OS or data size. But once you get used to it, it’s a decent way to back stuff up or archive old chats.
Summary
- Use Telegram Desktop for exporting data (not mobile).
- Find Advanced > Export Telegram Data in Settings for a full backup.
- For a single chat, just open it, hit the three dots, then Export chat history.
- Adjust file types, size limits, and formats based on what you need.
- Be patient — large exports can be slow or occasionally glitchy.
Wrap-up
This isn’t always perfect, and sometimes you have to mess around with settings or restart the app, but overall, it’s the best way to grab your Telegram chats for safekeeping or transfer. Just remember: if you’re doing a mass export and it stalls out, trying again after a restart or updating the app might fix things. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone or at least clarifies the process a bit. Fingers crossed this helps!