How I Finally Got Telegram to Stop Crashing on Startup
Honestly, if Telegram keeps crashing every time you try to open it, it’s beyond frustrating—been there, done that. After hours of digging and trial-and-error, here’s what finally worked for me. Most people run into this after system updates or app updates, and it’s usually fixable without waiting for official patches. It’s one of those problems where you think maybe it’s just your device, but no—it’s pretty common.
First thing – Recheck for App Updates
So, the first step—make sure your version of Telegram isn’t outdated. An old version can cause startup crashes because it’s not compatible with the latest system updates or might have unresolved bugs hiding in it. On Android, I went straight to the Google Play Store, searched for Telegram, and checked if there was an update available—if there was, I tapped Update. On iPhones, it’s the same—go to the App Store, then into the Updates tab, and look for Telegram. Luckily, desktop — especially on Windows or Mac — involves visiting the official Telegram site or relevant store (like the Microsoft Store or Mac App Store) and dumping the latest version there. Updating often fixes weird startup bugs I’ve noticed that just linger in older builds.
Next, restart your device – the classic move
A lot of my frustration got erased just by rebooting. Sometimes, all those background processes or temporary glitches get in the way of apps launching correctly. I’ve seen it help even on stubborn crashes. Just do a quick restart—on my older ASUS, it was buried in Advanced Settings, but usually you just hold down the power button until options pop up, then tap Restart. If your device hasn’t been restarted in a while, do it. It’s quick, and surprisingly, a lot of bugs clear up once the system resets itself.
Clear the cache—this helped me a lot
Another thing that finally fixed it was clearing the app’s cache. On Android, I went to Settings > Apps & Notifications > Telegram > Storage & Cache. There’s a button for Clear Cache. Sometimes, it’s more aggressive—there might be an option called Clear Data. A word of warning—this can wipe local settings or cached files, but your messages will stay safe since they’re stored in the cloud. I wouldn’t do this unless you’re comfortable losing some local preferences. On iPhone, your only real option is uninstall and reinstall, but Android’s cache clearing usually sufficed for me. For desktops, I had to manually delete cache folders—on Windows, it’s typically in C:\Users\. Just delete that, but make sure you’ve backed up anything important first, just in case.
Reinstalling Telegram was the magic fix
If clearing the cache didn’t fix it, next step was a fresh install. I uninstalled Telegram—on Android, it was through Settings > Apps & Notifications. On iPhone, I pressed and held the app icon until it jiggles, then tapped the X. On Windows, I went to Control Panel > Programs > Uninstall. Mac users just drag the app from /Applications to Trash. After uninstalling, I restarted the device (because duh), then re-downloaded the latest version from official sources. Sometimes a corrupted download or lingering files caused crashes, and reinstalling cleared that up. It sounds simple, but it was the key for me.
Run as administrator—especially on Windows
This one caught me off guard. I realized that Telegram sometimes crashes because of permission issues—especially if it doesn’t have admin rights. On Windows, I found the Telegram.exe shortcut or executable (usually in C:\Users\), right-clicked it, and chose Run as administrator. It worked immediately. Later, I set it to always run as admin—right-click, then Properties > Compatibility, and check Run this program as an administrator. These permission hiccups can be sneaky, but making it run as admin often solves startup crashes that stubborn permission issues cause.
Some other things worth checking
If none of this works, double-check your device’s storage. Are you running low? Because I’ve seen apps just refuse to launch if there’s no free space. Clear out some files or apps you don’t need. Also, make sure your OS and drivers are up to date. Outdated graphics, network drivers, or Windows patches can cause incompatibility. On my PC, I checked disk space via File Explorer—under This PC—and updated system drivers from the manufacturer’s site. Additionally, I looked at the Event Viewer (type Eventvwr.msc) and examined the Windows Logs > Application for any clues on what was crashing or conflicting during startup.
Lastly, if you’re really stuck, communities and official Telegram support can be helpful. Just bundle your info—device specs, system version, what you’ve tried—and see if anyone else has a fix. Honestly, troubleshooting apps like this can sometimes take a few tries or a wait-and-see approach after system or app updates. But hit all these points, and chances are good you’ll get it working again.
Hope this helps—this whole process took me too long to figure out, but once I did, it was smooth sailing. Anyway, maybe this saves someone else a weekend of banging their head on the wall!