Telegram Cache Management and Auto-Download Settings Guide

Conclusion

Effectively managing Telegram's cache and auto-download settings can significantly save device storage space. By adjusting these settings, users can flexibly control how often the cache is cleared and what types of media are auto-downloaded, thereby optimizing their user experience.

About Telegram Cache and Auto-Downloads

When using the Telegram client, media files (such as images, videos, audio, and documents) are automatically downloaded, which can occupy a significant amount of device storage space. Users can manually and automatically clear the cache through settings, but please note that some data essential for the app's operation cannot be cleared. Clearing the cache is not the same as deleting media files; these files remain in the Telegram cloud and can be re-downloaded at any time. Furthermore, Telegram messages automatically synchronize across all platforms and clients (with the exception of encrypted chats), so clearing the cache will not affect message retention, nor is deleting messages an effective way to clear the cache.

Methods for Clearing Cache

• iOS/macOS/Android Clients:

  1. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Usage → Clear Cache.
  2. You can set "Keep Media" to a shorter duration (e.g., 3 days, 1 week, or 1 month); Telegram will automatically clear cached media older than this period. If "Forever" is selected, it will not be automatically cleared.
  3. You can also set "Max Cache Size."

• Windows/macOS/Linux Desktop Clients:

  1. Click the three horizontal lines in the top left corner → Settings → Advanced → Data and Storage → Clear Cache.
  2. Here, you can set a limit for the total cache size.

Auto-Download Settings

• iOS/macOS/Android Clients:

  1. Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Automatic Media Download.
  2. Users can choose to disable auto-download, or set a smaller file size limit for automatic downloads. Even after disabling auto-download, manually tapping on media in a chat will still cache these files on your device.

• Windows/macOS/Linux Desktop Clients:

  1. Click the three horizontal lines in the top left corner → Settings → Advanced → Automatic Media Download.
  2. Similarly, you can choose to disable auto-download or adjust the file size limit.

By properly configuring Telegram's cache management and auto-download settings, users can effectively improve device performance and ensure a smoother user experience.