Telegram is taking up storage on my Mac

Updated November 3, 2026

Telegram keeps a copy of every photo, video and file you open or that downloads automatically. With a few busy channels, the cache grows by gigabytes.

The short answer: in Telegram, open Settings › Data and Storage › Storage Usage and click Clear Cache. Your chats stay: Telegram downloads the media again from its cloud when you open it. The one exception is secret chats, whose media isn't kept in Telegram's cloud. Set Keep Media and Maximum Cache Size on the same screen so it doesn't grow back as far.

Where does Telegram store its cache on a Mac?

It depends on which Telegram you have:

How big is Telegram's cache?

Telegram shows it in Settings › Data and Storage › Storage Usage. In Terminal:

du -sh ~/Library/Group\ Containers/6N38VWS5BX.ru.keepcoder.Telegram

macOS may ask whether Terminal can access data from other apps; allow it, or give Terminal Full Disk Access in System Settings › Privacy & Security.

Is it safe to clear Telegram's cache?

Yes, for normal chats and channels: messages and media live in Telegram's cloud, and anything you open again downloads again. Media from secret chats isn't kept in Telegram's cloud, so once it's gone from the Mac it can't be downloaded again. Files you saved to Downloads aren't part of the cache.

Can I delete the folder in Finder instead?

Only the cache folders above, and only with Telegram quit. Everything else in Telegram's folders is the app's database and your sign-in: removing it signs you out or breaks the app. Clear Cache inside Telegram does the same job without that risk.

How do I keep Telegram's cache small?