How to Export Telegram Chats and Read Them Offline

Telegram Desktop allows users to export Telegram chats or selected account data into a local computer folder so they can read conversations without an internet connection. Choosing the HTML format makes the saved messages readable in any standard web browser, provided users verify the exported files and media before deleting the original conversations.

According to Online Tech Tips, a Telegram export generates a collection of local files through Telegram Desktop for personal reference. Users can choose from five main options and formats when creating a copy:

• One-chat export: Saves a single conversation directly from its chat menu.
• Account data export: Saves selected chat categories and other available account data from the desktop settings.
• HTML format: Lets users open and read messages offline in a web browser.
• JSON format: Stores data in a structure designed for software processing, which is less comfortable for reading directly.
• Optional media: Includes chosen photos, videos, audio, and files based on the selections made in the export dialog.

An export captures only the data Telegram can supply at the time of the request. It cannot bring back already deleted messages, and Telegram provides no method to import exported files back into the app to restore a chat.

Furthermore, Telegram’s export documentation states that exporting public groups and channels saves only the messages sent by the user requesting the export, rather than the entire conversation history. Seeing far fewer messages than expected in a public group or channel export is documented behavior rather than a failed export. Additional details appear in Telegram’s export announcement and its import and export documentation.

Before starting the export process, make sure you have the following requirements ready:

• A Windows, macOS, or Linux computer with sufficient free storage for the messages and media being saved.
• Access to the target Telegram account.
• The official Telegram Desktop application, since these export controls are built into the desktop version rather than Telegram’s mobile apps.
• A private folder on the computer to store the completed export.

The first two steps prepare the desktop application across Windows, macOS, or Linux. Afterward, you can proceed to Step 3 for a single conversation or jump to Step 6 for broader account data.

1. Install the official Telegram Desktop app by visiting Telegram’s website, following the link to Telegram Desktop, and selecting the download for your operating system. Once installed and launched, Telegram Desktop opens to its sign-in screen.

On Windows

Launch the downloaded installer from your browser’s downloads list or the Downloads folder. Follow the on-screen installer prompts, then open Telegram Desktop from the Start menu.

On macOS

Open the downloaded installer file in the Downloads folder and follow the installation instructions. Launch Telegram Desktop from the Applications folder. If a Telegram app is already on the Mac, verify its name to ensure it is Telegram Desktop.

On Linux

Select the Linux download on Telegram’s official Desktop download page. Open the downloaded archive or package and follow the included instructions for your specific package and desktop environment to launch Telegram Desktop.

2. Sign in to the account you want to export by following the on-screen instructions in Telegram Desktop, and confirm that the displayed chat list belongs to the right account. Checking the active account first prevents exporting the wrong profile if you use multiple Telegram accounts.

To save an individual conversation, use the in-chat export menu:

3. Select the conversation you want to save, click its ⋮ menu, and choose Export chat history. This opens the export dialog for that conversation; if you are viewing a forum topic, the label may appear as Export topic history or vary by Desktop build.
4. Choose HTML in the export dialog for offline browser reading, select the media types to include (such as photos, videos, or files), check the media size limit, and set a date range and save location if offered. Files larger than the size limit may be skipped, and exact dialog controls and labels can vary by Desktop build.
5. Click the Export button, wait for the process to finish, and open the destination folder either via the completion button in Telegram Desktop or by browsing to your chosen save location. The resulting folder contains an HTML file (whose exact filename varies by build) alongside any exported media folders.

To save multiple chat categories or broader account data at once, use the settings menu in the desktop app:

6. Open Settings in Telegram Desktop, select Advanced, and click Export Telegram data. This opens a dialog for selecting account data and chat categories; the exact menu location can vary by Desktop build, and it is not located in the mobile app settings.
7. Select the chat categories and account data to include, choose HTML for personal reading or JSON for software processing (or both if offered), pick your media types and size limit, and configure the date range and save location if available. Unchecked categories or a narrow date range will omit matching messages from the export.
8. Click Export, wait for Telegram Desktop to finish, and open the completed folder. Keep the entire export folder together so the main HTML entry file remains linked to its supporting files and media folders.

Whether you exported a single chat or account data, verify that the files work offline before deleting any original messages:

9. Open the export folder, double-click the main .html file to load it in your default browser, check several dates or conversations, and test a sample photo, video, or file. Compare the saved copy with the chat in Telegram Desktop; remember that public group and channel exports only include messages you sent yourself.
10. Disconnect your computer from the internet, close the browser tab, reopen the .html file from the folder, and test a message page and media item again before reconnecting. If an item fails to open offline, verify that the media file was included in the export and that the HTML file has not been separated from its accompanying folders.
11. Move or copy the entire export folder to encrypted storage (and protect any external SSD or USB-C flash drive used for backups), then test the copy from its new location before deleting messages, leaving a chat, or removing the original export folder. Storing the folder on encrypted storage prevents others using the computer from casually browsing the files, which cannot be used to restore a chat inside Telegram.

Both export routes share similar configuration options in the export dialog. Online Tech Tips notes that HTML acts like a local webpage for practical reading, whereas JSON serves as structured data for software processing.

Setting	Where to look	What to choose
Export scope	Chat menu or Settings > Advanced	Use Export chat history for one conversation. Use Export Telegram data for selected account data or chat categories.
Format	Export dialog	Choose HTML for browser reading. Choose JSON for data processing.
Media types	Export dialog	Select the photos, videos, audio, and files you actually want saved.
Media size limit	Export dialog	Raise the limit if an important large file would otherwise be skipped. Check that you have enough disk space.
Date range	Export dialog, when available	Include the period you need; a shorter range makes a smaller export.
Save location	Export dialog, when available	Pick a private folder you can find again.

If an export option is missing or files do not appear as expected, check the following solutions:

• “Export Telegram data” is missing: Confirm you are using Telegram Desktop rather than the mobile app, look under Settings > Advanced, and check other menus in your installed build if the interface has changed.
• “Export chat history” is missing: Open the target conversation first, click its ⋮ menu, and look for Export chat history (or a differently labeled export option when viewing a forum topic).
• Telegram blocks exporting right after sign-in: Read the on-screen notice in Telegram Desktop and follow its instructions; newly signed-in sessions may require a waiting period before exporting.
• Photos, videos, or files are missing: Reopen the export dialog to confirm the media types are checked, raise the media size limit if needed, and run a new export while keeping the entire folder together so links remain intact.
• Fewer messages appear than expected: Check whether the date range or chat category selection was too narrow and compare the HTML file with the chat in Telegram Desktop; for public groups and channels, remember that Telegram only exports messages sent by the requesting user.
• Keeping the folder private: Because exported chats are standard local files that anyone with folder access may read, keep them on encrypted storage and restrict access to the computer or backup drive.

As Online Tech Tips concludes, an HTML export from Telegram Desktop works best as a personal reference document once its messages and media are verified offline. Users should protect the saved folder on encrypted storage and remember that local exports cannot restore conversations inside Telegram.

This article was written by AI from reporting by online-tech-tips.com.