Local Device Storage (Client-Side Storage)

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Device Information: Operating system, device model, app version. This is sent to the servers to optimize the app experience.
How Telegram Apps Handle Data (Across Platforms)
The core mechanisms for data handling are consistent across Telegram's official applications, though platform-specific implementations (e.g., file system access on Android vs. iOS) may vary.

1. Data Storage: Local vs. Cloud

All Telegram apps store a significant portion of your chat history, cached media, and app settings locally on the device. This enables quick access, offline viewing, and a smooth user experience.
Cache: Media files (photos, videos, documents) are downloaded and cached. Users can typically control cache size and retention periods within the app's settings (e.g., "Storage Usage" on mobile).
Local Database: Chat messages, user profiles, and other metadata are stored in an encrypted telegram data local database.
Local Encryption: Importantly, Telegram apps encrypt this local data at rest. This means that if someone gains unauthorized physical access to your unlocked device and tries to extract the app's data files, they won't be able to read the contents without the decryption key, which is managed by the app itself and often linked to the device's security features (like the app's passcode lock).
Cloud Storage (Telegram's Servers):

Cloud Chats: For all regular chats, groups, and channels ("Cloud Chats"), message content and media are stored on Telegram's distributed cloud servers. This is what enables seamless synchronization across multiple devices.
Encryption: While on Telegram's servers, this data is "heavily encrypted" and distributed across different data centers in various jurisdictions. Telegram claims this architecture makes it extremely difficult for any single entity to compel access to the plaintext content.
2. Encryption: The Core of Security
The app is the crucial point for encryption:

End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) for Secret Chats:
When a user initiates a Secret Chat in the app, the encryption keys are generated on the user's device.