You can enable the auto-delete feature on a per-chat basis. It works for both one-on-one conversations and group chats. Previously, you needed to use the Secret Chat feature to automatically delete messages after a set time.
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At the time of writing, you can choose to automatically delete messages after a day or a week. Telegram starts the timer once they are sent, not after they are read. This won’t affect the messages that were sent before enabling the feature.
The process for enabling the auto-delete feature is different on Android and iPhone, so we’ll cover both methods below.
Auto-Delete Messages in Telegram for Android
You can enable the Auto-Delete feature from the “Clear History” menu in Telegram for Android. To get started, open the Telegram app on your Android smartphone and select the conversation where you want to enable the feature.
Next, tap the three-dot menu button found in the top-right corner.
Here, choose the “Clear History” option.
Swipe down and you’ll see a new Auto-Delete section. Here, choose between the “24 Hours” and “7 Days” option, and tap the “Enable Auto-Delete” button to enable the feature.
Telegram will now automatically delete all messages from the conversation after the set time (including media).
If you want to disable the feature, go back to the “Clear History” menu in the conversation. Choose the “Off” option, then tap the “Confirm” button.
Auto-Delete Messages in Telegram for iPhone
The process for enabling the Auto-Delete feature is really hidden in the Telegram app for iPhone. First, navigate to the conversation where you want to enable the feature.
Tap and hold a message.
From the context menu that appears, choose the “Select” option.
From the top of the screen, tap the “Clear Chat” button.
From the pop-up message, choose the “Enable Auto-Delete” option.
A new “Auto-Deletion” screen will load. Here, you can choose the “After 1 Day” or “After 1 Week” time frame. Tap the “Done” button to proceed.
Telegram will now automatically delete messages that are older than the set time frame.
If you want to change or disable the feature, tap the time frame icon from the text box in the conversation.
Here, switch to the “Never” option to disable the feature, then tap the “Done” button to save the setting.
Are you a WhatsApp user? You can enable a similar Disappearing Messages feature in WhatsApp as well!
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