TidyMacQuit Telegram, drag it from Applications to the Trash, then remove its group container in ~/Library/Group Containers (the folder ending in ru.keepcoder.Telegram), which holds the media cache and local database. If you used Telegram Desktop instead, remove ~/Library/Application Support/Telegram Desktop. Cloud chats stay in your account; secret chats don’t.
Uninstall Telegram step by step
- Save anything you need from secret chats; they exist only on that device.
- Quit Telegram and drag it from Applications to the Trash.
- Open ~/Library/Group Containers and move the folder ending in ru.keepcoder.Telegram to the Trash.
- If you used Telegram Desktop, move ~/Library/Application Support/Telegram Desktop to the Trash.
- Empty the Trash.
Where Telegram leaves files
| Location | What it is | After uninstalling |
|---|---|---|
| ~/Library/Group Containers/*.ru.keepcoder.Telegram | Media cache and local database (Telegram for macOS) | Check first |
| ~/Library/Application Support/Telegram Desktop | Data for Telegram Desktop, if you used that app | Check first |
In Finder choose Go › Go to Folder (Shift-Command-G) and paste a path to open it. Safe means nothing you made is inside; Check first means it may hold the only copy of something. To see how much space they use, run this read-only command in Terminal:
du -sh ~/Library/Group\ Containers/*.ru.keepcoder.Telegram ~/Library/Application\ Support/Telegram\ Desktop 2>/dev/nullThere are two Telegram apps for Mac
Telegram for macOS (bundle ID ru.keepcoder.Telegram) is the native Mac app. Telegram Desktop is the cross-platform app and keeps its data in a different place. Check which one you have; the folder names are different.
The media cache is the big part
Every photo and video in chats and channels you open is cached locally, so the group container can grow past 20 GB. More about this folder
Keeping Telegram?
Go to Settings › Data and Storage › Storage Usage, clear the cache, and set Keep Media to a week or a month.
Uninstall Telegram with TidyMac
TidyMac’s uninstaller lists every app with its size and last use, and finds the leftovers that belong to it by bundle ID. Remove Telegram and its leftovers in one review: everything goes to the Trash first, you confirm twice, TidyMac checks the disk afterwards, and you can put anything back. Leftovers from apps you already deleted are found too, labelled Check first.
Uninstall apps and their leftovers in one step
See every part of your storage explained, and clean only what’s safe after you confirm twice. $9.99, one time.
Frequently asked questions
Does dragging Telegram to the Trash uninstall it completely?
No. It removes the app, but Telegram leaves 2 kinds of files behind in your Library and elsewhere: media cache and local database (telegram for macos); data for telegram desktop, if you used that app. The steps above remove them.
What is Telegram’s bundle ID on Mac?
ru.keepcoder.Telegram. Most of its leftover files and folders are named after it, which is how you (and TidyMac) can tell they belong to Telegram.
Can I reinstall Telegram later?
Yes. Download it again from Telegram. Anything stored in your account online comes back when you sign in; local-only data you removed does not.