How to Delete a Secret Chat in Telegram

Telegram provides numerous features for secure communication, including “secret chat.” This option offers end-to-end encryption for maximum privacy. However, you may want to delete a secret chat at some point. This article will show you how to erase a secret chat on Telegram, ensuring the removal of your confidential conversations completely.

So, read on to clean up your Telegram chats across different devices.

The Easiest Way to Delete Telegram Secret Chat

When you log out of Telegram, all your secret chats automatically delete from your device. Any messages, files, or media shared in those conversations will no longer be accessible from your device. This provides an added layer of privacy and security, ensuring that your secret chats will not be recoverable even if someone gains access to your device.

Here’s how to log out of your Telegram account:

1. Open the Telegram application.
   
2. Tap the Settings icon at the bottom of the screen.
   
3. Click on the “Edit” button located at the top-right corner.
   
4. Look for the “Log Out” button and click on it.
   
5. Press the “Log Out” button again and confirm the action.
   

When you log back in, you’ll need to recreate any secret chats you’d like to continue using. This option is helpful if you want to delete all secret chats at once. To remove specific secret chats, follow the steps in the following chapters.

How to Delete Telegram Secret Chat Using Your Android

You need to take specific steps to delete a secret chat in Telegram, depending on your device. Here’s what you need to do for Android devices:

1. Open the Telegram app and find the secret chat you want to delete.
   
2. Once you’ve found the secret chat, tap and hold it until a menu appears.
   
3. Select the “Delete” option.
   
4. Confirm the deletion by tapping “Delete” to remove the secret chat on your Android phone and the recipient’s device.
   

How to Delete Telegram Secret Chat on Your iPhone

It’s important to note that Telegram’s secret chats are device-specific. Starting a secret chat on one device means it will only be accessible on that device. Logging out will result in the loss of all secret chats. However, you can initiate multiple secret chats with the same contact.

To delete a secret chat on your iPhone, follow these steps:

1. Open the Telegram app on your iPhone.
   
2. Locate the secret chat you want to delete.
   
3. Swipe left on the secret chat to reveal a red “Delete” button.
   
4. Tap on the delete option.
   
5. Confirm the deletion of the secret chat in the pop-up window.
   

Deleting a secret chat removes it from both your and the recipient’s devices.

How to Delete Telegram Secret Chat Using Your Desktop Computer

At present, Telegram Desktop and Telegram Web can’t provide permanent storage for secret chats. Both desktop and web applications retrieve messages from the cloud when launched and discard them when the user exits. As the cloud does not store secret chats, this would result in losing all secret chats every time the computer shuts down.

The lack of a secret chat feature on desktop computers is also due to their non-personal nature and frequent monitoring in the workplace or leaving unattended at home, compared to mobile devices, which are much easier to track.

The possibility of adding a secret chat feature in the future is under consideration.

Self Destructing Messages

The self-destruct timer can be applied to all messages in secret chats and media in private cloud chats. Here’s how to utilize this feature:

1. Open a secret chat.
   
2. Tap on the stopwatch icon located at the bottom of the screen.
   
3. Choose the time you want the message to be available, ranging from one second to one week.
   

The timer begins counting down from the moment the recipient opens the message, and once the time is up, the message deletes from both devices. The app will also send a notification if someone takes a screenshot. It’s essential to remember that the timer only affects messages sent after activation and has no effect on previous messages.

How to Hide Telegram Chats

If you want to keep your chat from prying eyes without deleting them, Telegram has a convenient Archive feature that lets you hide your messages. Here’s how it works on your smartphone.

1. Open Telegram on your Android or iOS phone and find the conversation you want to archive.
   
2. Long-press the conversation until a checkmark appears near your contact’s profile picture. You should also see buttons in the top-right corner, indicating you no longer need to hold the chat.
   
3. Choose “Archive,” and the conversation will go to your “Archived Chats.”
   
4. Navigate to the upper part of your conversations and long-press “Archived Chats.”
   
5. Select “Hide from Chat List,” and you’re good to go.
   

Using the feature is even easier on your computer:

1. Start Telegram and locate the chat you wish to hide.
   
2. Right-click the conversation in the right part of your display.
   
3. Press “Archive.”
   
4. Right-click your “Archive Chats” and press the prompt that lets you move the folder to the main menu. You’ll no longer see the folder from the conversations window.
   

Another great way to hide Telegram chats is to move them to a new folder. This shouldn’t take more than a few taps on your phone.

1. Tap the menu in the top-left part of your screen, represented by three horizontal lines.
2. Navigate to “Settings,” followed by “Chat Folders.”
   
3. Choose the prompt that lets you create a new folder.
   
4. Name the folder and include your conversations using “Add Chats.” You should see the folder in the upper part of your window as a tab. Hit the tab to access the conversations.
   

Take the following steps if you’re a PC user.

1. Strike the three horizontal lines in your top-left part of the display.
   
2. Head to “Settings” and open “Folders.”
   
3. Create and name your new folder.
   
4. Add conversations with your “Add Chats” button.” The folder should be in your left sidebar under “All Chats.”
   

This method works great, but your chats will remain available in the primary chat area. Therefore, you’ll need to take some more action to hide your conversations:

1. Archive your original conversation.
2. Hide your “Archive Chats” folder so it doesn’t appear in the primary chat.
3. Mute the chat.

Additional FAQs

What’s the difference between regular and secret chat?

Secret chats offer increased privacy with end-to-end encrypted messages that the sender and recipient can only access. They also have self-destruct options, are device-specific, and are not part of the Telegram cloud.

How safe is Telegram secret chat?

There are advantages of secret chats in Telegram, but you should also be aware of potential downsides. Namely, the feature might not be 100% safe for teenagers and teens, as it exposes them to malicious actors. People only need their username to contact them, increasing safety risks.

Can deleted Telegram secret chat be recovered?

No, the removed secret chats are non-recoverable.

How to initiate a secret chat

1. To begin a secret chat, click on another user profile.

2. Select the “…” symbol.

3. Click “Start Secret Chat.”

Please note that Telegram secret chats are specific to a device. If you start a secret chat with a friend on one device, it will only be accessible on that device. If you log out, all secret chats are lost.

How to delete your Telegram account

You can delete your account on the deactivation page. This will permanently erase all of your messages and contacts.

What exactly is an encryption key?

An encryption key is a code used to secure private communications between devices. The encryption keys are exchanged in a private chat using the Diffie-Hellman protocol. This establishes a secure connection, and a visual representation of the key is generated to confirm the chat’s security.

Keep Your Secrets to Yourself

Secret chats provide an extra level of security by allowing users to send encrypted messages that can be deleted automatically after a specified period. The self-destruct timer can be applied to all messages and media in secret chats, making them even more secure. Deleting secret chats is permanent and non-recoverable, providing an added layer of privacy and security for your confidential conversations.

Do you regularly delete secret chats from Telegram? Which method do you prefer, manually deleting chat or self-destruct option? Let us know in the comments section below.