How To Clear The Telegram Cache On Your Android Phone (And Why You Might Need To)

Our smartphones are perhaps the biggest time-wasters we own. Messaging apps, in their many forms, are one of the major contributors to this. From WhatsApp to Facebook Messenger and Discord, we're inundated with notifications from friends, family, and colleagues at all hours, from the important to the not-so-important.

Telegram, with its cross-platform functionality, also has a big place in the market, boasting active monthly user numbers of 500 million (according to Business of Apps). As with any such popular service, though, there will be issues at times, and it's crucial that users know how to address them when they arise. Clearing the cache is a quick and simple way to do so in a range of cases (and on other apps such as the aforementioned Discord).

Those lingering files can be removed quite easily by Telegram users on Android smartphones. Here's how to do it, as well as the lowdown on why it might be necessary to clear the cache in the first place.

Users of Telegram on Android will find that clearing the cache on Telegram is simple.

1. Open up the main Settings menu from the app, then navigate to Data and Storage. 

2. Select Storage Usage.

3. Tap Clear Cache.

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4. Confirm by tapping "Clear Cache" in the new dialog box.

In short, the option is clearly signposted but requires a little digging through menus, as does the clear cache function on any app or program. Often, users won't feel the need to do so unless troubleshooting an issue.

The Data and Storage menu also provides options to set Telegram to automatically play videos, prevent the download of media while connected to mobile data, and more, so you may already be familiar with its functionality. Interestingly, though, there are good reasons why every Telegram user might consider using the clear cache function in particular if they haven't done so recently. Here's why.

The cache is, by nature, composed of temporary files. There's nothing to lose from deleting it, then, in comparison to the precious documents, images, videos and memes that make up the brunt of a smartphone's storage space. In short, when looking to make room on your device or simply to reduce clutter, the Telegram cache is a prime target. It will also be replaced when needed again, so it can be useful to get into a habit of clearing caches regularly.

In a world of larger-capacity, more affordable SD cards, though, the concern can be more about the nature of the files stored rather than their size. Privacy worries are another major reason to clear your Telegram cache. Messaging apps can be compromised, and in such cases, data in the cache could also be at risk.

Though cache files are typically associated with pre-loading elements of websites and apps, it's possible that they can have the opposite intended effect. If you notice an app crashing, the cache is a common culprit. Try the steps above on your handy Android phone to see whether it resolves any potential problems.