Search in Telegram: find messages, channels and people.

The search bar at the top of the chat list searches your chats, your messages and public Telegram channels, groups and bots at the same time.

1. Search all of Telegram

• Tap the search bar above your chat list and type a word, a name or an @username.
• Results show your chats first, then public channels, groups and bots, then messages.
• Tabs under the bar narrow the results to chats, channels, apps, media, links, files, music or voice.

2. Search inside one chat

1. Open the chat or channel and tap its name, then Search, or the magnifier at the top.
2. Type a word to jump between matching messages.
3. In a group you can also pick a member to see only their messages.

3. Search by date

While searching inside a chat, tap the calendar icon and pick a day. Telegram jumps to the first message of that day. In big channels this is the fastest way to reach old posts.

4. Find media, links and files

Tap the name of a chat to see its shared media. Tabs for photos and videos, files, links, music and voice messages list everything ever sent there.

5. A channel or person is not in the results

• Private channels and groups have no username, so search cannot find them. You need an invite link.
• People appear by username or, if their privacy settings allow it, by phone number.
• New public channels can take time to appear, and channels flagged for spam may be hidden.

Check whether a username exists and is free with our Telegram username checker.

Frequently asked questions