Exploring the Telegram API: What Data Can You Access?
Posted: Mon May 26, 2025 3:43 am
Telegram offers a robust and versatile API that empowers developers to build a wide range of applications, from custom clients to sophisticated bots. Understanding what data is accessible through these APIs is crucial for both developers and users concerned about privacy and functionality. Telegram primarily provides two main APIs: the Bot API and the Telegram API (also known as the MTProto API or User API). Each offers different levels of data access and serves distinct purposes.
The Telegram Bot API
This is the more commonly used API, designed for telegram data creating automated programs (bots) that interact with users and channels. Bots do not function as full user accounts; rather, they are designed to perform specific tasks.
Here's what a bot can generally access through the Bot API:
Basic User Information (of users interacting with the bot):
user_id: A unique numerical identifier for the user.
first_name: The user's first name.
last_name: The user's last name (if set).
username: The user's username (if set).
language_code: The user's preferred language for the bot interface.
Message Content (from interactions with the bot):
Any messages explicitly sent to the bot in a private chat.
Messages in group chats where the bot is a member, if Privacy Mode is disabled for the bot. In this case, the bot can read all messages in the group.
Messages in group chats that are direct replies to the bot's messages, or messages containing commands addressed to the bot (e.g., /command@botname), even if Privacy Mode is enabled.
Various media types (photos, videos, documents, audio, voice messages) sent to the bot or in chats it can access.
Location data, contact information, and polls if explicitly shared with the bot by the user.
Chat Information:
chat_id: A unique identifier for the chat (private, group, or channel).
chat_type: Whether it's a private chat, group, supergroup, or channel.
chat_title: The title of the group or channel.
member_count: The number of members in a group or channel.
Bot-Specific Data:
The bot can store and manage data related to its own operations, such as user states, preferences, and data received from users, in its own database.
Important limitations of the Bot API:
Bots cannot access a user's phone number or email address unless the user explicitly shares it through a specific API method (e.g., a "request contact" button).
Bots cannot read messages in Secret Chats.
Bots cannot access private chats between users unless they are specifically invited into the chat and given relevant permissions (which is not a typical use case).
Bots cannot access a user's full contact list.
The Telegram API (MTProto API / User API)
This API is more complex and allows developers to build their own custom Telegram clients, offering a higher degree of access to user data, similar to what official Telegram applications can do. Accessing this API requires obtaining an api_id and api_hash by registering your application with Telegram.
With the Telegram API, you can potentially access:
Full Account Data:
Your own (the authenticated user's) profile information, including phone number, profile picture, full name, and username.
All Chat Content:
Messages (text and media) from all your Cloud Chats (private chats, group chats, channels).
Message history.
Contact List:
Your full list of contacts, including their Telegram IDs, names, and phone numbers (if synced).
Group and Channel Management:
Detailed information about groups and channels you are a member of, including member lists (with relevant permissions), chat settings, and administrative actions.
Secret Chats:
While the data within Secret Chats is end-to-end encrypted and cannot be decrypted by Telegram's servers, a custom client built with the MTProto API on the device where the Secret Chat exists could theoretically access the unencrypted messages on that device. However, this is highly dependent on how the client is implemented and requires direct device access.
Key considerations:
Developing with the MTProto API is significantly more involved than with the Bot API.
Accessing and processing user data through either API comes with a significant responsibility for developers to adhere to privacy laws and Telegram's own Terms of Service.
For users, it's crucial to be mindful of the permissions you grant to bots and third-party Telegram clients, as their data handling practices are ultimately managed by their respective developers.
Sources
The Telegram Bot API
This is the more commonly used API, designed for telegram data creating automated programs (bots) that interact with users and channels. Bots do not function as full user accounts; rather, they are designed to perform specific tasks.
Here's what a bot can generally access through the Bot API:
Basic User Information (of users interacting with the bot):
user_id: A unique numerical identifier for the user.
first_name: The user's first name.
last_name: The user's last name (if set).
username: The user's username (if set).
language_code: The user's preferred language for the bot interface.
Message Content (from interactions with the bot):
Any messages explicitly sent to the bot in a private chat.
Messages in group chats where the bot is a member, if Privacy Mode is disabled for the bot. In this case, the bot can read all messages in the group.
Messages in group chats that are direct replies to the bot's messages, or messages containing commands addressed to the bot (e.g., /command@botname), even if Privacy Mode is enabled.
Various media types (photos, videos, documents, audio, voice messages) sent to the bot or in chats it can access.
Location data, contact information, and polls if explicitly shared with the bot by the user.
Chat Information:
chat_id: A unique identifier for the chat (private, group, or channel).
chat_type: Whether it's a private chat, group, supergroup, or channel.
chat_title: The title of the group or channel.
member_count: The number of members in a group or channel.
Bot-Specific Data:
The bot can store and manage data related to its own operations, such as user states, preferences, and data received from users, in its own database.
Important limitations of the Bot API:
Bots cannot access a user's phone number or email address unless the user explicitly shares it through a specific API method (e.g., a "request contact" button).
Bots cannot read messages in Secret Chats.
Bots cannot access private chats between users unless they are specifically invited into the chat and given relevant permissions (which is not a typical use case).
Bots cannot access a user's full contact list.
The Telegram API (MTProto API / User API)
This API is more complex and allows developers to build their own custom Telegram clients, offering a higher degree of access to user data, similar to what official Telegram applications can do. Accessing this API requires obtaining an api_id and api_hash by registering your application with Telegram.
With the Telegram API, you can potentially access:
Full Account Data:
Your own (the authenticated user's) profile information, including phone number, profile picture, full name, and username.
All Chat Content:
Messages (text and media) from all your Cloud Chats (private chats, group chats, channels).
Message history.
Contact List:
Your full list of contacts, including their Telegram IDs, names, and phone numbers (if synced).
Group and Channel Management:
Detailed information about groups and channels you are a member of, including member lists (with relevant permissions), chat settings, and administrative actions.
Secret Chats:
While the data within Secret Chats is end-to-end encrypted and cannot be decrypted by Telegram's servers, a custom client built with the MTProto API on the device where the Secret Chat exists could theoretically access the unencrypted messages on that device. However, this is highly dependent on how the client is implemented and requires direct device access.
Key considerations:
Developing with the MTProto API is significantly more involved than with the Bot API.
Accessing and processing user data through either API comes with a significant responsibility for developers to adhere to privacy laws and Telegram's own Terms of Service.
For users, it's crucial to be mindful of the permissions you grant to bots and third-party Telegram clients, as their data handling practices are ultimately managed by their respective developers.
Sources