Telegram Data and Cloud Backup: A Security Overview
Posted: Mon May 26, 2025 7:11 am
Telegram's approach to data storage and backup is central to its functionality and has significant security implications. Unlike many other messaging apps that rely heavily on local device backups or third-party cloud services (like Google Drive or iCloud), Telegram integrates its own proprietary cloud for the majority of user data. Understanding this cloud-based system and its security measures is crucial for assessing your data's safety.
The core of Telegram's data storage lies in its "Cloud Chats" (regular private chats, group chats, and channels). When you send a message in a cloud chat, it is encrypted in transit telegram data using Telegram's MTProto protocol. However, upon reaching Telegram's servers, these messages are then decrypted, re-encrypted, and stored on Telegram's cloud infrastructure. This server-side storage is the reason for Telegram's much-touted "unlimited cloud storage" and the seamless ability to access your entire chat history from any device, even a newly logged-in one. This functionality is essentially a continuous cloud backup.
From a security perspective, Telegram states that data stored in its cloud is "heavily encrypted" at rest, and that encryption keys are stored in "several other data centers in different jurisdictions." This distributed key storage is designed to prevent local engineers or physical intruders from gaining access to user data. The argument is that multiple court orders from various jurisdictions would be required to compel Telegram to surrender data.
However, a critical distinction for security is that Cloud Chats are not end-to-end encrypted (E2EE). This means that Telegram technically holds the encryption keys for these chats and could, in principle, access the content of your messages. While Telegram maintains a strong stance against mass surveillance and has a history of resisting government demands for data, the possibility of a breach of their servers or a successful legal compulsion to provide data (as implied by recent policy updates concerning IP addresses and phone numbers in criminal cases) remains a theoretical, albeit low-probability, risk for the content of Cloud Chats.
In contrast, "Secret Chats" in Telegram are designed for maximum security and utilize true end-to-end encryption. For Secret Chats, messages are encrypted on the sender's device and can only be decrypted by the recipient's device. Crucially, Secret Chats are not stored on Telegram's servers, nor does Telegram have access to their encryption keys. This means there is no cloud backup for Secret Chats; if you lose the device on which a Secret Chat was initiated, that chat history is gone. This design choice prioritizes absolute privacy over the convenience of multi-device access and cloud backup.
For users who want to create their own backups of Telegram data, the Telegram Desktop application offers an "Export Telegram Data" feature. This allows users to download their entire chat history, media, and contacts to their local computer. This local backup can then be encrypted by the user and stored in a secure location of their choosing, offering an additional layer of control and redundancy for their data.
In summary, Telegram's cloud backup for regular chats offers unparalleled convenience and accessibility but comes with the trade-off that the data is not end-to-end encrypted and resides on Telegram's servers. For ultimate security and true E2EE, Secret Chats are the preferred option, though they lack cloud backup. Users must weigh these factors and choose the appropriate chat type based on the sensitivity of their communication, while also considering additional security measures like Two-Step Verification and regular local backups of their data for maximum peace of mind.
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The core of Telegram's data storage lies in its "Cloud Chats" (regular private chats, group chats, and channels). When you send a message in a cloud chat, it is encrypted in transit telegram data using Telegram's MTProto protocol. However, upon reaching Telegram's servers, these messages are then decrypted, re-encrypted, and stored on Telegram's cloud infrastructure. This server-side storage is the reason for Telegram's much-touted "unlimited cloud storage" and the seamless ability to access your entire chat history from any device, even a newly logged-in one. This functionality is essentially a continuous cloud backup.
From a security perspective, Telegram states that data stored in its cloud is "heavily encrypted" at rest, and that encryption keys are stored in "several other data centers in different jurisdictions." This distributed key storage is designed to prevent local engineers or physical intruders from gaining access to user data. The argument is that multiple court orders from various jurisdictions would be required to compel Telegram to surrender data.
However, a critical distinction for security is that Cloud Chats are not end-to-end encrypted (E2EE). This means that Telegram technically holds the encryption keys for these chats and could, in principle, access the content of your messages. While Telegram maintains a strong stance against mass surveillance and has a history of resisting government demands for data, the possibility of a breach of their servers or a successful legal compulsion to provide data (as implied by recent policy updates concerning IP addresses and phone numbers in criminal cases) remains a theoretical, albeit low-probability, risk for the content of Cloud Chats.
In contrast, "Secret Chats" in Telegram are designed for maximum security and utilize true end-to-end encryption. For Secret Chats, messages are encrypted on the sender's device and can only be decrypted by the recipient's device. Crucially, Secret Chats are not stored on Telegram's servers, nor does Telegram have access to their encryption keys. This means there is no cloud backup for Secret Chats; if you lose the device on which a Secret Chat was initiated, that chat history is gone. This design choice prioritizes absolute privacy over the convenience of multi-device access and cloud backup.
For users who want to create their own backups of Telegram data, the Telegram Desktop application offers an "Export Telegram Data" feature. This allows users to download their entire chat history, media, and contacts to their local computer. This local backup can then be encrypted by the user and stored in a secure location of their choosing, offering an additional layer of control and redundancy for their data.
In summary, Telegram's cloud backup for regular chats offers unparalleled convenience and accessibility but comes with the trade-off that the data is not end-to-end encrypted and resides on Telegram's servers. For ultimate security and true E2EE, Secret Chats are the preferred option, though they lack cloud backup. Users must weigh these factors and choose the appropriate chat type based on the sensitivity of their communication, while also considering additional security measures like Two-Step Verification and regular local backups of their data for maximum peace of mind.
Sources