How to find links in Telegram chats (and save them)

Where does Telegram keep the links from a chat?

Every conversation, whether it is a person, a group or a channel, has a shared media section. Links are one of its tabs, listed newest first with the page title and a preview when Telegram could read one.

1. 1Open the conversation.
2. 2Tap the name or photo at the top of the screen to open the chat's profile page.
3. 3Scroll down to the shared media section, where the tabs run across the screen: media, files, links, voice messages and so on.
4. 4Tap Links. Tap an entry to open the page, or touch and hold it for options such as copy or forward.

In a group, the list includes links from every member, not just yours. In a channel, it shows the links in its posts.

How do I search for a link I only half remember?

Telegram searches the text of messages, so the words that were sent with the link are often the best clue. Think about what the sender wrote: “here is the hotel”, “the recipe I mentioned”, a person's name or a date.

1. 1Open the conversation and use the search option in the chat. On the chat's profile page there is a Search button too.
2. 2Type a word you remember from the message or the page title.
3. 3Scan the results; the link shows as part of the message it came with.
4. 4If you remember only the website, search for its name, for example the part of the address after www.

How does Saved Messages help keep links?

Saved Messages is a private chat that only you can see. Forward a message with a useful link to it and the link stays there even if the original chat gets quiet or the other person later deletes their copy.

1. 1Touch and hold the message that contains the link and choose Forward.
2. 2Pick Saved Messages from the list of chats. On iPhone it also has its own entry in Settings, and you can find it by searching the chat list.
3. 3Open Saved Messages later and use its Links tab or its search to find what you saved.

That works well for a handful of links. It stays a chat, though: it is one long feed, it has no read or unread state, and nothing there is grouped by topic. If you save more than a few links a week, a separate list is easier to manage.

Why can't I find a link that was in the chat?

A few ordinary reasons explain most missing links:

• The sender deleted the message for everyone. The link then disappears for you as well.
• The chat uses an auto-delete timer, so older messages are removed after the set period.
• You left a group or a channel, or were removed from it, and lost access to its history.
• The link was sent as plain text that Telegram did not recognise as a link, so it is not in the Links tab. Search for the words instead.
• You are looking in the wrong chat. Search from the chat list to check all of them.

The lesson is the same as for any chat app: a link only lives as long as the message that carried it. Copy the important ones out.

How do I keep a Telegram link in Linkeeper?

Linkeeper is an iPhone and iPad app for saving links and reading them later. It keeps links on your device, in a library you can search by title, tag, note or saved text, and it does not need an account.

1. 1In Telegram, touch and hold the message with the link and choose Copy.
2. 2Open Linkeeper, tap + in the Library header to open the add screen.
3. 3Tap Save copied link. Linkeeper reads the clipboard only when you tap, shows a preview, and tells you if that link is already in your library.
4. 4Add a short note, such as who sent it or why you want it, then save. Tags and collections can be added later.

If the link opens in a browser, you can also use the Share button there and choose Linkeeper, which saves it without opening the app. If Linkeeper is not in the share row, add it to the share sheet first.

Later, search for a word from the title, your note or the article itself, even without a connection. To tidy a growing list, see how to organize bookmarks with tags or folders.

Which method should I use?

For the same task in Vietnam's most common chat apps, see how to find links sent in Zalo and Messenger. And for the case where you saved something and cannot remember where, how to find a saved link on iPhone walks through each place to look.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find all the links in a Telegram chat?

Open the chat, tap its name at the top, scroll to the shared media section and open the Links tab. Every link posted in that chat is listed there, newest first.

Can I search for a link in Telegram by a word?

Yes. Telegram searches message text, so search for a word that was sent with the link or the name of the website. Search from the chat list to look in every chat at once.

What is Saved Messages in Telegram?

A private chat only you can see. Forward messages with links to it to keep them in one place.

Why did a link disappear from my Telegram chat?

The sender may have deleted the message for everyone, the chat may auto-delete old messages, or you may have lost access to the group or channel. Copy important links out of the chat.

How do I save a Telegram link to read later?

Copy the message, then in Linkeeper tap + and Save copied link. The link is stored on your device with a preview, and you can add a note or tags.