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Some messages aren't supposed to last forever. There are some Telegram groups and conversations where it's best if messages are automatically deleted in a day or a week. Here's how to auto-delete messages in any Telegram chat.

You can enable the auto-delete feature on a per-chat basis. It works for both one-on-one conversations and group chats. Previously, you needed to use the Secret Chat feature to automatically delete messages after a set time.

Related: How to Send Disappearing Messages in Telegram

At the time of writing, you can choose to automatically delete messages after a day or a week. Telegram starts the timer once they are sent, not after they are read. This won't affect the messages that were sent before enabling the feature.

The process for enabling the auto-delete feature is different on Android and iPhone, so we'll cover both methods below.

Auto-Delete Messages in Telegram for Android

You can enable the Auto-Delete feature from the "Clear History" menu in Telegram for Android. To get started, open the Telegram app on your Android smartphone and select the conversation where you want to enable the feature.

Select conversation from Telegram

Next, tap the three-dot menu button found in the top-right corner.

Tap Menu from Telegram Conversation on Android

Here, choose the "Clear History" option.

Tap Clear History From Telegram Menu

Swipe down and you'll see a new Auto-Delete section. Here, choose between the "24 Hours" and "7 Days" option, and tap the "Enable Auto-Delete" button to enable the feature.

Enable Auto-Delete Feature

Telegram will now automatically delete all messages from the conversation after the set time (including media).

If you want to disable the feature, go back to the "Clear History" menu in the conversation. Choose the "Off" option, then tap the "Confirm" button.

Disable Auto-Delete Feature

Auto-Delete Messages in Telegram for iPhone

The process for enabling the Auto-Delete feature is really hidden in the Telegram app for iPhone. First, navigate to the conversation where you want to enable the feature.

Select Chat from Telegram on iPhone

Tap and hold a message.

Tap and Hold a Message

From the context menu that appears, choose the "Select" option.

Tap Select From Menu

From the top of the screen, tap the "Clear Chat" button.

Tap Clear Chat

From the pop-up message, choose the "Enable Auto-Delete" option.

Tap Enable Auto-Delete

A new "Auto-Deletion" screen will load. Here, you can choose the "After 1 Day" or "After 1 Week" time frame. Tap the "Done" button to proceed.

Change Timeframe and Tap Done

Telegram will now automatically delete messages that are older than the set time frame.

If you want to change or disable the feature, tap the time frame icon from the text box in the conversation.

Tap Auto-Delete Timeframe From Text

Here, switch to the "Never" option to disable the feature, then tap the "Done" button to save the setting.

Disable Auto-Delete Feature

Are you a WhatsApp user? You can enable a similar Disappearing Messages feature in WhatsApp as well!

Related: How to Send Disappearing Messages in WhatsApp