Native, not a wrapped web page
Window management, text selection and keyboard shortcuts behave the way they do in other Mac apps, including full-screen and Spaces.
Apple desktop
Telegram for Mac — universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel
There is one download for every modern Mac. The package is universal, so the same file runs natively on Apple Silicon and on Intel machines — you do not have to know which chip is inside before you start, and there is no Rosetta translation layer involved on M-series hardware.
6.2.3 · 62 MB · macOS 11 and newer
Specification
What the macOS build needs
The Mac client leans on system conventions: Notification Center for alerts, the standard share sheet for sending files out, and full-screen and Spaces behaviour that matches other native apps. Cloud chats mean a new Mac needs nothing imported.
Compare every platform- Build
- Universal macOS release
- Package
- .dmg disk image
- Download size
- ≈ 62 MB
- Operating system
- macOS 11 Big Sur and newer
- Processor
- Apple Silicon or Intel, one binary
- Memory
- 2 GB minimum
- Disk space
- 600 MB plus media cache
- Install location
- /Applications
Worth knowing
Four things this build does well
Notification Center integration
Alerts respect Focus modes and per-chat mute rules at the same time, so a muted group stays quiet even when notifications are allowed.
One binary for both chips
No separate Apple Silicon download to hunt for, and no emulation penalty on M-series machines.
Signs in without your number
Scanning a QR code from the phone app authorises the Mac without typing a phone number into it.
Install walkthrough
From download to first message on macOS
- 1
Open the download page and choose the macOS entry — the .dmg mounts as a disk image once it finishes.
- 2
Drag the Telegram icon into your Applications folder, then eject the disk image from the Finder sidebar.
- 3
Open Telegram from Applications. On the very first launch macOS may ask you to confirm; right-click the icon and choose Open to clear the prompt once.
- 4
Sign in with your phone number, or pick Log in by QR code and scan it from Settings → Devices on your phone.
- 5
Allow notifications when macOS asks, otherwise message alerts never reach Notification Center.
- 6
Optional: keep Telegram in the Dock and enable Launch at login if it is part of your daily workflow.
Nothing to migrate
Cloud chats are stored server-side, so signing in on a new device restores the whole history automatically. Only secret chats and local drafts stay behind.
If it goes wrong
Common macOS problems
| Symptom | What to do |
|---|---|
| macOS says the app cannot be opened | Right-click the app in Applications and choose Open. That records your approval for that copy; afterwards it launches normally from the Dock. |
| Nothing happens when the .dmg finishes | Open it manually from the Downloads stack. Safari sometimes mounts disk images silently rather than showing a window. |
| No notification banners | Check System Settings → Notifications for Telegram, then confirm the chat itself is not muted inside the app. Both have to allow the alert. |
| The app feels sluggish after months of use | Clear the media cache in Settings → Data and Storage. A multi-gigabyte cache slows search more than anything else. |
Questions
macOS questions, answered
Do I need a different download for an M-series Mac?
No. The package is universal and contains native code for both Apple Silicon and Intel, so the same file is correct for a MacBook Air with an M-series chip and an older Intel iMac.
Which macOS versions are supported?
macOS 11 Big Sur and newer. On an older system the client may install but fail to connect or refuse to update, and the browser version becomes the more reliable route.
Can I use Telegram on a Mac and an iPhone at the same time?
Yes, and that is the normal arrangement. Cloud chats keep both in sync, and each device appears separately in Settings → Devices so you can end a session remotely.
Are secret chats available on Mac?
No. Secret chats are device-bound and exist only on the mobile apps that created them. Regular cloud chats appear everywhere.
More answers are collected on the FAQ page.
Other platforms