Restore deleted Telegram messages from groups

telegramRestore.md

to ask for help with python and/or executing this script, join discord: https://discord.gg/zpu7YUP3Um

Restore deleted Telegram messages, medias and files from groups

There's not telegram API method for this, we need to call MTProto methods to retrieve messages from the "Recent Actions" (Admin Log) since deleted messages (and medias) gets moved there for 48 hours before the permanent deletion.

from telethon import TelegramClient, events, sync
from telethon.tl.types import InputChannel, PeerChannel
from telethon.tl.types import Channel
import time

# Get your own api_id and
# api_hash from https://my.telegram.org, under API Development.
#  or from https://tjhorner.dev/webogram/#/login
api_id = API_ID
api_hash = API_HASH

client = TelegramClient('session_name', api_id, api_hash)
client.start()

group = client.get_entity(PeerChannel(GROUP_CHAT_ID))

#messages = client.get_admin_log(group)

file1 = open("dump.json","w") 
c = 0
m = 0
for event in client.iter_admin_log(group):
    if event.deleted_message:
        print("Dumping message",c, "(", event.old.id, event.old.date,")")
        file1.write(event.old.to_json() + ",") 
        c+=1
        if event.old.media:
            m+=1
            #print(event.old.media.to_dict()['Document']['id'])
            client.download_media(event.old.media, str(event.old.id))
            print(" Dumped media", m)
        time.sleep(0.1)

FAQ

How do I run this?

Please check https://docs.python.org/3/faq/

Thank You so much, you saved my Life!

Hello everyone Please help someone! It is very urgent to figure it out! Can someone tell me what these errors are related to:
Please enter your phone (or bot token): ********
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "D:\Telegram Desktop\backup_will_be_inside_me\backup_script.py", line 13, in
client.start()
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\auth.py", line 128, in start
else self.loop.run_until_complete(coro)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\asyncio\base_events.py", line 653, in run_until_complete
return future.result()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\auth.py", line 184, in _start
await self.send_code_request(phone, force_sms=force_sms)
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\auth.py", line 434, in send_code_request
result = await self(functions.auth.SendCodeRequest(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\users.py", line 30, in call
return await self._call(self._sender, request, ordered=ordered)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\users.py", line 67, in _call
future = sender.send(request, ordered=ordered)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\network\mtprotosender.py", line 181, in send
state = RequestState(request)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\network\requeststate.py", line 17, in init
self.data = bytes(request)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\tl\tlobject.py", line 194, in bytes
return self._bytes()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\tl\functions\auth.py", line 644, in _bytes
self.serialize_bytes(self.api_hash),
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\Acer\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\Lib\site-packages\telethon\tl\tlobject.py", line 112, in serialize_bytes
raise TypeError(
TypeError: bytes or str expected, not <class 'int'>

@AnarialPrescott At some point the program gave telethon an int(eger) instead of a str(ing) or bytes.

@Enough7 thank you! can you please tell me at what point this could have happened and how to fix it?

@AnarialPrescott Okay, just because you asked that nicely :).
The error is raised here.
Before the error occurred this line is executed.
That line is located in a function called edit_2fa.
It looks like that code segment is trying to change your password and fails because your E-Mail-Address is not confirmed.
So it is probably related to two factor authentication, try turning it off or test it with a different account if possible.

@Enough7 Thank you very much for your answers! But, unfortunately, even with two-factor authentication disabled and with another account does not work and still the same mistake(
But still thank you very much for helping me!

@AnarialPrescott You can contact the developers of Telethon here

@Enough7 Thank you very much for your help!!!

I've created a discord server to ease the conversation for people needing to install python/help in executing the script: https://discord.gg/zpu7YUP3Um

Can this be altered so that it can also be run as a non-admin? E.g. a bot that sits in the group and records all messages and notices when a message has been deleted and flags this to the owner of the bot?

How to restore data into the group?

Hi guys
I have
api_id = **
api_hash = **
group_id = **

But when I run
c:\1>python backup_script.py
I have
Please enter your phone (or bot token): ****
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "c:\1\backup_script.py", line 13, in
client.start()
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\auth.py", line 128, in start
else self.loop.run_until_complete(coro)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\asyncio\base_events.py", line 684, in run_until_complete
return future.result()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\auth.py", line 184, in _start
await self.send_code_request(phone, force_sms=force_sms)
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\auth.py", line 434, in send_code_request
result = await self(functions.auth.SendCodeRequest(
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\users.py", line 30, in call
return await self._call(self._sender, request, ordered=ordered)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\client\users.py", line 67, in _call
future = sender.send(request, ordered=ordered)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\network\mtprotosender.py", line 183, in send
state = RequestState(request)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\network\requeststate.py", line 17, in init
self.data = bytes(request)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\tl\tlobject.py", line 194, in bytes
return self._bytes()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\tl\functions\auth.py", line 643, in _bytes
self.serialize_bytes(self.api_hash),
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "C:\Users\hunny\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\telethon\tl\tlobject.py", line 112, in serialize_bytes
raise TypeError(
TypeError: bytes or str expected, not <class 'int'>

Any help, please

I want to send it to some group/channel instead of downloading it

Can this be altered so that it can also be run as a non-admin? E.g. a bot that sits in the group and records all messages and notices when a message has been deleted and flags this to the owner of the bot?

I doubt this, as it uses your account so you would need admin access to view (and therefore) save the messages

Can this be altered so that it can also be run as a non-admin? E.g. a bot that sits in the group and records all messages and notices when a message has been deleted and flags this to the owner of the bot?

I doubt this, as it uses your account so you would need admin access to view (and therefore) save the messages

I actually wrote the code which will download the file and then send it to desired channel via telethon

Can this be altered so that it can also be run as a non-admin? E.g. a bot that sits in the group and records all messages and notices when a message has been deleted and flags this to the owner of the bot?

I doubt this, as it uses your account so you would need admin access to view (and therefore) save the messages

I actually wrote the code which will download the file and then send it to desired channel via telethon

Hi, can you please share this code?

Here is my attempt at creating a "restore" script. Note that you cannot restore messages with their original date, so this script will send them as brand new messages, and append the original date to the message body. It will also send photo, video, audio, etc. media messages, and stickers correctly.

First of all, you will have to edit the dump.json file, because OP's script does not output valid json format. To fix this, append [ at the beginning, and ] at the end of the file.

Then run this script in the same folder where you ran OP's script. Don't forget to replace the api_id, api_hash and chat_id variables.

import json
import time
import glob
from telethon import TelegramClient
from telethon.tl.types import PeerChat
from datetime import datetime

with open("dump.json","r") as file:
    content = json.load(file)
    # sort by date:
    content = sorted(content, key=lambda x: x["date"])

    api_id = API_ID
    api_hash = API_HASH
    chat_id = GROUP_CHAT_ID

    client = TelegramClient('session_name', api_id, api_hash)
    client.start()

    group = client.get_entity(PeerChat(chat_id))

    for msg in content:

        message_id = msg["id"]
        message = msg["message"]
        has_media = msg['media'] != None
        has_message = message != ""
        date = datetime.fromisoformat(msg["date"]).strftime("%Y %b %d, %H:%M")

        # print message, date, and attachment info:
        print(f"{i} {message}, {date}, has_media: {has_media}")

        if (has_message):
            message = str(date) + "\n\n" + str(message)
        else:
            message = str(date)

        did_send_media_msg = False

        if has_media:
            file_names = glob.glob(f"{message_id}.*")
            for file_name in file_names:
                print(f"Sending Media: {file_name}")
                client.send_file(entity=group, file=file_name, caption=message, silent=True)
                did_send_media_msg = True

        elif has_message or (not did_send_media_msg):
            print(f"Sending Message: {message}")
            client.send_message(entity=group, message=message, silent=True)

        # sleep to avoid rate limiting, you may experiment with reducing this time:
        time.sleep(1)

Hello, Can someone help me recover my telegram messages? I can pay!!