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/

@Silenseo hello, can you help with that error?

Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/Users/mishachka/Desktop/untitled folder/restore_order.py", line 61, in
asyncio.run(main())
File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/asyncio/runners.py", line 194, in run
return runner.run(main)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/asyncio/runners.py", line 118, in run
return self._loop.run_until_complete(task)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/asyncio/base_events.py", line 687, in run_until_complete
return future.result()
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/Users/mishachka/Desktop/untitled folder/restore_order.py", line 11, in main
content = json.load(file)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/json/init.py", line 293, in load
return loads(fp.read(),
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/json/init.py", line 346, in loads
return _default_decoder.decode(s)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/json/decoder.py", line 337, in decode
obj, end = self.raw_decode(s, idx=_w(s, 0).end())
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
File "/Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.12/lib/python3.12/json/decoder.py", line 355, in raw_decode
raise JSONDecodeError("Expecting value", s, err.value) from None
json.decoder.JSONDecodeError: Expecting value: line 1 column 1899754 (char 1899753)

can you help with that error?

Something happened with your JSON file.
Please look at this point:

To fix this, append [ at the beginning, and ] at the end of the file.

can you help with that error?

Something happened with your JSON file. Please look at this point:

To fix this, append [ at the beginning, and ] at the end of the file.

yeah I checked it, no luck. Tried the same on windows and works just fine (except noticed the comma at the end of JSON and removed it maybe that was an issue). Thank you very much, regardless! That helped a lot

Thank you very much, regardless! That helped a lot

You're welcome)

api_id = ''
api_hash = ''
chat_id = ''
I hope these are not real account )

Thank you very much, regardless! That helped a lot

You're welcome)

I mangaged to run the code successfully, but nothing is happening after i logged in. what could be wrong?

THANKS
@avivace for the backup script
@dJani97 for providing a restore script
@Silenseo for his edited restore script
@NabiKAZ for his tip for faster speeds
@MohammadJouza for providing a guide

Because I had problems with the GROUP_CHAT_ID I made a quick fork with info for how to find it, to auto add -100 if missing and to work even if someone gave the GROUP_CHAT_ID as text.