Every cloud storage provider plays the same trick. Google Drive starts out with 15 GB, iCloud has just 5 GB, and Dropbox has a measly 2 GB. You’ll fill that free storage within a few months of phone photos at best, and suddenly you’re wondering which subscription to purchase.

Now I still back up my files manually, apart from self-hosting my own cloud storage. But if you want to keep sending photos to the cloud, there’s still hope. There’s a cloud trick that can give you unlimited photo storage for free, and it’s absolutely worth exploring if you frequently find yourself deleting old photos to make space for new ones.

How Telegram became a secret cloud drive

Saved messages are basically private storage

Telegram was built as a messaging app, but its cloud infrastructure is ridiculously generous. Every message, file, and piece of media you send is stored on Telegram’s servers indefinitely, and there’s no overall storage cap. The only limiting factor is the 2 GB per file size limit for free users, which increases to 4 GB if you pay for Telegram Premium. For photos and the occasional document, that’s more than what you need.

The simplest way to exploit this is Telegram’s built-in Saved Messages feature. Open Telegram, tap on Saved Messages, and start dumping your files. You’ll simply be texting yourself, and any files you send in that chat will be saved in Telegram’s cloud storage forever. You can even create private channels to organize items—one for photos, one for documents, one for other media—and have your own organized folder structure inside a messaging app.

However, while this might sound simple in practice, if you actually intend on using Telegram for any serious storage use, the approach becomes limiting. Thankfully, there are third-party tools designed to make this process feel like using an actual cloud drive, and that’s where it all comes together.

Third-party tools move file uploads outside Telegram chats

The easiest way is to use an Android app called UnLim. It connects your Telegram account and gives you a Google Drive-like interface on top of Telegram’s storage. The app can automatically back up your phone’s camera roll, music, and documents to Telegram’s saved messages. It even has a built-in music player for streamed playback.

If you prefer a web-based interface instead, Unlim Cloud is the platform to look out for. It does the same tasks of uploading, organizing, and even retrieving files stored on Telegram’s backend. Both apps use Telegram’s API behind the scenes, so your files are accessible from any device that’s logged into your Telegram account.

If you’re into terminal commands and would like to write your own scripts around your cloud storage, there’s a Python tool called telegram-upload that turns your terminal into a file transfer window. You can install it with a single command:

pip3 install -U telegram-upload

Once done, grab Telegram API credentials from Telegram’s API website, add them to the script, and you can do everything above and more. You can even batch-upload entire folders, target specific channels, and download everything back with the telegram-download command. It’s perfect for automated scripts or photo backups when combined with a cron job or simple bash scripts.

Finally, if you want to take this a step further and self-host your own solution with Telegram’s infrastructure as a backend, Teldrive is a great option. It’s an open-source, Go-based project that gives you a proper web UI with file management and even Rclone compatibility.

Discord comes close, but it’s not the same

File size limitations will force you into fragmented uploads

Discord can technically work as cloud storage in the same manner as Telegram, but it’s less practical. For starters, file uploads are limited to 10 MB per file, and even with Nitro, you can only get up to 500 MB. Not to mention that you’ll likely have to submit to a face scan or turn over documentation just to retain your account.

Some tools can work around these limitations. Tools like DiscordFS can split large files into chunks, encrypt them, and upload them as message attachments across channels. There’s also a TUI-based tool called Syncord that uses Fernet encryption to secure your data before uploading it in partitioned chunks.

These are clever hacks and will let you use Discord’s infrastructure as your file storage backend. However, the tiny file size limit makes it impractical—especially considering just how generous Telegram is. The chunk uploads can also be unreliable, and there’s a chance you might not be able to assemble your files properly.

There are some catches

As with all free things, there’s a hidden cost

Before you cancel your cloud storage subscription and head to Telegram as a storage solution, there are some caveats to keep in mind. Telegram’s cloud chats aren’t end-to-end protected; only secret chats have that protection. This means Telegram can theoretically see your files on your servers. If you’re storing anything sensitive, encrypt it locally before uploading. A simple password-protected ZIP archive goes a long way, and tools like Cryptomater can provide even more protection.

There’s also the risk of account bans. Telegram has been known to restrict accounts that abuse the platform’s storage in extreme ways, and there are plenty of other reasons why Telegram may ban your number. So if you’re suddenly uploading hundreds of gigabytes of files without ever texting anyone on Telegram, things can go sideways quickly. Telegram can also throttle upload speeds if you’re uploading too much data in a short time.

Last but not least, you’ll be trusting a messaging company with your files. Telegram is known for its secure chats, but it isn’t a dedicated storage provider. There are no guarantees that your data will be stored forever or will not be looked at. This approach is a backup layer in case your main storage is facing problems. I wouldn’t recommend storing sensitive documents or photos with a messaging app, regardless of its security promises.

Free cloud storage is literally one message away

Send it to yourself, and it’s stored

For anyone drowning in photos and tired of paying for cloud storage, Telegram is one of the best free loopholes available. Pair it with the right app for your needs, and you’ll have your own unlimited storage solution in no time. Yes, you can turn an old Android into a file storage server or buy a NAS if you want to self-host your data, but for a quick, easy, and unlimited storage requirement, Telegram can easily step up.

It’s not a replacement for a proper backup strategy or storage device. But as a free, always available second copy of your photo and video library or document archive, it’s hard to beat.