Telegram on your computer — TG for Windows and Mac

2026-09-22

Short answer. TG comes in two desktop flavours: for Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) and Windows 11 — an installer from tgai.app — and for Macs with Apple silicon (M1 or later) from the App Store. Sign in with a QR code or your phone number, your chats appear immediately, the connection is chosen automatically and updates arrive on their own.

Telegram on a computer is simply better for getting things done: a big screen, a real keyboard, files dragged straight into the chat. TG is available for the desktop too — for Windows and for Mac. It is the same account and the same chats as on your phone, plus a connection you never have to configure by hand. Here is how to install it and what is inside.

What TG for desktop is

TG is a Telegram client: you sign in with your usual number, and all your chats, contacts and channels are right there. On a computer it comes as two apps:

  • TG for Windows — a full desktop client built on Telegram Desktop, with everything you expect from the PC version: chat folders, multiple accounts, calls, drag-and-drop file sending, keyboard shortcuts. The key difference from the official app is a connection that is picked automatically and recovers on its own when the network is unstable.
  • TG for Mac — the app from the App Store. It is the same version that runs on iPhone and iPad, so on a Mac you also get the AI features: photo enhancement and the AI assistant.

How to install TG on Windows

  1. Open the download page and click "Windows" — the installer downloads.
  2. Run it and go through the setup — it takes under a minute.
  3. Open TG and sign in. The fastest way is the QR code: in Telegram on your phone, open Settings → Devices → Link Desktop Device and scan the code on the screen. Or enter your phone number and the confirmation code that arrives in Telegram.
  4. Done. Chats, contacts and channels appear right away — nothing to transfer.

Requirements: Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or Windows 11, 64-bit.

How to install TG on Mac

Open the App Store on your Mac and search for "TG AI" (the full name is "TG AI: Chats, Calls & AI Tools") — or click "macOS" on the download page to land on its page directly. You need a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) and macOS 12 or later. Sign-in works the same as on the phone: by number or by QR code.

A connection that configures itself

In regular Telegram Desktop, when the connection struggles there is only one way out — find and enter a proxy by hand. In TG for Windows the network mode is chosen automatically: the app picks the fastest available server itself and switches when the current route stops working. No addresses, no ports, no secrets.

The current status is visible in Settings, under "TG Ai" → "Connection". If you have your own proxy, add it in the standard proxy settings — the automatic mode steps aside while it is active and resumes when you turn it off.

Updates without reinstalling

TG for Windows updates itself: when a new version is out, the app downloads it in the background and offers to restart — "Restart" now or "Later". If you are on an old version and no update is offered, just download a fresh installer from the site — it upgrades the installed copy, and your chats and settings stay.

On a Mac, updates come through the App Store like any other app.

One account, every device

Telegram keeps your conversations on its servers, so TG on your computer, TG on your phone and even the official Telegram app can all run at the same time on one account. A message read on the laptop is marked read on the phone; a file sent from the phone opens on the computer right away.

FAQ

Windows shows a warning during installation — is that normal? It happens with apps that were not downloaded from the Microsoft Store: SmartScreen warns about an unknown publisher. Click "More info" → "Run anyway". Download the installer only from tgai.app, so you know it is the original file.

Are the AI features included in the Windows version? The Windows version focuses on a stable connection and the full feature set of Telegram Desktop. The AI assistant and photo enhancement are available on Android, iOS and in the Mac version from the App Store.

Do I have to remove the official Telegram Desktop? No. Both apps can live side by side and work with the same account.

Does TG run on Windows 7 or 8? No — it needs Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or Windows 11.

Is it free? Yes. TG for Windows and for Mac are free.

Download TG

Download TG for Windows or Mac and sign in with your account — your chats will be there within a minute. If the connection is the thing that bothers you, see Telegram not connecting — what to do; for the AI features on phone and Mac, read about the AI assistant.