How to get a list of all the telegram groups I have joined?

How to List All Telegram Groups You've Joined Using Python

Discover how to programmatically retrieve a list of all Telegram groups you are a member of using the python-telegram-bot library. This guide covers setup, authentication, and practical code examples.

Telegram is a popular messaging platform, and many users find themselves part of numerous groups. Manually tracking all the groups can be tedious. This article provides a comprehensive guide on how to programmatically retrieve a list of all Telegram groups you have joined using Python and the python-telegram-bot library. We'll cover the necessary setup, authentication, and the code required to achieve this, making it easier to manage your Telegram presence.

Prerequisites and Setup

Before we dive into the code, you'll need to set up your environment and obtain the necessary API credentials. This involves installing the python-telegram-bot library and creating a Telegram bot to interact with the API.

1. Step 1

Install python-telegram-bot: Open your terminal or command prompt and run the following command to install the library: pip install python-telegram-bot --pre.

2. Step 2

Create a Telegram Bot: Talk to BotFather on Telegram. Send /newbot, follow the instructions to name your bot, and you'll receive an API token. Save this token securely.

3. Step 3

Find your User ID: You'll need your Telegram user ID to send messages to your bot and authorize it. You can get this by forwarding a message from yourself to the userinfobot or get_id_bot.

Authenticating and Getting Chat Information

To get a list of your groups, your bot needs to be able to access your chat information. The python-telegram-bot library makes this straightforward. We'll use the get_updates method to identify chats and then filter for groups.

The core idea is to have your bot receive updates, which include messages from various chats. By processing these updates, we can identify the chat IDs and types. We are specifically interested in chats of type 'group' or 'supergroup'.

import logging
from telegram import Update
from telegram.ext import Application, CommandHandler, MessageHandler, filters
import asyncio

# Enable logging
logging.basicConfig(
    format="%(asctime)s - %(name)s - %(levelname)s - %(message)s", level=logging.INFO
)
logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

# Replace with your actual bot token
BOT_TOKEN = "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN"
# Replace with your actual user ID (integer)
YOUR_USER_ID = 123456789

async def start(update: Update, context) -> None:
    """Sends a message on /start."""
    user = update.effective_user
    await update.message.reply_html(
        f"Hi {user.mention_html()}! I'm ready to list your groups. Send me /list_groups."
    )

async def list_groups(update: Update, context) -> None:
    """Lists all groups the bot can see for the authorized user."""
    if update.effective_user.id != YOUR_USER_ID:
        await update.message.reply_text("You are not authorized to use this command.")
        return

    logger.info(f"User {update.effective_user.id} requested group list.")

    group_names = set()
    try:
        # Get all updates, which include messages from groups the bot is in
        # Note: This method has limitations. The bot needs to be an admin in the group
        # or have received a message in the group to 'see' it via get_updates.
        # For comprehensive group listing, the bot usually needs to be added to groups.
        updates = await context.bot.get_updates()
        
        for u in updates:
            if u.effective_chat and u.effective_chat.type in ['group', 'supergroup']:
                group_names.add(u.effective_chat.title)

        if group_names:
            response_message = "Here are the groups I can see you're in (or I'm in with you):\n"
            for group in sorted(list(group_names)):
                response_message += f"- {group}\n"
        else:
            response_message = "No groups found or I haven't been added to any groups you're in."

        await update.message.reply_text(response_message)

    except Exception as e:
        logger.error(f"Error listing groups: {e}")
        await update.message.reply_text(f"An error occurred: {e}")

async def main() -> None:
    """Start the bot."""
    application = Application.builder().token(BOT_TOKEN).build()

    # on different commands - answer in Telegram
    application.add_handler(CommandHandler("start", start))
    application.add_handler(CommandHandler("list_groups", list_groups))

    # Run the bot until the user presses Ctrl-C
    logger.info("Bot started. Press Ctrl-C to stop.")
    await application.run_polling(allowed_updates=Update.ALL_TYPES)

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())

Python code to list Telegram groups. Remember to replace placeholders.

Running the Bot and Getting Your Group List

After setting up the code, you can run your bot and interact with it to retrieve the list of groups. Ensure your BOT_TOKEN and YOUR_USER_ID are correctly set.

1. Step 1

Replace Placeholders: Update BOT_TOKEN with the token you got from BotFather and YOUR_USER_ID with your actual Telegram user ID in the telegram_group_lister.py file.

2. Step 2

Run the Script: Execute the Python script from your terminal: python telegram_group_lister.py.

3. Step 3

Start the Bot on Telegram: Open Telegram, search for your bot by its username, and send it the /start command.

4. Step 4

Request Group List: Send the /list_groups command to your bot. It will then reply with a list of all groups it can detect you are in (or that it is in with you).

Workflow for retrieving Telegram group list using the bot.

This method provides a programmatic way to get an overview of your Telegram group memberships. While it's powerful, remember the limitations regarding what groups the bot can 'see'. For a complete personal list, you might need to ensure the bot is added to all relevant groups.