How to save Telegram stickers and GIFs

What you're actually saving

Most of the confusion comes from the formats. None of these are the PNG or GIF files people expect.

Telegram has converted GIFs to MP4 since January 2016, because the video is up to 95% smaller and plays more smoothly. That's why saving one gives you an .mp4, and no setting changes it. Sticker formats are documented in Telegram's sticker specification.

Saving them, app by app

On a phone, the GIF has to finish downloading before the save option appears. On every app, these options disappear in chats and channels that restrict saving content. That's the owner's setting, and there's no legitimate way around it.

Saved inside Telegram vs saved as a file

Add to GIFs (Desktop and Web), Save to GIFs (Android) and Save GIF (iPhone) don't create a file. They add the GIF to your GIF panel inside Telegram, which holds 200 GIFs, or 400 with Premium. The same goes for Add to Favorites on stickers and Add Stickers on a pack. That's ideal if you just want to reuse them in chats, and it syncs across your devices. Several guides online describe options like "Save to Gallery" or "Save as GIF" for stickers; those don't exist in the official apps.

Saving a whole sticker pack

To use a pack in Telegram, tap any sticker from it and choose Add Stickers. To share a pack, send its link, which looks like t.me/addstickers/ followed by the pack name (t.me/addemoji/ for emoji packs). In Telegram Desktop, the pack window has Share Stickers and Copy Link options.

Downloading every sticker in a pack as files is a different matter: Telegram has no built-in way to do it. The @Stickers bot is for creating and managing your own packs; it doesn't export them. Third-party bots and scripts can do it, because anyone can fetch a public pack's files using just the pack name. That's also the safety test: a sticker downloader never needs your phone number or login code. One that asks for them wants your account, not your stickers. Our guide to downloader bots covers the same warning sign.

If you only need a few, saving them one by one from Telegram Desktop or Web is the safest route.

Converting to a format you can use

• Telegram GIF (MP4) to a real .gif. Any converter will do, or ffmpeg: ffmpeg -i in.mp4 -vf "fps=15,scale=480:-1:flags=lanczos,split[s0][s1];[s0]palettegen[p];[s1][p]paletteuse" -loop 0 out.gif. The palette step avoids banding. Expect a much bigger file: in our test, a 13 KB MP4 became a 149 KB GIF. Only convert if the destination really needs .gif.
• WebP sticker to PNG. Open it in any image editor and export as PNG, or run ffmpeg -i sticker.webp sticker.png.
• .tgs animated sticker to GIF or video. It needs a Lottie renderer, such as the open-source python-lottie (lottie_convert.py input.tgs output.gif). The result is a flat image animation, so it loses some sharpness and colour.
• WebM video sticker. Most browsers and video players open it as is.

Moving Telegram stickers to WhatsApp

WhatsApp doesn't import Telegram packs directly. You add stickers through a sticker-maker app, and WhatsApp's sticker rules are stricter than Telegram's:

• Exactly 512 × 512 px, in WebP format.
• Static stickers up to 100 KB; animated up to 500 KB and 10 seconds.
• 3 to 30 stickers per pack, all static or all animated. A Telegram pack can hold 120, so large packs have to be split.
• Animated Telegram stickers (.tgs) must be converted to animated WebP first, which loses a little quality.

Sticker art belongs to the person or brand that made it. Using a pack in your own chats is what it's for; republishing it elsewhere, or selling it, needs the creator's permission.

If what you're after is a longer clip someone sent rather than a GIF, save it as a video instead. Our guide to downloading Telegram videos covers every app, including a one-click save button for Telegram Web.

How do I save a Telegram sticker as an image?

Use Telegram Desktop (right-click → Save As…) or Telegram Web (right-click → Download). Static stickers save as WebP, which most editors can export to PNG. The phone apps can't save a sticker as a file.

Can I save Telegram stickers on iPhone or Android?

Only inside Telegram: Add to Favorites or Add Stickers keeps them in your sticker panel on every device. Neither phone app can save a sticker as a file. For the file, open the chat in Telegram Desktop or Telegram Web on a computer.

Why does Telegram save GIFs as MP4?

Telegram converts every GIF to a silent MP4 video when it's sent, because MP4 is up to 95% smaller and plays more smoothly. Saving it gives you that MP4; convert it with ffmpeg or an online converter if you need a .gif.

How do I save a Telegram GIF on my phone?

On Android, long-press the GIF and choose Save to downloads. On iPhone, long-press and choose Save Video to put it in Photos. Save to GIFs and Save GIF only add it to Telegram's GIF panel.

Can I download a whole Telegram sticker pack?

Telegram has no built-in option. Third-party bots and scripts can download a public pack using just its name. Never give one your phone number or login code; it doesn't need them.

What is a .tgs file?

It's Telegram's animated sticker format: a compressed Lottie vector animation, up to 3 seconds long. It isn't a video. To turn it into a GIF or video you need a Lottie renderer such as python-lottie.

Can I use Telegram stickers on WhatsApp?

Yes, through a sticker-maker app, as long as each sticker meets WhatsApp's rules: 512 × 512 px WebP, up to 100 KB (500 KB animated), 3 to 30 per pack. Animated .tgs stickers need converting first.