Search in Telegram: channels, bots, music and movies

What Telegram search bots look for

This section lists more than 130 search apps. They fall into a few groups: searching channels, groups and posts by keyword, such as Argo Search; recognizing and finding music by title, lyrics or voice message, like WhatsMusic; finding places nearby, as in the Foursquare bot; and bot lists and directories.

All of them work inside the messenger. You just send a query to the chat, and some bots can be called from any conversation in inline mode.

How to search more accurately

The result depends on how you phrase the query. Short, specific words work better than long sentences.

• For music, send a snippet as a voice message or a line from the song.
• For channels, use a topic and a language rather than generic words.
• For places, turn on location and name the type of venue.
• If a bot finds nothing, rephrase the query or try another bot.

What to check when choosing a bot

See what the bot actually searches and in which language. A good search bot answers fast, shows its source and does not bury you in ads. If it demands channel subscriptions or payment for a simple result, look for an alternative.

For music, mind copyright: download and share tracks only if you hold the rights to do so.

If you look for something specific, such as a movie by code or stickers, first check whether Telegram's built-in search already helps. Bots earn their place where ordinary search falls short: identifying a tune, building a directory, finding a place nearby. Pin a couple of trusted bots so you can return to them quickly.

Staying safe while searching

Directories of channels and bots do not vet every result. Spam and scam apps turn up among them, especially in topics about earning and crypto. Do not follow doubtful links, do not enter a login code into someone else's bot and do not send money to unknown services.

Share your location only with bots that need it to work, and switch it off once the search is done.