CompressOr eXtrAActOR: Archives in Chat

An archive lands in your chat, and your phone has nothing to open it with. Or the reverse: you need to send a pile of files as one attachment and have nowhere to pack them. CompressOr | eXtrAActOR handles both inside Telegram 🗂

It is an archiver bot. It unpacks and packs rar and zip archives. You send a file to the chat, the bot does the work and returns the result to the same conversation.

Two jobs in one chat

The profile describes the bot as a compressor and an extractor. So there are two directions: pull files out of an archive, or build an archive from your own files.

On a phone this saves a lot of hassle. You do not have to install a separate app for one email attachment or one download of course materials.

The command menu, explained

The menu is short, and each command makes sense on its own:

• /start: checks that the bot is online.
• /help: explains how to use it.
• /settings: adjusts the bot to your needs.
• /savethumbnail: reply with it to a picture and the picture is stored as your thumbnail.
• /clearthumbnail: removes the saved thumbnail.
• /cancel: stops the task that is running.

There is also a /donate command for anyone who wants to support the author. It is entirely optional.

Why a thumbnail matters

When the bot sends back a finished file, Telegram shows it as a tile with a name and a size. A saved thumbnail makes that tile recognizable, so the right archive is easier to find in a long conversation 🖼

If you get tired of the picture, /clearthumbnail restores the default look.

Getting files out, step by step

1. Open the bot and press Start. Glance at /help if you like.
2. Send the archive as a message, or forward it from another chat.
3. Wait for the reply. The bot sends the contents back as files in the dialog.
4. If you change your mind halfway, type /cancel.

Packing works in a similar order: you send files, the bot builds the archive and returns it. The exact hints for each mode live in the bot's own help text.

How these bots work, and where the risk sits

A Telegram archiver runs on someone else's server. Your file travels there, gets processed, and only then comes back to you. For a while, anything you upload sits with the service owner 🔐

That leads to a few simple rules. Passports, bank statements, work documents with trade secrets and private photos are better kept away from it. For files like that, a regular program on your own device is the safer choice.

The second risk is the archive itself. A file sent by a stranger can hide an executable instead of documents. Before opening the result, look at the extensions: an exe, apk or scr file inside an archive from an unknown sender is a reason to stop.

The bot will not open a password protected archive without the password, and that is how it should be. Guessing passwords for other people's archives is not the job of a service like this, and breaking into someone else's files is usually illegal.

Limits worth knowing up front

Bots on Telegram share some general boundaries. The size of a file you can send and receive is capped by the platform, and very heavy archives take longer or may not go through at all.

If the bot stays silent, give it a moment, because load on small services is uneven. Send /start to check that it answers, then resend the file if needed.

This is a small app connected as a mini app, so do not expect the feature depth of a desktop archiver. For one-off jobs on a phone it does the work ✅

Who will find it handy

People who often receive archives in a messenger: students with course materials, designers with folders of mockups, photo fans with a batch of shots. It also helps when you want to send several files in a single message.

Regular heavy tasks, large backups and anything confidential belong in a local program.