telegram-console

A terminal-based Telegram client for technical users. Seamlessly and discretely keep track of your group chats while you watch Claude do your job.

Installation

npm install -g telegram-console

Setup

Step 1: Get Telegram API Credentials

Telegram allows third-party clients to access their platform through an official API. Unlike some services that require centralized API keys, Telegram's model lets each user generate their own credentials. This means:

• You control your credentials — your API ID and Hash are generated by you and stored only on your machine
• No middleman — this client connects directly to Telegram's servers using your credentials
• Full transparency — the code is open source, so you can verify exactly what data is sent

To get your credentials:

1. Go to my.telegram.org and log in with your phone number
2. You'll receive a confirmation code in Telegram — enter it
3. Click on "API development tools"
4. Fill in the form:
   • App title: Any name (e.g., "My Console Client")
   • Short name: A short identifier (e.g., "console")
   • Platform, description, and other fields can be left as default
5. Click "Create application"
6. You'll see your API ID (a number) and API Hash (a string) — save these

Important: Never share your API credentials. They are unique to your account and should be treated like a password.

By using the Telegram API, you agree to Telegram's API Terms of Service.

Step 2: Run the Client

1. Run telegram-console
2. Enter your API ID and API Hash when prompted
3. Authenticate using one of these methods:
   • QR Code (default): Scan the QR code with Telegram mobile app (Settings → Devices → Link Desktop Device)
   • Phone Code: Enter your phone number and the code sent to your Telegram

Usage

telegram-console

Keyboard Shortcuts

| Key | Action | | ------ | -------------------------------- | | ↑/↓ | Navigate chats / scroll messages | | ←/→ | Switch panels | | Enter | Select chat / send message | | Tab | Focus input | | Esc | Go back | | Ctrl+C | Exit |

Features

• View chat list (private chats + groups)
• Read messages
• Send text messages
• Unread indicators
• Connection status display
• Session persistence
• QR code + phone code authentication

Configuration

Config file location: ~/.config/telegram-console/config.json

Environment Variables

| Variable | Description | | ----------------- | --------------------------- | | TG_API_ID | Telegram API ID | | TG_API_HASH | Telegram API Hash | | TG_SESSION_MODE | persistent or ephemeral | | TG_AUTH_METHOD | qr or phone |

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to open issues and pull requests.

License

MIT