ListDialogs
List available dialogs, chats and channels.
LABSCO SUMMARY
Read-only, and it says so.
The tool surface is small and the README does not pretend otherwise — it publishes an unchecked list of everything not yet built. That honesty is the reason to trust the part that does work: it reads dialogs and messages through your own API credentials, which makes "summarise what I missed overnight" a one-step job and makes it impossible for the assistant to send anything on your behalf.
What it is
A bridge between the Telegram API and an AI assistant. The README is explicit about the boundary: as of now the server provides read-only access. It signs in as you against the Telegram API, so what it can see is what your account can see.
What you get
- The list of dialogs — chats, channels and groups —
ListDialogs - The messages in a given dialog, with the option to restrict to unread ones
- A summary of what you missed, which is the use case the project calls out as working today
- The README's own roadmap of what is not built yet: marking a channel read, retrieving messages by date and time, downloading media, listing contacts and drafting messages are all listed unchecked
Requirements
The uv tool, then uv tool install git+https://github.com/sparfenyuk/mcp-telegram. You need your own Telegram API ID and hash from my.telegram.org, and you sign in once with mcp-telegram sign-in --api-id <your-api-id> --api-hash <your-api-hash> --phone-number <your-phone-number>, entering the code Telegram sends — plus your password if two-factor is on. TELEGRAM_API_ID and TELEGRAM_API_HASH then go in the client config. mcp-telegram logout ends the session. The project asks you to read the Telegram API Terms of Service first, and notes that misuse of the API can get an account suspended.
Setup effort
Follow the published steps — uv tool install git+https://github.com/sparfenyuk/mcp-telegram
USE CASES
01
Catching up on unread messages
List your dialogs, pull the unread messages from the ones that matter, and have the assistant summarise them in one pass.
02
Finding which conversation a topic was in
Walk the dialog list and read messages from the candidates rather than scrolling the app.
03
Keeping the assistant unable to reply
Leave it as installed — the server exposes reads only, so nothing can be posted to a chat by accident.
2 tools
Listed in project code.
ListMessages
List messages in a given dialog, chat or channel. The messages are listed in order from newest to oldest.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
2 tools registered in the project's code.
Requires
- uv
- TELEGRAM_API_ID in your environment
- TELEGRAM_API_HASH in your environment
Where it runs
The documented client runs the server on your machine.
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
uv tool install git+https://github.com/sparfenyuk/mcp-telegramGet your API ID and hash at https://my.telegram.org/auth (API Development tools → Create new application)
TERMINAL
mcp-telegram sign-in --api-id <YOUR_API_ID> --api-hash <YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_HASH> --phone-number <YOUR_PHONE_NUMBER>Enter the code Telegram sends you, and your password if two-factor authentication is on
MCP Clients
Claude Desktop
CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"mcp-telegram": {
"command": "mcp-telegram",
"env": {
"TELEGRAM_API_ID": "<YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_ID>",
"TELEGRAM_API_HASH": "<YOUR_TELEGRAM_API_HASH>"
}
}
}
}The README's own block says "mcp-server", a command this package does not install; uv tool install puts mcp-telegram (and mcp-telegram-server) on your PATH. If Claude Desktop cannot find it, use the command's full path.
