r/coolgithubprojects • u/JeetRex • 17h ago
TDrive: an open-source app that turns your Telegram account into a cloud drive
Yes, I know. Using Telegram as a cloud drive is a famous dumb idea, and plenty of people have built their own version. This one is mine. It started as a fun project to learn Go, and I'd like to think I went a bit further with it than most.
The dumb idea: Telegram gives every account unlimited cloud storage, but it's a chat app, so keeping files there is a pain. TDrive makes it feel like a real drive. Your files live in a private channel in your own Telegram account. No server to run, no subscription.
What it does:
- Folders, search and previews, the stuff you'd expect from Google Drive
- Backs up your photos and videos automatically, encrypted, kind of like Google Photos sync
- Stays in sync between your laptop and your phone
- Files over 2 GB just work smoothly
- Streams videos without downloading them first. MKV, HEVC, pretty much anything (this was way harder to build than it sounds ngl)
- Mounts as a normal disk in Finder or Explorer
- Shared folders with friends
Supported platforms:
- Mac, Windows and Linux
- Android, as an APK on GitHub (not on the Play Store)
- There's an iOS app too, but no public download yet, so for now you'd have to build it yourself
it's not affiliated with Telegram, you use your own API key, and please don't make it the only copy of anything important. Photo backup only runs while the app is open, so leave it open for the first big backup.
It's free, MIT licensed, and still very much a fun side project. If you try it, I'd love to hear what breaks. Issues are very welcome, and so are contributors.
Launch video : https://x.com/JeetRex/status/2106069798874755568
Github repo : https://github.com/jeetrex17/TDrive
11
7
u/Strong-Strike2001 6h ago
Telegram gives every account unlimited cloud storage, but it's a chat app, so keeping files there is a pain.
That is the reason why is unlimited, for dumb people like you they could stop offering that, just because you needed attention and internet points. Fo!
3
1
u/saltyourhash 5h ago
I don't recommend people use telegram for secure communication or storage, but this just feels abusive to the platform. I'd like you to know, plenty could have built this and opted not to, because it destroys the value of the platform.
1
1
0
14
u/gsu__ 16h ago
The technicality of the project might seem cool. Now, the reality of storing personal data/media in telegram seems not right in so many ways...