Search

Telegram allows applying detailed message filters while looking for messages in chats.

Search filters

inputMessagesFilterEmpty#57e2f66c = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterPhotos#9609a51c = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterVideo#9fc00e65 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterPhotoVideo#56e9f0e4 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterDocument#9eddf188 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterUrl#7ef0dd87 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterGif#ffc86587 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterVoice#50f5c392 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterMusic#3751b49e = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterChatPhotos#3a20ecb8 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterPhoneCalls#80c99768 flags:# missed:flags.0?true = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterRoundVoice#7a7c17a4 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterRoundVideo#b549da53 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterMyMentions#c1f8e69a = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterGeo#e7026d0d = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterContacts#e062db83 = MessagesFilter;
inputMessagesFilterPinned#1bb00451 = MessagesFilter;

messages.messages#8c718e87 messages:Vector<Message> chats:Vector<Chat> users:Vector<User> = messages.Messages;
messages.messagesSlice#3a54685e flags:# inexact:flags.1?true count:int next_rate:flags.0?int offset_id_offset:flags.2?int messages:Vector<Message> chats:Vector<Chat> users:Vector<User> = messages.Messages;
messages.channelMessages#64479808 flags:# inexact:flags.1?true pts:int count:int offset_id_offset:flags.2?int messages:Vector<Message> chats:Vector<Chat> users:Vector<User> = messages.Messages;
messages.messagesNotModified#74535f21 count:int = messages.Messages;

---functions---

messages.search#a0fda762 flags:# peer:InputPeer q:string from_id:flags.0?InputPeer top_msg_id:flags.1?int filter:MessagesFilter min_date:int max_date:int offset_id:int add_offset:int limit:int max_id:int min_id:int hash:long = messages.Messages;

messages.searchGlobal#4bc6589a flags:# folder_id:flags.0?int q:string filter:MessagesFilter min_date:int max_date:int offset_rate:int offset_peer:InputPeer offset_id:int limit:int = messages.Messages;

When using messages.search or messages.searchGlobal, a certain message filter may be applied.
This allows the server to filter messages based on a text query, and even on their type, and this feature is often used by graphical clients to implement features like the chat gallery, chat profile pictures and more. Available filters:

• inputMessagesFilterPhotos - Returns only photos, used for implementing the chat photo gallery, and when scrolling left or right while viewing a photo
• inputMessagesFilterVideo - Returns only videos, used for implementing the chat video gallery, and when scrolling left or right while viewing a video
• inputMessagesFilterPhotoVideo - Return only videos and photos, used for implementing the chat media gallery
• inputMessagesFilterDocument - Return only videos and photos, used for implementing the chat document gallery
• inputMessagesFilterUrl - Return only messages with links, used for implementing the chat link gallery
• inputMessagesFilterGif - Return only GIFs, used for implementing the chat GIF gallery
• inputMessagesFilterVoice - Return only voice messages, used for implementing the chat voice message gallery, and to consecutively play voice messages in a chat
• inputMessagesFilterMusic - Return only music files, used for implementing the chat music gallery
• inputMessagesFilterChatPhotos - Return only chat photos, used to allow scrolling through the profile picture history of a group
• inputMessagesFilterPhoneCalls - Return only phone calls, used with messages.searchGlobal to implement the call tab, with the phone call history
• inputMessagesFilterRoundVoice - Return only round videos and voice messages, used to consecutively play round videos and voice messages in a chat
• inputMessagesFilterRoundVideo - Return only round videos, used to consecutively play round videos in a chat
• inputMessagesFilterMyMentions - Return only messages mentioning me, can be used to display the mention history or, combined with another filter or query, return only messages that satisfy a certain criteria, and contain a mention.
• inputMessagesFilterGeo - Return only geolocations, is used to fetch all recent valid geolocations or live locations sent in a group, to display them all in a single map
• inputMessagesFilterContacts - Return only contacts
• inputMessagesFilterPinned - Returns only pinned messages, used for implementing the pinned message list

The returned messages.Messages constructors contain parameters for pagination, the messages themselves and two offset_id_offset/count parameters that can be used to display a progress/total counter like photo 134 of 200.
For example, when displaying the chat photo gallery, we could display a photo ${offset_id_offset} of ${count} indicator on top.

Search counters

messages.searchCounter#e844ebff flags:# inexact:flags.1?true filter:MessagesFilter count:int = messages.SearchCounter;

---functions---

messages.getSearchCounters#732eef00 peer:InputPeer filters:Vector<MessagesFilter> = Vector<messages.SearchCounter>;

Chat counters with filters can also be returned without fetching the actual messages, as seen in the scheme above.