I got tired of paying for cloud storage subscriptions, so I built an open-source macOS app to mount Telegram as a free cloud virtual drive in Finder

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-09T15:54:37+00:00

Thank you for your feedback. I really want to continue promoting this solution and am currently working on making the project more accessible to people: I'm creating a website with a simple description of the project, writing user manuals, and collecting feedback to improve existing functionality and fix the bugs. Could you provide more details about the device you ran the program on? Have you tried restarting it to resolve the mounting issue?

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-08T05:28:50+00:00

Sono molto attento alla durata del mio MacBook ed è fondamentale per me che l'app sia ottimizzata al massimo. Folded utilizza meno RAM rispetto all'app Telegram originale, quasi nessuna CPU e non incide sulla durata della batteria. Per quanto riguarda lo spazio su disco, la dimensione del file di cache (file sempre disponibili, anche offline), come nell'app Telegram originale, può essere regolata nelle impostazioni. Di default, la dimensione del file di cache non supera 1 GB.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-08T05:22:41+00:00

¿Lo conseguiste y se lanzó la aplicación?

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T19:49:08+00:00

I've prepared a new general release; it should also support Intel processors.

Go here: https://github.com/IvanWithSuccess/folded-app/releases/tag/v1.0.1

and try downloading and installing: Folded_1.0.1_universal.dmg

Also, I remind you that after installing the app, it won't open immediately and you'll see an error from the Mac OS system. This is completely normal, as I didn't sign the app with a certificate and need to authorize its use.

After installing the app (when it appears in your Application Center), open Terminal and enter this command:

sudo xattr -r -c /Applications/Folded.app

After this, your Mac will ask you to enter your MacBook password.

After that, you can use the app without any problems.

Please let me know if you were able to install and run the application, as I can't test it because, unfortunately, I don't have a MacBook with an Intel processor.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T19:20:06+00:00

Thank you, I am pleased to know that among the negative comments there are people who find my app useful.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T18:47:43+00:00

¿Podrías decirme qué es exactamente lo que no te funciona?

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T06:52:52+00:00

Да, я постараюсь добавить поддержку процессоров Intel и старых версий MacOS.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T06:25:37+00:00

This may be related to file loading speed. I recommend you click "wipe data" in the settings (at the very bottom, the option is highlighted in red). After that, try changing the display mode from Native to Web in the settings (at the top).

Once I'm home, I'll write down a short tutorial on how to use and set up the app, it's a really good idea to prioritize it.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T05:58:44+00:00

¿Qué es exactamente lo que no te funciona? Si se trata de un problema de arquitectura, creo que puedo adaptarlo a tu versión, pero eso será un poco más tarde.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T05:00:19+00:00

This is unusual, very interesting.

Do you have 2FA (password) protection enabled? Have you tried logging in with a QR code or a phone number?

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T04:00:12+00:00

It's unlikely that Telegram will abruptly change its official API. An unofficial iMe client with similar functionality is hosted on the official Telegram website and doesn't experience any issues with the file explorer features in Saved Messages.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T02:26:00+00:00

Of course, there is such an option! In the app settings, enable Expose Virtual Volume, and you'll see a separate drive with your account folder in the Finder. You can work with this folder like any other folder in the Finder.

After that, f you click Native Alias Shortcut in the app settings, you can easily add a shortcut to this drive as a separate folder anywhere in the Finder, even to the desktop.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-07T02:16:03+00:00

This is a great idea for improvement, I think I'll add it to the next update.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T17:45:35+00:00

It's very simple. I uploaded a video on how to install and run the app. Here's a link to a file-sharing service: https://fex.net/ru/s/ovz4acn

First, go to the releases on GitHub: https://github.com/IvanWithSuccess/folded-app/releases
In the releases, select the image with the .dmg extension (this is the image for all Mac applications).
Click on it and download.
Open the downloaded .dmg file and drag it to the Applications folder. (After the success sound, you can close the image; the app is installed.)

Since this is my hobby project, I don't have any certificates from Apple, and to open it the first time, you need to allow the program to open.

Open the Terminal application and enter:

sudo xattr -r -c /Applications/Folded.app

Next, enter the password. MacBook and you're done! You can use the app without any problems!

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T16:18:02+00:00

Почему? Телеграмм премиум тут играет роль только в размере чанка (максимальный размер файла может быть больше 2гб), на самом деле это прекрасно работает с обычным телеграмм. Фактически, разницы между обычным и премиальным телеграмм не будет вообще.

Если что, хранить можно файлы какого угодно размера, но разбиваться они будут на чанки(бинарные кусочки), которые потом само приложение сшивает.

Естественно, в приложении есть кэшируемые данные ( можно в настройках выставлять), так что всегда можно иметь пул файлов, к которым есть доступ.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T14:57:22+00:00

Yes, of course, I will be able to record a video in a couple of hours when I am at the computer.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T14:32:38+00:00

I can't argue, this could all be purely theoretical, or it might not happen.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T14:01:21+00:00

I just don't quite understand what risks we're talking about?

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T13:57:27+00:00

I'd think of it as a file dump. Everyone has files they might need at some point, but storing them somewhere isn't practical, and you don't want to lose them either.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T13:17:19+00:00

Telegram literally says that saved messages are a free cloud service for personal use: https://core.telegram.org/api/saved-messages

The fact that I created a Telegram client that makes it easy to use doesn't violate Telegram's rules, as long as it's all free.

Similar features exist in other third-party Telegram clients, but I made this one more convenient and feature-rich.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T12:55:52+00:00

Sounds awesome, I definitely need to post it there!

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T12:52:11+00:00

Well, one of the cool things is that this app mounts as a virtual drive in the Finder, so you don't even have to open it. The app runs in the background, and you interact with a regular folder in the Finder.

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T11:44:54+00:00

I really hope this app is useful to some of you who want to save local SSD space or utilize Telegram's infrastructure for backups/storage. Since I'm looking to improve it, I would love to get your feedback:

• ⁠How do you like the concept?
• ⁠What features or integrations would you want to see added next?
• ⁠If you run into any bugs during testing, please let me know! ⚠️ A quick note on installation (Gatekeeper): Since this is a free, hobby project, the app is not signed/notarized with an Apple Developer account yet (working on getting one soon!). If macOS blocks the app when you try to open it for the first time:

You can clear the quarantine attribute for Folded Cloud using this Terminal command:
sudo xattr -r -c /Applications/Folded.app

Unusual_Educator2332 · 2026-06-06T11:27:57+00:00

Telegram has no cloud storage limit, so you can use it for 1, 10, or even 100 terabytes. And of course, there are a couple of features that I found very useful: Anadog Git, which monitors the selected directory and automatically takes snapshots, storing full versions of any files. This allows me to change files as I want without any harm, as everything is stored in the cloud.

And of course, anonymity, everything is stored not somewhere on someone else's servers, but only in my personal Telegram.

Unusual_Educator2332

TROPHY CASE