deleteChatPhoto

Returns: TrueOfficial docs ↗

Use this method to delete a chat photo. Photos can't be changed for private chats. The bot must be an administrator in the chat for this to work and must have the appropriate administrator rights. Returns True on success.

Parameters

chat_idIntegerStringRequired

Unique identifier for the target chat or username of the target channel (in the format @channelusername)

Returns

On success, True is returned.

GramIO Usage

// Delete a chat photo by numeric ID
await bot.api.deleteChatPhoto({
  chat_id: -1001234567890,
});

// Delete a channel photo by username
await bot.api.deleteChatPhoto({
  chat_id: "@mychannel",
});

// Admin command to remove the current chat photo
bot.command("removephoto", async (ctx) => {
  await bot.api.deleteChatPhoto({ chat_id: ctx.chatId });
  await ctx.send("Chat photo has been removed.");
});

Errors

Code	Error	Cause
400	Bad Request: chat not found	chat_id is invalid or the bot cannot access this chat
400	Bad Request: CHAT_NOT_MODIFIED	The chat already has no photo — nothing to delete
400	Bad Request: can't change chat photo for private chats	This method only works in groups, supergroups, and channels
403	Forbidden: not enough rights	Bot is not an admin or lacks the can_change_info administrator right
403	Forbidden: bot is not a member of the channel chat	Bot has no access to the specified channel
429	Too Many Requests: retry after N	Rate limit hit — check retry_after, use auto-retry plugin

Tips & Gotchas

• Private chats are not supported. This method only applies to groups, supergroups, and channels. There is no API method to remove a photo from a private (DM) chat.
• Bot must be admin with can_change_info. The bot needs to be a chat administrator and have the can_change_info right specifically — general admin status alone is not enough if this right is absent.
• Accepts @username for public chats. For public channels and supergroups you can pass @channelusername instead of the numeric ID — useful for bots that manage well-known channels.
• No need to delete before updating. If you want to replace the photo, just call setChatPhoto directly — it overwrites the current photo without requiring a deletion first.

See Also

• setChatPhoto — upload a new chat photo
• getChat — get chat details including current photo