Android app should follow Material Design, not iOS patterns
The recent Android update (12.4.*) introduces design elements directly ported from iOS, creating a non-native experience that ignores platform conventions and reduces usability.
Core issues:
Platform-inappropriate navigation
The fixed bottom tab bar (Chats / Contacts / Settings / Profile) wastes screen space on rarely used sections. Settings and Profile are accessed only occasionally, yet occupy permanent space. This reduces chat visibility and forces extra scrolling—especially problematic on smaller screens and during one-handed use.
Material Design addresses this with navigation drawers or contextual bottom sheets, showing relevant actions only when needed instead of always displaying everything.
Reduced information density
New borders, spacing, and visual effects in chat lists add visual clutter without functional benefit. Users scan dozens of chats regularly—extra noise slows this down and reduces the number of visible conversations per screen.
Inconsistency with platform expectations
Android users expect Material Design patterns because they are consistent across the OS and well-designed apps. Deviating from these creates cognitive friction and makes Telegram feel like a lazy cross-platform port rather than a thoughtfully designed Android app.
Why this matters:
iOS enforces Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines through App Store review. Android does not mandate Material Design, but this freedom should be used to create better native experiences—not to copy-paste iOS designs that don’t fit the platform.
Suggestion:
Design the Android UI according to Material Design principles. Use platform-appropriate navigation patterns, respect Android’s visual language, and optimize for different screen sizes and interaction models expected by Android users.
The desktop and web versions also deserve platform-native designs or their own Telegram style rather than a universal iOS aesthetic.
Yeah, they almost don't care about android users. There are also issues with Camera 2 API and back gesture.
уеt аnоthеr furrу trаsh
The bottom navigation bar is absolutely useless, even in iOS client. User spends 99.99% of the time in "Chats" tab, the other three are a complete waste of screen space. Nobody uses "contacts" tab. "Settings" is also rarely used and doesn't deserve permanent presence in interface, same with the "profile".
And it's now more difficult to access "saved messages", as it moved to the three dots menu at the top. Previously it was easily accessible via side menu where all the buttons (settings, contacts, saved messages, etc) were right at your fingertips.
Also this unnecessary redesign broke many user-created themes
thrashzone_ua
"New" UI sux
C
Constantine
It was so much better without these useless buttons.
SmolWolf
It's ugly, and at the contacts button there's an exclamation mark that won't go away! there's nothing in my contact list that asks for further attention when i click it, but the exclamation mark doesn't go away.
also when i send an image why the hell is the camera camera preview twice as large in the preview of my recent images?? it was so unnecessary to do that! i know where to click to access my camera, it doesn't need to be extra large.
I don't know who you're catering to, but they're clearly not here to appreciate it.
G
Galina
I totally agree. The current interface is completely unsuitable for use on Android. Please return it as it was
Nikita Temnikov
By forcing this inconsistent iOS-cloned navigation with shifting menu buttons, you've completely traded Android's superior usability for a confusing UX disaster.
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It's a very complicated solution for a non-existent problem.
And it's now more difficult to access "saved messages", as it moved to the three dots menu at the top. Previously it was easily accessible via side menu where all the buttons (settings, contacts, saved messages, etc) were right at your fingertips.
Also this unnecessary redesign broke many user-created themes
also when i send an image why the hell is the camera camera preview twice as large in the preview of my recent images?? it was so unnecessary to do that! i know where to click to access my camera, it doesn't need to be extra large.
I don't know who you're catering to, but they're clearly not here to appreciate it.