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.
I going to use third party apps until you revert the design change, this is atrocious, who in their right mind uses a design language from one OS and brings it to the other when Material You existed for so long and it worked perfectl
Nay
Things like this redesign are enough for me to stop using the service
A floating bar with buttons needed 2 times a year is just inexplicably bad.
1̴3̴1̴ | -ω-
rollback pls
I
Institor
The enshittification continues... There will be no positive change, of course, but i have to say something anyway. Totally dumb redesign.
Жан Де Залупльён
Please help, I've been permanently banned from spam messages and comments for four months now. I haven't received a single response from support, no matter where I've written. The automated system banned me for reporting malicious people to my regular text message; I didn't violate any Telegram rules. My id 414649755
G
Gleb
Why did I update.. Please bring back old ui, it was much more efficient, native and not annoying.
M
Maca
The worst thing is that Telegram had one of the best and simplest design for Android and now is just the most awful, no jokes. Classic devs "forgetting" what the best design principles are.
thrashzone_ua
Topic started on 7th of February, today is 22nd of March and design still sux
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Classic devs "forgetting" what the best design principles are.