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 went to archive.org and tried out versions of https://telegram.org/android dating from the beginning of January, just before they messed it all up. My version is 12.3.0
thank u so so much!! I did this and now I finally have my old layout and colours back 🥹🥹 mood restored 🙌😌
Elraro
Please add an UI selector
thrashzone_ua
Apkmirror and version 11.14.1 one love
Deivi
Disable it, looks horrible
Shinobu
Please bring back the old UI
Sitter
The new floating UI elements just look terrible on android, I can't imagine they actually look good on iOS either. It's especially bad in a chat window, where the back button looks like an avatar and the chat title looks like a chat message bubble, so the header just looks like it's a glitched out message overlapping the other messages. Terrible design, whoever came up with it.
Terrible design update. Too much visual garbage. Now we have 3-4 bubbles on top. 3 bubbles on botom. Why? Interface should be clear. Why are they trying to make everything round?! Nobody likes this round shit.
Nobody likes this round shit.