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 agree. It's impossible to use. Who even came up with this idea? I and many of my colleagues are outraged. I want to beg them to bring back the old interface or at least give me the ability to switch between them. The completely useless and rarely used buttons take up a lot of workspace as a panel at the bottom. And the huge text at the top also eats up useful space. I doubt any user will forget they're using Telegram to write about it. The search bar is also useless. Has anyone forgotten that this is a messenger, not a search engine? I won't even mention the unreadable font and so on... The interface has become simply disgusting, reminiscent of some pathetic Viber or similar apps.
Антон Серый
I fully agree. Google has its own guidelines. Why not just follow them? + there are also more resources to eat. The feed of chats and channels seemed to drop to 30 frames when scrolling.
For now, install 12.3.0 apk with the old design. Also you might need to go further back to versions without any of the liquid @$$ redesign.
J C
Outright, I'll stop using Telegram over this nasty UI change. What moron made this decision?
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Material expressive design ? Why? Do you seriously think that the design of liquid shit is beautiful? Or did the creator decide so? We won't fix the bugs, but we'll make a crappy fake design. At least bring back the old one!!!
No. The new design corresponds to the same as in the worst operating system created by mankind. The old interface is logical and does not force anything. I understand that iOS users like to eat waste products, but I'm not ready to put up with such an interface.
Maximus
Worst UI design that happened to Telegram. It doesn't solve any problem and literally no one asked for this update.
Ivan Židić
I really think that it is THE worst UI redesign I saw in my life. ALL important things like saved messages are moved to the obscure places and grouped with random shit like "new group". ALL unimportant shit I don't need 90% of the time like "Profile" and "Contacts" are live now on the main screen on the awful floating island. NEW MESSAGE (who tf use it, telegram is not twitter) button is placed in place where I scroll my chats. SEARCH field for some reason also present on the main screen at all times. I can't believe how shit it is. Who did it. Why. You had literally the most pleasant to use UI from all the apps on my phone. Why I must suffer because of iOS or something? I cancel premium this year. My deepest, sinsereest "f you", telegram devs.
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I can't believe how shit it is. Who did it. Why. You had literally the most pleasant to use UI from all the apps on my phone. Why I must suffer because of iOS or something? I cancel premium this year. My deepest, sinsereest "f you", telegram devs.