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Telegram Android UI Settings Explained (Liquid Glass vs Sidebar Mode)

Jan 21, 2026

Table of Contents

  • Understanding Liquid Glass Interface in Telegram Android

  • Sidebar Mode Navigation Explained

  • Comparing Liquid Glass vs Sidebar Mode

  • Customization Options for Your Telegram Experience

  • Enhanced Features in Modern Telegram Clients

  • Privacy Settings and UI Integration

  • Why Choose Turrit for Advanced Telegram UI Settings

Telegram Android users have access to multiple interface layouts that change how you interact with your messages, contacts, and channels. The two main UI settings you encounter are Liquid Glass and Sidebar Mode, each offering distinct advantages for different user preferences. Understanding these interface options helps you optimize your messaging experience and navigate the app more efficiently. Whether you prioritize visual aesthetics or functional navigation, Telegram's UI settings provide flexibility to match your workflow.

Understanding Liquid Glass Interface in Telegram Android

Liquid Glass represents a modern, sleek interface design that emphasizes smooth animations and contemporary visual elements. This UI mode features frosted glass effects, rounded corners, and fluid transitions between screens. The Liquid Glass interface prioritizes aesthetic appeal while maintaining functional clarity. When you select this mode, your chat list, contacts, and navigation elements adopt a polished appearance with semi-transparent backgrounds and gradient overlays.

The Liquid Glass design reduces visual clutter by using layered transparency effects. Your active chats appear more prominent, while background elements fade slightly, creating depth perception. This interface style works particularly well on modern Android devices with AMOLED screens, where the semi-transparent elements enhance battery efficiency. The smooth animations between switching chats and opening menus create a premium feel that many users find satisfying.

Navigation within Liquid Glass mode remains intuitive. Your chat list occupies the main screen area, with quick access buttons positioned at the bottom or side depending on your device orientation. The search function integrates seamlessly into the top bar, and your profile settings remain easily accessible. This mode suits users who value visual polish and appreciate modern design trends in their messaging applications.

Sidebar Mode Navigation Explained

Sidebar Mode transforms your Telegram layout by placing navigation elements along the left or right edge of your screen. This layout maximizes your chat viewing area and provides persistent access to your main navigation options. The sidebar contains your contact list, channel subscriptions, and quick-access buttons without consuming space from your primary chat window.

When using Sidebar Mode, your chat messages occupy the majority of your screen real estate. The sidebar remains visible at all times, allowing you to switch between conversations without collapsing your current chat view. This persistent navigation approach reduces the number of taps required to access different sections of the app. Users who frequently multitask or manage multiple conversations simultaneously find this layout particularly efficient.

The sidebar adapts to your screen size and orientation. On larger tablets or when holding your device horizontally, the sidebar provides substantial space for displaying contact names, channel titles, and status indicators. On smaller phones, the sidebar compresses to show icons and abbreviated information, maintaining usability without overwhelming the interface. This responsive design ensures Sidebar Mode works effectively across all Android device sizes.

Comparing Liquid Glass vs Sidebar Mode

Choosing between Liquid Glass and Sidebar Mode depends on your specific usage patterns and aesthetic preferences. Liquid Glass prioritizes visual design and creates an immersive experience where each interface element feels polished and intentional. This mode works best for users who appreciate modern design language and don't mind occasional navigation transitions. The frosted glass effects and smooth animations create a premium atmosphere that enhances casual browsing through your messages.

Sidebar Mode emphasizes efficiency and persistent navigation. This layout suits power users who manage numerous conversations and need quick access to their contact list without interrupting their current chat. The sidebar's permanent presence means you never lose sight of your available contacts and channels. Users who value productivity and streamlined workflows prefer this mode because it reduces navigation steps and keeps essential information constantly visible.

Performance considerations also differentiate these modes. Liquid Glass animations require more processing power, which may impact battery life on older devices. Sidebar Mode uses simpler rendering and consumes less system resources, making it ideal for users with budget Android phones or those concerned about battery efficiency. The visual complexity of Liquid Glass creates a more demanding experience, while Sidebar Mode prioritizes functional simplicity.

Screen real estate usage differs significantly between these modes. Liquid Glass uses your entire screen for displaying content, with navigation elements appearing when needed. Sidebar Mode dedicates permanent space to navigation, reducing your available chat viewing area but providing constant access to your contact list. Users with smaller screens may find Sidebar Mode cramped, while those with larger displays appreciate the persistent navigation.

Customization Options for Your Telegram Experience

Beyond choosing between Liquid Glass and Sidebar Mode, Telegram Android offers extensive customization options that personalize your interface. You can adjust font sizes to improve readability, with options ranging from small text for compact displays to large text for accessibility. The font styling options let you choose between standard and alternative typefaces that match your visual preferences.

Chat background customization allows you to select from preset themes or upload custom images. You can choose solid colors, gradient backgrounds, or photographic images that reflect your personal style. The background settings apply globally to all your chats, creating a consistent visual experience throughout the app. Some users prefer minimalist solid colors, while others enjoy dynamic patterns or personal photographs as their chat backdrop.

Theme selection provides multiple color schemes ranging from light modes that reduce eye strain in bright environments to dark modes that preserve battery life on AMOLED screens. You can switch between themes instantly, and Telegram remembers your preference for future sessions. The theme system extends to all interface elements, including buttons, text colors, and accent highlights, ensuring visual consistency throughout your experience.

Notification customization lets you control which conversations trigger alerts and how those alerts appear. You can mute specific chats while keeping others active, set custom notification sounds for important contacts, and configure vibration patterns. The notification settings integrate with your device's Do Not Disturb mode, allowing Telegram to respect your system-wide quiet hours.

Sticker and emoji customization enables you to manage your expression options. You can install additional sticker packs, organize them into custom collections, and remove packs you no longer use. The emoji search function helps you quickly find the right expression for your message, and you can create custom emoji combinations that appear in your frequently used section.

Enhanced Features in Modern Telegram Clients

Modern Telegram clients extend beyond the official app, offering additional features that enhance your messaging experience. Turrit represents an advanced Telegram client that builds upon the standard interface with powerful customization options and productivity features. This enhanced client maintains full compatibility with Telegram's infrastructure while adding functionality that the official app doesn't provide.

Turrit allows you to switch between Side Navigation and Bottom Navigation layouts, giving you more control over your interface organization than standard Telegram. You can customize your app icon to match your home screen theme, choosing from different colors and styles. The ability to manage 10 accounts simultaneously, compared to Telegram's standard 3-account limit, makes Turrit ideal for users managing multiple Telegram profiles.


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Turrit includes advanced translation features that work seamlessly within your chats. The AI translator provides 99% accuracy when translating messages before sending, and real-time translation lets you understand entire conversations in different languages. Page translation extends to external links and instant view articles, ensuring you can read web content in your preferred language without leaving the app.

The download acceleration feature in Turrit speeds up file transfers up to 20 times faster than standard Telegram. You can customize upload and download speeds based on your network conditions, and enable auto-resume functionality when returning to the app. This feature proves invaluable for users who frequently share large files or download media-heavy content.


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Turrit provides unlimited cloud storage without subscription fees, allowing you to collect and access your favorite images, videos, music, and files faster. The cloud drive feature eliminates the need to pile everything into Saved Messages, and you can share your cloud drive with others or access drives shared with you. This storage solution provides seamless access to your media across all your devices.

Video Flow functionality in Turrit works like scrolling through TikTok, letting you browse video content continuously. You can tap the heart icon to save favorites in Favorite Videos, and download videos 20 times faster to your saved files. The player gesture operation mode lets you swipe up or down to adjust volume and brightness, or swipe left or right to control video progress, creating an immersive viewing experience.


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Channel Flow in Turrit lets you subscribe to channels and scroll through the latest updates in real-time. You can add content to Saved Messages and leave comments directly from the channel flow view. This feature streamlines how you consume channel content, eliminating the need to open individual channels repeatedly.

The music playlist feature transforms Turrit into a full-featured music player. You can mark favorite music files, add songs into custom playlists, and set timers for automatic playback stopping. The playback timer includes preset options for 30, 60, or 90 minutes, perfect for focus sessions or falling asleep to your favorite songs. Access your music library through Settings → Saved Files → Music → My Playlist.


Privacy Settings and UI Integration

Privacy protection integrates directly into your Telegram UI through dedicated settings sections. The Privacy and Security menu lets you control who sees your phone number, last seen status, and profile information. You can restrict these details to all users, only your contacts, or nobody, giving you granular control over your digital footprint.

Group invitation settings determine who can add you to groups and channels without your permission. You can allow all users, restrict to contacts only, or disable group invitations entirely. This setting prevents unwanted group additions and keeps your chat list organized with only conversations you choose to join.

Turrit enhances privacy protection with Privacy Detection features that check your privacy score and boost protection with one tap. This tool prevents phone number leaks and blocks unwanted direct messages from strangers. Your privacy settings apply across all Telegram clients, ensuring consistent protection regardless of which device you use.

Message filtering in Turrit lets you block specific keywords and filter channel ads. You can long-press or tap a message to select words to block, then manage your filters through Settings → Tools → Block Messages. This feature keeps your chats clean by hiding spam, ads, and annoying messages automatically.

The block user group speech feature allows you to hide specific users' messages in group chats without removing them from the conversation. This functionality maintains group readability when certain members flood the chat with unwanted content. Access this feature through Settings → Useful Tools → Block Messages → Block specified users.

Why Choose Turrit for Advanced Telegram UI Settings

Turrit represents the next evolution in Telegram client customization, offering features that extend far beyond the standard interface options. While Liquid Glass and Sidebar Mode provide basic layout choices, Turrit delivers comprehensive customization that addresses the needs of power users, content creators, and professionals who demand more from their messaging platform.

The simplified design and interface of Turrit maintains the core Telegram experience while adding powerful tools that enhance productivity. You get the reliability and security of Telegram combined with features like multi-account management, advanced translation, and accelerated file transfers. This combination makes Turrit ideal for users who want more control over their messaging environment.

Quick search functionality in Turrit switches quickly with or without hashtags, allowing you to search across groups, channels, and saved messages efficiently. This feature is enabled by default and can be managed through Settings → Tools → Appearance Customize → Quick Search. The improved search capability saves time when locating specific conversations or content.

Group remarks in Turrit let you add custom names to groups that only you can see. This personalization makes it easier to find your groups and organize your chat list according to your own system. You can keep your chat names simple while maintaining clear identification of each group's purpose.

The ability to pin 10 chats in all folders gives you more flexibility than standard Telegram's pinning system. You can organize your most important conversations across different folders and keep them easily accessible. This feature proves invaluable for users managing work, personal, and project-specific conversations simultaneously.

Message details in Turrit let you tap a message to view comprehensive information, and long-press to copy content efficiently. This business-friendly approach streamlines how you interact with message content, making it easier to reference, share, or archive important information.

The default video quality setting in Turrit lets you configure your preferred playback resolution once, and the app maintains that setting for all future videos. You can choose Auto for adaptive quality based on network conditions, Highest Quality for original resolution playback, or Lowest Quality to save data and load videos faster. Access this setting by tapping the gear icon in the top right corner of the video player.

Content search in Turrit improves the Telegram keyword search function by letting you explore more groups, channels, and bots directly from the search bar. You can click Explore to discover additional search results beyond your existing conversations. This feature helps you find new communities and resources that match your interests.

Choosing between standard Telegram UI modes and upgrading to Turrit depends on your specific needs. If you value simplicity and prefer the official Telegram experience, Liquid Glass and Sidebar Mode provide adequate customization. However, if you need advanced features like multi-account management, enhanced translation, accelerated downloads, and comprehensive privacy tools, Turrit delivers the functionality you require. The enhanced client maintains full Telegram compatibility while expanding your interface options and productivity capabilities, making it the superior choice for users who demand more from their messaging platform.