Don’t Like Telegram for Android’s Liquid Glass UI? Switch Back to the Sidebar Layout

Table of Contents

• Understanding Telegram's Liquid Glass UI

• Why the Sidebar Layout Works Better for Many Users

• How to Switch Back to Sidebar Layout on Android

• Customizing Your Telegram Interface

• Exploring Better Telegram Clients for Android

• Why Turrit Stands Out as the Best Alternative

• Feature Comparison: Standard Telegram vs Enhanced Clients

The Liquid Glass UI in Telegram for Android represents a modern design approach that emphasizes visual fluidity and contemporary aesthetics. However, not every user appreciates this interface overhaul. If you find yourself struggling with the new design and prefer the traditional navigation method, switching back to the sidebar layout offers a practical solution that restores familiarity and improves your messaging experience.

Understanding Telegram's Liquid Glass UI

Telegram's development team introduced the Liquid Glass UI as part of their commitment to modernizing the application's appearance. This design philosophy incorporates smooth animations, translucent elements, and a bottom-navigation-focused layout that aligns with current mobile design trends. The interface prioritizes visual appeal and contemporary user experience standards.

The Liquid Glass design features several distinctive characteristics. Translucent backgrounds create depth perception, smooth transitions between screens reduce jarring movements, and the bottom navigation bar places primary functions within thumb-reach distance. While these elements appeal to users who embrace modern design principles, they can feel overwhelming or counterintuitive for those accustomed to traditional layouts.

Many users report that the Liquid Glass UI introduces unnecessary complexity to basic messaging tasks. The redesigned navigation structure requires learning new gesture patterns and menu locations. For power users who manage multiple chats and channels, this transition disrupts established workflows and reduces productivity.

Why the Sidebar Layout Works Better for Many Users

The sidebar layout represents the traditional navigation approach that Telegram users relied on for years. This design places navigation elements along the left edge of the screen, organizing chats, channels, and folders in a vertical list format. The sidebar layout offers several practical advantages that explain why many users prefer reverting to this interface.

Organization becomes significantly easier with the sidebar navigation. Users can view multiple chat folders simultaneously without switching between tabs. The vertical arrangement accommodates more items on screen, reducing the need for scrolling. This layout proves particularly beneficial for users managing numerous conversations, channels, and groups.

Accessibility improves with the sidebar layout as well. The consistent positioning of navigation elements creates predictable interaction patterns. Users develop muscle memory for accessing specific functions, reducing cognitive load during daily messaging activities. This familiarity translates to faster navigation and fewer accidental taps on wrong buttons.

The sidebar layout also provides better screen real estate utilization on larger devices. Tablets and phones with expansive displays benefit from the horizontal space allocation, allowing the main chat window to occupy more screen area while maintaining visible navigation options.

How to Switch Back to Sidebar Layout on Android

Reverting to the sidebar layout on your Android device requires accessing specific settings within the Telegram application. The process involves navigating through the preferences menu and selecting your preferred navigation style. Follow these steps to restore the traditional interface.

Step 1: Open Telegram Settings
Launch the Telegram application on your Android device. Tap the three-line menu icon (hamburger menu) located in the top-left corner of the main screen. This action opens the primary navigation menu where you access various application functions.

Step 2: Access Appearance Settings
Within the menu, locate and tap "Settings" to open the preferences panel. Look for the "Appearance" or "Appearance and Feeling" option. This section controls visual elements and layout configurations for your Telegram interface.

Step 3: Navigate to Layout Options
Inside the Appearance settings, find the "Layout" or "Navigation Style" option. This menu displays available interface configurations. You should see options for "Bottom Navigation" (the current Liquid Glass UI) and "Sidebar Navigation" (the traditional layout).

Step 4: Select Sidebar Navigation
Tap on "Sidebar Navigation" to activate the traditional layout. The application immediately applies this change, and your interface transforms to display the sidebar on the left side of your screen.

Step 5: Confirm Your Preference
Exit the Settings menu by tapping the back button or swiping from the left edge. Your Telegram interface now displays the familiar sidebar layout with all navigation elements positioned vertically along the left side.

The transition happens instantly without requiring an application restart. Your chat history, contacts, and all personal data remain unchanged. This process takes less than one minute to complete.

Customizing Your Telegram Interface

Beyond switching between navigation layouts, Telegram offers extensive customization options that allow you to tailor the interface to your specific preferences. These settings enable you to create a personalized messaging environment that matches your workflow and aesthetic preferences.

Theme Selection and Color Customization
Access the Appearance settings to choose from multiple built-in themes. Telegram provides light, dark, and high-contrast options that suit different lighting conditions and personal preferences. You can customize theme colors by selecting specific color schemes or creating entirely custom themes with your preferred palette.

Font Size and Typography Adjustments
Navigate to Settings > Appearance to modify font sizes for chat messages, headers, and interface text. Larger fonts improve readability for users with vision concerns, while smaller fonts maximize screen space for those managing numerous conversations. Typography adjustments apply consistently across all interface elements.

Chat Background and Wallpaper Settings
Personalize your chat backgrounds by selecting from built-in patterns or uploading custom images. This feature allows you to create distinct visual environments for different conversations. Background customization applies to individual chats or globally across all conversations based on your preference.

Notification and Sound Preferences
Configure notification behavior through Settings > Notifications and Sounds. Customize notification sounds for different chat types, enable or disable vibration patterns, and set up do-not-disturb schedules. These settings ensure you receive alerts in ways that match your communication needs without causing unnecessary interruptions.

Sticker and Emoji Customization
Manage your sticker packs and emoji preferences through Settings > Stickers and Emoji. Download additional sticker packs from the built-in store, organize your favorites, and remove packs you no longer use. This customization enhances your expressive communication options.

Exploring Better Telegram Clients for Android

While Telegram's official application provides solid messaging functionality, alternative clients offer enhanced features and interface options that address limitations in the standard version. These third-party applications build upon Telegram's foundation while introducing innovations that improve user experience.

Alternative Telegram clients for Android typically offer features like advanced message filtering, enhanced privacy controls, improved file management, and customizable interface layouts. Many users discover that these clients better align with their specific needs and preferences compared to the official application.

When evaluating alternative clients, consider factors including security credentials, update frequency, community support, and feature stability. Reputable alternatives maintain compatibility with Telegram's infrastructure while adding value through thoughtful enhancements.

The best alternative clients balance innovation with reliability. They introduce useful features without compromising security or creating compatibility issues. Users benefit from improved organization tools, better customization options, and interface designs that prioritize efficiency.

Why Turrit Stands Out as the Best Alternative

Turrit represents a premium alternative to the standard Telegram application, specifically designed for users seeking enhanced functionality and superior interface customization. This client addresses common frustrations with the official app while introducing powerful features that elevate the messaging experience.

Turrit provides seamless navigation between sidebar and bottom navigation layouts, giving users complete control over their interface preference. Unlike the official Telegram client where switching layouts sometimes feels restrictive, Turrit makes this transition effortless and intuitive.

Turrit distinguishes itself through several key advantages. The application supports logging into up to 10 accounts simultaneously, compared to Telegram's standard 3-account limit. This feature proves invaluable for users managing multiple identities or professional accounts.

The Turrit client includes advanced message filtering capabilities that automatically hide spam, advertisements, and unwanted content. Users can set keyword-based filters that keep their chat environment clean and focused. This feature significantly reduces digital clutter and improves chat readability.

Turrit offers unlimited cloud storage for saving files, images, videos, and music without subscription fees. The cloud drive feature enables quick access to important documents and media across all your devices. Unlike Telegram's saved messages approach, Turrit's dedicated cloud storage provides superior organization and sharing capabilities.

Privacy protection receives enhanced attention in Turrit. The privacy detection tool scans your account settings and identifies potential vulnerabilities. Users receive actionable recommendations for strengthening their privacy posture and blocking unwanted direct messages from strangers.

Turrit implements real-time translation capabilities with 99% accuracy using advanced AI models. Users can translate entire conversations dynamically as they scroll, or translate individual messages before sending. This feature breaks down language barriers and enables seamless international communication.

The download acceleration feature in Turrit increases transfer speeds up to 20 times faster than standard Telegram. Users can customize upload and download speeds, set automatic resumption on connection return, and choose between Wi-Fi and mobile data preferences.

Feature Comparison: Standard Telegram vs Enhanced Clients

Understanding the differences between the official Telegram application and enhanced alternatives like Turrit helps users make informed decisions about which client best serves their needs.

Account Management
Standard Telegram supports 3 simultaneous accounts. Turrit enables 10 accounts, providing significantly greater flexibility for users managing multiple identities or professional personas.

Message Organization
Telegram offers basic folder organization. Turrit includes advanced filtering, keyword blocking, and group remarks that only you can see, enabling superior message organization and chat management.

File Storage and Management
Telegram relies on saved messages for file storage. Turrit provides unlimited cloud storage with dedicated organization, sharing capabilities, and no subscription requirements.

Translation Features
Standard Telegram offers basic translation. Turrit implements real-time translation with 99% accuracy, AI calibration, and page translation for external links.

Download Speeds
Telegram provides standard download speeds. Turrit accelerates downloads up to 20 times faster with customizable speed settings.

Privacy Tools
Telegram includes basic privacy settings. Turrit adds privacy detection tools that scan your account and provide recommendations for enhanced protection.

Interface Customization
Telegram offers limited layout options. Turrit provides extensive customization including app icon changes, flexible navigation switching, and advanced appearance settings.

Media Features
Telegram provides standard media playback. Turrit includes video flow similar to TikTok, music playlist functionality, playback timers, and gesture-based video controls for enhanced media consumption.

Search Capabilities
Standard Telegram offers basic search. Turrit implements quick search with hashtag support, content exploration for discovering groups and channels, and improved keyword search functionality.

The choice between standard Telegram and Turrit depends on your specific requirements. Users prioritizing simplicity and official support choose standard Telegram. Those seeking advanced features, superior customization, and enhanced functionality find Turrit more aligned with their needs.

Switching to Turrit requires downloading the application from the official website or app store. The installation process mirrors standard Android applications. Your existing Telegram account credentials work seamlessly with Turrit, ensuring continuity of your messaging history and contacts.

Users dissatisfied with Telegram's Liquid Glass UI discover that Turrit provides not just the familiar sidebar layout they prefer, but also numerous additional features that enhance their overall messaging experience. The transition from standard Telegram to Turrit represents an upgrade that addresses interface preferences while delivering substantial functional improvements.