Recent Desktop Discord Overhaul Opinion

To preface this post, if you like the changes made, then please do not let this affect you. At the end of the day this post is asking for the capability to be able to still use the “old” Discord layout, not saying these changes are indisputably bad and anyone who thinks they are good is wrong.

Today I updated my Discord PTB client which I use alongside my normal Discord client, expecting some small changes which you never even notice, however I was met with an entirely new layout of the entire desktop Discord app. This change to the layout of the app reminds me a lot of the massive overhaul of the mobile app at the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024, an overhaul I was not a fan of, and dearly wished there was a way to still use the old format, something I am imploring Discord does with the desktop app this time. The update seems to be releasing at separate times for everyone, so if you haven't received the update and want to see it, the PTB has it for sure.

To show the differences between the old and new layouts, here is a screenshot from each layout:

The changes I like:

• Help button moved to Window Border
• Apps & Commands button included in message bar
• Discover button no longer persists regardless of position in server list
• Direct messages list (shows individual people) compacted to show more people at once

The changes I dislike:

• Server icon and name added to Window Border
• Inbox moved to Window Border
• Window Controls increased in size (minimize, expand, close)
• Window Border doubling in size (mostly due to addition of server icon and name)
• Discord Icon and Server Icon size reduced to make the Discord Icon's space fit with Top Bar
• Search in the top Top Bar stretched to fill the space left by moving Inbox and Help buttons
• All buttons on the Text Bar size reduction
• Text Bar stretched horizontally, but not vertically, leaving differing more space below than to the right (hard to see with member list visible, very evident with it collapsed)
• Bottom left Profile, quick controls, voice channel info and controls, and game info box size increased and now stretches over server list (why?)
• Voice channel info (i.e. "General / Server Name") size increased
• Many buttons' edges more aggressively rounded (Not shown in images, easy to notice in start streaming menu, settings, etc.)

Once again, my complaints aren't exactly necessary and I don't intend to demand Discord make the app work exactly as I want because I'm only a user, I'm just hoping there is a consideration to preserve a legacy version for users like me.