A group of independent enthusiasts has published the Monogram project, developing a new open client for the Telegram messenger for the Android mobile platform. The project is written in Kotlin using the declarative UI framework Jetpack Compose. The code is open under the GPLv3 license (the project also has its own Telegram channel).
The primary motivation for creating the alternative application is stated as the need for transparency in development and addressing the accumulated issues with the original client. The project authors note that the codebase of the official Telegram app for Android has over time become an overly complicated monolith, making it nearly impossible for third-party developers to navigate its tangled code. Furthermore, the current practice of the messenger's creators has come under criticism for the systematic delay in publishing source texts, where changes in open repositories appear significantly later than the release of binary builds in application directories.
An additional catalyst for the development of the independent project was the widespread criticism of the recent redesign of the official Android version, in which developers began aggressively implementing visual elements typical of iOS (such as background blur effects and ‘Liquid Glass’-style transparency), while ignoring the design recommendations for Android.
For network interactions, handling the MTProto protocol, and end-to-end encryption, the new client relies on the officially provided library TDLib (Telegram Database Library), with the core implemented in C++. The client-side development focuses on utilizing modern built-in tools of the platform, achieving high performance, and minimizing system resource consumption.
Among the key features of the project are:
- A user interface built in strict accordance with the Material Design 3 concept, which is the standard for native visual design on Android, combined with the use of built-in platform components for media file handling, ensuring high smoothness and significantly reducing phone resource consumption.
- Integration of the free MapLibre mapping stack for rendering geodata and working with locations.
- Support for basic session protection tools, including the ability to lock the application using system biometrics.
Source: opennet.ru
