Android users frustrated as Facebook rolls out bottom navigation bar UI

Facebook is moving its Android mobile app navigation bar to the bottom of the screen, and users are getting pretty angry about it.

According to multiple reports over the last few days, a quiet update has flipped the main tab bar to the bottom of the display. It affects Android phones and tablets. From what I was able to deduce reading through the complaints, this sudden shift is ruining years of muscle memory, which seems to be the biggest pain point.

Users are taking to Reddit to vent. One person noted the new bar sits right where their phone’s native system navigation is. This makes the app incredibly difficult to use. Though, it’s worth pointing out that it only applies to users who have button navigation on, instead of the gesture navigation method.

Another poster on a separate Reddit thread was completely caught off guard, asking when the notification bell got moved down there. In yet another post, one user stated they could not stress how much the new update sucks. They even shared a screenshot of the new layout.

The frustration is spilling over to X as well. A user named Dave! politely asked the company to put everything back, calling the new placement absolutely dreadful. Another user said they were not a fan and just wanted it reverted.

People are even complaining on Facebook itself. One user pointed out that the new placement puts notifications directly on top of their phone’s back button. Another creator joked about flipping their phone upside down just to read their feed.

I still have the top navigation bar layout on my own device, even with the latest available update on the Play Store. This means that this is likely just an experiment or a very slow, phased rollout.

Some users have actually reported the layout switching to the bottom and then bouncing back up to the top a few hours later. So again, it looks like a server-side test rather than a strict app store update.

If there is enough backlash, Facebook might roll back the change entirely. I wouldn’t bet on it, though.

Putting the navigation at the bottom brings the main app in line with most other mobile platforms. That includes Meta’s own properties like Instagram and WhatsApp.

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