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Density and Fonts

Status: Complete

Chatalot lets you control how much information fits on screen by adjusting message density, bubble style, time format, and font size. All of these settings are in Settings > Appearance under the Message Display section.

Message Density

Choose how messages are laid out in the chat area:

Density Description
Cozy (default) Shows user avatars alongside messages with generous spacing. Best for casual conversation and readability.
Compact Hides avatars and tightens spacing between messages. Fits more messages on screen. Useful for busy channels or smaller displays.

How to Switch

  1. Open Settings > Appearance.
  2. In the Message Display section, find Density.
  3. Click either Cozy or Compact.

Chat Bubble Style

Choose between two visual styles for message layout:

Style Description
Flat (default) Classic layout where messages appear in a linear list with a subtle color border on the left. Clean and familiar.
Bubbles iMessage-style rounded bubbles. Messages are wrapped in rounded containers for a more conversational feel.

How to Switch

  1. Open Settings > Appearance.
  2. In the Message Display section, find Bubble style.
  3. Click either Flat or Bubbles.

Time Format

Control how timestamps are displayed next to messages:

Format Example
12h (default) 2:30 PM
24h 14:30

Relative Timestamps

In addition to the time format, you can toggle Relative timestamps, which replaces the exact time with a human-friendly label:

  • "5m ago" instead of "2:30 PM"
  • "2h ago" instead of "12:15 PM"
  • "Yesterday" instead of a full date

Toggle this with the switch next to Relative timestamps in the Message Display section.

Font Size

Three font size options are available:

Size Pixels Best For
Small 13px Fitting more content on screen
Medium (default) 14px Balanced readability and density
Large 16px Improved readability, especially on high-DPI screens

The font size applies globally -- it affects messages, sidebar text, settings, and all other UI elements.

How to Change

  1. Open Settings > Appearance.
  2. In the Message Display section, find Font size.
  3. Click Small, Medium, or Large.

Accessibility Options

Two additional appearance settings are available in the Accessibility section of the Appearance tab:

Setting Description
Reduce motion Disables animations and transitions throughout the interface. Useful for users who are sensitive to motion or prefer a snappier feel.
Animated accent Adds a subtle color shift animation to accent-colored elements. Off by default.

Tip: If the interface feels sluggish on older hardware, try enabling Reduce motion to eliminate animation overhead.