Bills - Allow users to disable the new Bills split-screen layout
I have been a Xero customer for over 10 years and have referred dozens of businesses to the platform during that time. The primary reason we originally switched to Xero was its simplicity and clean interface. Unfortunately, the recent changes to the Bills section have completely undermined that simplicity.
The new split-screen layout with the bill list on the left side of the screen is unnecessary and extremely distracting. When I open a bill, I need to focus on that bill only. There is no logical reason to display a list of other bills while I am working inside a specific one. The side panel adds visual noise and makes the interface more cluttered than it needs to be.
This design also creates real workflow problems. I work on a large widescreen monitor with multiple applications open at the same time. The new layout forces the Xero window to be significantly wider just to make the interface usable. That disrupts an efficient multi-window workflow and makes it harder to work quickly.
Even more frustrating is the constant promotion of Xero’s bill payment service. Many businesses, including ours, do not use this feature and have no intention of using it. Our payments are handled through methods such as Zelle, ACH, checks, Cash App, Venmo, and e-checks so we can pay vendors immediately when needed. We do not need a third-party payment service inserted into our workflow, especially one that adds additional costs.
What used to be a simple process of opening a bill and recording a payment now involves navigating through extra interface elements and promotional prompts that are not relevant to how we operate.
In fact, since this new layout was introduced, our team has had more incorrect entries in the past week than we have had in years. The screen has become busier, the correct action is harder to locate quickly, and it slows down work that used to take seconds.
The most frustrating part is that the simplicity of Xero was the exact reason many of us chose it over QuickBooks in the first place. If Xero continues moving in this direction and overcomplicating the interface, it removes the main advantage the platform once had.
At the very least, users should have the option to control this behavior.
Requested solution
Please add the following options:
• A toggle to disable the Bills split-screen layout and open bills in a full-page view
• A setting to hide or disable the Xero bill payments section for organizations that do not use the feature
Businesses should be able to choose the workflow that best fits their operations.
I want to be very clear about this. If these issues cannot be resolved and users are forced to work with this new interface permanently, we will be moving our accounting back to QuickBooks. That is not something I want to do after more than a decade with Xero, but the current changes are making the software significantly harder to use than it used to be.
It would be extremely disappointing to leave a platform that we have recommended to so many others, but usability and workflow efficiency matter.
If other long-time users feel the same way, please vote for this idea so Xero can prioritize fixing the Bills interface and restoring the simplicity that made the platform great.
Hi team, there are two parts to unpack here:
- the new bills split screen, and
- the bill payments flow.
We’ve introduced a new bills quick view that lets users easily enter, scan, review, and take action on bills without leaving the list view. For some users, this completely replaces the older bills UI. The product team is monitoring this closely and may make quick view optional, so users can choose between quick view and opening the full bill. I’ll keep you updated here.
We’re continuing to support online bill payments and are encouraging setup because it can improve efficiency and simplify payments. There are no plans to remove online bills from the payments flow.
For users who prefer manual payments, they can still use the Record a payment tab or select a bill in the list and click Make payment above the list.
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James Maunsell
commented
The new two‑panel bill view (PDF on the left, bill details on the right) is now the standard layout in Xero, there isn’t a setting to switch back to the old full‑screen single‑page view
Two panel view is hopeless, and I don't see the point for two panel view as it makes the PDF very small to view, to see details / line items and respective prices you have to zoom in, then scroll side to side, very time consuming
So the only way to view the PDF in detail is to download the invoice and then split your screen - more time wasted
Why was it changed to a two panel view ? For me I cannot find any benefit, only a hassle
Change back to one panel view is my suggestion
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Claire Davies
commented
I agree with Travis. It really is cumbersome to navigate. Please swap back or give us an option to toggle back.