diff --git a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx
index 9e27ed968e..bc31f750c3 100644
--- a/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/settings/tabs/user/AppearanceUserSettingsTab.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ import StyledRadioGroup from "../../../elements/StyledRadioGroup";
 import { SettingLevel } from "../../../../../settings/SettingLevel";
 import { UIFeature } from "../../../../../settings/UIFeature";
 import { Layout } from "../../../../../settings/Layout";
+import classNames from 'classnames';
+import StyledRadioButton from '../../../elements/StyledRadioButton';
 import { replaceableComponent } from "../../../../../utils/replaceableComponent";
 import { compare } from "../../../../../utils/strings";
 
@@ -235,6 +237,19 @@ export default class AppearanceUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps, I
         this.setState({customThemeUrl: e.target.value});
     };
 
+    private onLayoutChange = (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>): void => {
+        let layout;
+        switch (e.target.value) {
+            case "irc": layout = Layout.IRC; break;
+            case "group": layout = Layout.Group; break;
+            case "bubble": layout = Layout.Bubble; break;
+        }
+
+        this.setState({ layout: layout });
+
+        SettingsStore.setValue("layout", null, SettingLevel.DEVICE, layout);
+    };
+
     private onIRCLayoutChange = (enabled: boolean) => {
         if (enabled) {
             this.setState({layout: Layout.IRC});
@@ -367,6 +382,77 @@ export default class AppearanceUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps, I
         </div>;
     }
 
+    private renderLayoutSection = () => {
+        return <div className="mx_SettingsTab_section mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout">
+            <span className="mx_SettingsTab_subheading">{ _t("Message layout") }</span>
+
+            <div className="mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButtons">
+                <div className={classNames("mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButton", {
+                    mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButton_selected: this.state.layout == Layout.IRC,
+                })}>
+                    <EventTilePreview
+                        className="mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButton_preview"
+                        message={this.MESSAGE_PREVIEW_TEXT}
+                        layout={Layout.IRC}
+                        userId={this.state.userId}
+                        displayName={this.state.displayName}
+                        avatarUrl={this.state.avatarUrl}
+                    />
+                    <StyledRadioButton
+                        name="layout"
+                        value="irc"
+                        checked={this.state.layout == Layout.IRC}
+                        onChange={this.onLayoutChange}
+                    >
+                        { "IRC" }
+                    </StyledRadioButton>
+                </div>
+                <div className="mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_spacer" />
+                <div className={classNames("mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButton", {
+                    mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButton_selected: this.state.layout == Layout.Group,
+                })}>
+                    <EventTilePreview
+                        className="mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButton_preview"
+                        message={this.MESSAGE_PREVIEW_TEXT}
+                        layout={Layout.Group}
+                        userId={this.state.userId}
+                        displayName={this.state.displayName}
+                        avatarUrl={this.state.avatarUrl}
+                    />
+                    <StyledRadioButton
+                        name="layout"
+                        value="group"
+                        checked={this.state.layout == Layout.Group}
+                        onChange={this.onLayoutChange}
+                    >
+                        {_t("Modern")}
+                    </StyledRadioButton>
+                </div>
+                <div className="mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_spacer" />
+                <div className={classNames("mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButton", {
+                    mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButton_selected: this.state.layout == Layout.Bubble,
+                })}>
+                    <EventTilePreview
+                        className="mx_AppearanceUserSettingsTab_Layout_RadioButton_preview"
+                        message={this.MESSAGE_PREVIEW_TEXT}
+                        layout={Layout.Bubble}
+                        userId={this.state.userId}
+                        displayName={this.state.displayName}
+                        avatarUrl={this.state.avatarUrl}
+                    />
+                    <StyledRadioButton
+                        name="layout"
+                        value="bubble"
+                        checked={this.state.layout == Layout.Bubble}
+                        onChange={this.onLayoutChange}
+                    >
+                        {_t("Message bubbles")}
+                    </StyledRadioButton>
+                </div>
+            </div>
+        </div>;
+    }
+
     private renderAdvancedSection() {
         if (!SettingsStore.getValue(UIFeature.AdvancedSettings)) return null;
 
@@ -390,14 +476,17 @@ export default class AppearanceUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps, I
                     name="useCompactLayout"
                     level={SettingLevel.DEVICE}
                     useCheckbox={true}
-                    disabled={this.state.layout == Layout.IRC}
+                    disabled={this.state.layout !== Layout.Group}
                 />
-                <StyledCheckbox
-                    checked={this.state.layout == Layout.IRC}
-                    onChange={(ev) => this.onIRCLayoutChange(ev.target.checked)}
-                >
-                    {_t("Enable experimental, compact IRC style layout")}
-                </StyledCheckbox>
+
+                { !SettingsStore.getValue("feature_new_layout_switcher") ?
+                    <StyledCheckbox
+                        checked={this.state.layout == Layout.IRC}
+                        onChange={(ev) => this.onIRCLayoutChange(ev.target.checked)}
+                    >
+                        {_t("Enable experimental, compact IRC style layout")}
+                    </StyledCheckbox> : null
+                }
 
                 <SettingsFlag
                     name="useSystemFont"
@@ -437,9 +526,10 @@ export default class AppearanceUserSettingsTab extends React.Component<IProps, I
                 <div className="mx_SettingsTab_SubHeading">
                     {_t("Appearance Settings only affect this %(brand)s session.", { brand })}
                 </div>
-                {this.renderThemeSection()}
-                {this.renderFontSection()}
-                {this.renderAdvancedSection()}
+                { this.renderThemeSection() }
+                { SettingsStore.getValue("feature_new_layout_switcher") ? this.renderLayoutSection() : null }
+                { this.renderFontSection() }
+                { this.renderAdvancedSection() }
             </div>
         );
     }
diff --git a/src/settings/Layout.ts b/src/settings/Layout.ts
index 3a42b2b510..d4e1f06c0a 100644
--- a/src/settings/Layout.ts
+++ b/src/settings/Layout.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 /*
 Copyright 2021 Šimon Brandner <simon.bra.ag@gmail.com>
+Copyright 2021 Quirin Götz <codeworks@supercable.onl>
 
 Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
 you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -19,7 +20,8 @@ import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 /* TODO: This should be later reworked into something more generic */
 export enum Layout {
     IRC = "irc",
-    Group = "group"
+    Group = "group",
+    Bubble = "bubble",
 }
 
 /* We need this because multiple components are still using JavaScript */
diff --git a/src/settings/Settings.tsx b/src/settings/Settings.tsx
index 155d039572..87edf886e0 100644
--- a/src/settings/Settings.tsx
+++ b/src/settings/Settings.tsx
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import { Layout } from "./Layout";
 import ReducedMotionController from './controllers/ReducedMotionController';
 import IncompatibleController from "./controllers/IncompatibleController";
 import SdkConfig from "../SdkConfig";
+import NewLayoutSwitcherController from './controllers/NewLayoutSwitcherController';
 
 // These are just a bunch of helper arrays to avoid copy/pasting a bunch of times
 const LEVELS_ROOM_SETTINGS = [
@@ -285,6 +286,13 @@ export const SETTINGS: {[setting: string]: ISetting} = {
         displayName: _td("Show info about bridges in room settings"),
         default: false,
     },
+    "feature_new_layout_switcher": {
+        isFeature: true,
+        supportedLevels: LEVELS_FEATURE,
+        displayName: _td("Explore new ways switching layouts (including a new bubble layout)"),
+        default: false,
+        controller: new NewLayoutSwitcherController(),
+    },
     "RoomList.backgroundImage": {
         supportedLevels: LEVELS_ACCOUNT_SETTINGS,
         default: null,
diff --git a/src/settings/controllers/NewLayoutSwitcherController.ts b/src/settings/controllers/NewLayoutSwitcherController.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b1d6cac55e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/settings/controllers/NewLayoutSwitcherController.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2021 The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import SettingController from "./SettingController";
+import { SettingLevel } from "../SettingLevel";
+import SettingsStore from "../SettingsStore";
+import { Layout } from "../Layout";
+
+export default class NewLayoutSwitcherController extends SettingController {
+    public onChange(level: SettingLevel, roomId: string, newValue: any) {
+        // On disabling switch back to Layout.Group if Layout.Bubble
+        if (!newValue && SettingsStore.getValue("layout") == Layout.Bubble) {
+            SettingsStore.setValue("layout", null, SettingLevel.DEVICE, Layout.Group);
+        }
+    }
+}