Deep dive into Element X!

Steve Loynes -

The Matrix Conference saw the official launch of Element X!

That means Element X is now the mobile app that almost all Element users should be using for messaging; both in the workplace and for personal use.

Some large customers that self-host are still using the classic mobile Element apps. Once those customers have migrated, Element X will simply become ‘Element’ and the classic mobile apps will be retired.

If you’d like to learn more, the deep dive Element X launch presentation from Amandine, Amsha and Stefan at the conference is now available to watch!

Amandine Le Pape, COO and co-founder of Element, talks through the raison d’être of Element X as a truly beautiful messaging app which can outperform the mainstream alternatives - and demos all the new features, including showcasing our all-new Element Call based video calling by dialling in Amsha remotely… and then seamlessly handing the call over to Element Web so Amsha can present!

Amsha Kalra, Head of Design, covers our approach to user experience, design language and the importance of Compound design system for consistency and efficiency.

Ștefan Ceriu, Apple Platform Lead, covers what’s under the hood, including the move to Rust SDK and SwiftUI (and Jetpack Compose for Android), the use of Simplified Sliding Sync and meticulous performance testing (thank you to all those who opt-in to analytics to support performance statistics).

So our big request is that you grab Element X for iOS or Android (also available on F-Droid) and give it a try, and see the improvements for yourself!

As a reminder, Element X is a full rewrite of the classic Element mobile apps, focused on beautiful usability, performance and productivity.  It is also the first Matrix 2.0 app, providing:

  • Instant sync, instant login and instant launch - never stare at a launch spinner ever again!
  • Fully Matrix-powered end-to-end-encrypted voice and video conferencing by Element Call
  • Next Generation Auth, including login via QR code (where available; should be deployed on matrix.org by end of year)
  • Radically improved encryption UX, thanks to matrix-rust-crypto and the Invisible Encryption initiative.

There are a few important points you need to know:

  • In order to register for an account with Element X, your server must support next-gen auth (although matrix.org has a workaround in place).
  • To use Element X, you must confirm you are the rightful owner of your account by verifying your login - either by verifying it from an existing login, or providing your recovery key/passphrase.  If you can’t verify, you’ll have to reset your encryption (which will delete any message keys backed up on the server) - but going forwards, this will ensure that encryption is genuinely invisible and friction-free, and avoid confusing warnings about ‘unverified devices’.
  • While all the features that Element X ships with today are ready for primetime, Element X is currently built for messaging right now - like WhatsApp or iMessage rather than Slack or Discord.  Threads and spaces will come in future releases!

We really hope you enjoy Element X! The reaction and feedback so far has been incredibly positive. We captured some of the reaction to the launch at The Matrix Conference, so do take a look at what other people think!

And as always, please let us know what you think. Your feedback helps us decide what to prioritise as we continue to develop the app.

If you'd like to see more customer and product presentations from the Element-sponsored public sector track at The Matrix Conference, you can view them all.