The brand new updates of the Element Web and Desktop apps include a major rework of room listings. It brings the ‘laptop versions’ of the Element apps in line with the Element X design on mobile devices to give a far sleeker experience.
This update marks the first step in a broader evolution of Element Web and Desktop — one that brings consistency across platforms, improves accessibility, and lays the groundwork for a more resilient technical foundation. In short: it’s simpler, faster, and better for everyone 💃
Filters that fit the way you chat
We’ve introduced filters to help you tame even the busiest of room lists. The old approach (long lists, sections pushing other rooms out of sight, notifications hidden below the fold) made it hard to stay on top of your conversations. With the new filters, the room list adapts to how you work.
Reflecting Element X, now you’ll find:
- Unreads
- People
- Rooms
- Favourites
The high-level single-select filters mirror what you see on Element X Mobile, making it easier to move between platforms.
We’ve also removed the duplicative meta-spaces (People, Favourites). Filters are the new foundation — more flexible, more future-proof, and built for growth.
Notifications you can actually read!
Notifications are the bread and butter of a messaging platform. Until now, our room list has been hard to parse and even harder to triage between mentions, unreads, and activity. That changes with this update!
We’ve refreshed the room decorations so you can instantly tell:
- How many unread messages you have, across your rooms (regardless DMs or group chats)
- If someone mentioned you or used a keyword (now a clear @ mention icon)
- If there’s recent activity (for when you’ve muted regular notifications)
- If there’s a call happening in a video room
- When a room is muted completely
This brings Element Web even closer to parity with Element X, aligning not just styles, but clarity. We’re dialling down the drama (yes, that red 😬!) and turning up readability — making it easier to scan your list and decide what deserves your attention first.
Built for everyone — and built to last
We want Element to feel effortless and accessible for all users. That’s why this redesign isn’t just a UI refresh — it also improves accessibility and technical architecture.
Accessibility improvements
We’re fixing long-standing issues with keyboard navigation, zoom behaviour, and screen reader support — all in line with WCAG AA standards.
Technical upgrades
Behind the scenes, we’re beginning the move to MVVM architecture and experimenting with Sliding Sync. These changes will improve reliability, reduce load times, and make future iterations faster to ship.
We're also enabling theme-level colour customisation, so Enterprise customers on Element Pro can adapt notification indicators (like those green dots!) to fit their brand or accessibility needs.
What’s next?
This launch is part of a broader initiative of bringing Element X values and successes to our Web and Desktop platforms. The goals are simple: reduce complexity, increase confidence, and make the platform feel recognisably unified — wherever you use it.
We’re rolling out these changes gradually, with some features (like Sliding Sync) continuing to be controlled in Labs. But the core improvements to filters and notifications will land for everyone — no flags, no surprises.
And! We’ll continue to refine the left panel, with improvements to accessibility such as higher contrast for selected rooms. Looking ahead, we’re also exploring multi-select filters to make navigation even more flexible.
Try it out now!
The updated room list is now live on Element Web in version v1.12.0, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you. With a refreshed design, new filters, and improved notification styles, we’re making Element more intuitive, consistent, and inclusive for everyone. This marks a big step towards unifying the experience across platforms and sets the stage for even more enhancements in the future.
We’d love to hear what you think — your feedback is crucial as we continue to refine and iterate.
