Element - Secure Messenger

New Vector Limited

About this app

Element is both a secure messenger and a productivity team collaboration app that is ideal for group chats while remote working. This chat app uses end-to-end encryption to provide powerful video conferencing, file sharing and voice calls.

Element’s features include:
- Advanced online communication tools
- Fully encrypted messages to allow safer corporate communication, even for remote workers
- Decentralized chat based on the Matrix open source framework
- File sharing securely with encrypted data while managing projects
- Video chats with Voice over IP and screen sharing
- Easy integration with your favourite online collaboration tools, project management tools, VoIP services and other team messaging apps

Element is completely different from other messaging and collaboration apps. It operates on Matrix, an open network for secure messaging and decentralized communication. It allows self-hosting to give users maximum ownership and control of their data and messages.

Privacy and encrypted messaging
Element protects you from unwanted ads, data mining and walled gardens. It also secures all your data, one-to-one video and voice communication through end-to-end encryption and cross-signed device verification.

Element gives you control over your privacy while allowing you to communicate securely with anyone on the Matrix network, or other business collaboration tools by integrating with apps such as Slack.

Element can be self-hosted
To allow more control of your sensitive data and conversations, Element can be self-hosted or you can choose any Matrix-based host - the standard for open source, decentralized communication. Element gives you privacy, security compliance and integration flexibility.

Own your data
You decide where to keep your data and messages. Without the risk of data mining or access from third parties.

Element puts you in control in different ways:
1. Get a free account on the matrix.org public server hosted by the Matrix developers, or choose from thousands of public servers hosted by volunteers
2. Self-host your account by running a server on your own IT infrastructure
3. Sign up for an account on a custom server by simply subscribing to the Element Matrix Services hosting platform

Open messaging and collaboration
You can chat with anyone on the Matrix network, whether they’re using Element, another Matrix app or even if they are using a different messaging app.

Super secure
Real end-to-end encryption (only those in the conversation can decrypt messages), and cross-signed device verification.

Complete communication and integration
Messaging, voice and video calls, file sharing, screen sharing and a whole bunch of integrations, bots and widgets. Build rooms, communities, stay in touch and get things done.

Pick up where you left off
Stay in touch wherever you are with fully synchronised message history across all your devices and on the web at https://app.element.io

Open source
Element Android is an open source project, hosted by GitHub. Please report bugs and/or contribute to its development at https://github.com/vector-im/element-android

Ratings and reviews

I've installed this application across a few devices and the experience is the same: bad. It'll randomly lock up. Space switching is a joke and only works when I clear the cache. The overview will often fail to update leaving me to guess which rooms are unread. It's a messaging app. Come on. It really feels like a microcosm of Matrix as a whole. They're pouring all their effort into ElementX (which still lacks basic functionality) while ignoring the problems that plague Element.

I've been using the Element app with a self-hosted server, and it’s been working great. To enhance the user experience, I suggest adding: 1) Link previews that automatically load information cards and images when a URL is shared, similar to other messaging apps. 2) Grouping of multiple images instead of listing them individually, as this can push the latest message too far down the screen. Other than these improvements, the app is fantastic. Thanks for the great work!

Element/Riot has been dragging its feet for years. The app has basic issues such as: no searching, stuck unread chat; message edits erasing formatting; canceling edits doesn't erase the message text box; app gets stuck asking for a verification from another device when you log in. Signal and Telegram are way more polished experiences for secure messaging. At this point, it's basically how not to write a messaging app.

What's new

Main changes in this version: crypto sdk upgrade.
Full changelog: https://github.com/element-hq/element-android/releases