Matrix
Modern instant messaging, audio and video calls, file sharing and high-end security.
Modern instant messaging, audio and video calls, file sharing and high-end security.
Matrix is a federated social network meant for chatting. Almost everything in Matrix happens inside a chatroom that can bring togethers your friends, your family, or thousands of people sharing ideas on a common topic.
Matrix comes with batteries included for common use cases along with chatting: file and picture sharing, emojis and stickers, audio and video calls, and end-to-end encryption (which provides strong security for your communications).
Matrix relies on an open standard, namely… Matrix. There are about a dozen applications compatible with Matrix. These application offer various features and can be used to access any Matrix service. There are thousands of organizations proposing Matrix services, each with their own rules and management. You can chose any of those applications and any of these services and still chat with everyone else: Matrix is federated.
As a federated social network, Matrix is very different from centralized chat applications, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Signal, Telegram, Olvid, Discord or Wickr: it is not held by any single person or organization, which has many benefits for safety, security, privacy and freedom. There is no mandatory application for you to install and just be done.
You may use any compatible application and register on any compatible service (your homeserver) while still being able to communicate with everyone using Matrix everywhere. Each of those homeservers has its own set of rules, stating what you shall and shall not do, and it is up to you to pick one whose rules suit you and protect you from spam, bullies, or stalkers. Each has its own management, and it is up to you to pick one that suits your needs and ideals.
Because individually, each homeserver hosts a lot less people than any of the large centralized applications, it is a less interesting target for attackers, and a less interesting data source for marketers, spies or resellers, which benefits both your security and privacy. On top of this, because every homeserver can communicate with every other, you can still use Matrix and talk to your friends and family, should yours ever shut down, decide to sell your data, or kick you out: pick a new one like you would pick a new mobile carrier.
You will need to pick an application and a homeserver before joining Matrix. It is trivial to switch application if you are not satisfied. It is a little harder to switch homeserver, so you should spend a couple minutes picking the right one.
Matrix does not rely on your phone number and does not share your contact list to help you find your friends and family. Instead, your homesever has a name that looks like a website name (e.g. my-great-homeserver.net) and you will get to pick your username. Together, they form your Matrix address, which acts just like an e-mail address, yet looks a tiny bit different: @my-user-name:my-great-homeserver.net. You will need to share this address with your contacts as if you were sharing an e-mail address.
Matrix has many public chatrooms where thousands people are discussing various subjects everyday. If yourself or someone your refer Matrix to (especially children or vulnerable people) plans on joining such rooms, keep in mind that any large chatroom, even moderated, will sometimes contain unsuitable messages, including violence or pornography. Just like any other application with access to public contents, you should monitor Matrix usage in that case.
Chosing the application will define how it looks, what features are available, and whether you can get the same application on all your devices (some are designed for Windows only, for mobile only, etc.) Following are some of the best Matrix applications today, you will find a more comprehensive list on the Matrix website.
A full-featured Matrix client, easy to use and available on many devices. In case of doubt, it is a sane default.
A mobile-first client featuring a very simple and beautiful chat experience, with no unnecessary bit.
Spectral is a beautiful Linux and MacOS application, very lightweight and powerful despite some missing features.