This is a heavily modified version of Element X to look and feel like Element Classic.
Features:
- Proper spaces access like in Classic
- Show last contacted person as avatars at the top like in Classic
- Filters for Unread, People, Rooms, Favorites and Invites, not exactly like Classic, but very Classic-ish
- Option to mark all messages as read
- HEIC/HEIF support (on some devices this requires the Matrix Media Repo)
- Split screen support for foldables, this is resizable
- Preview thumbnails of video's and GIFs when using bridges like Whatsapp, Signal, Discord etc
- Show a progress bar when uploading/processing media
- Search within an individual chat and jump to matching messages, alongside global search
- Probably other stuff I did not mention
NOTE: I will support this project as long as I am going to use it myself. I will NOT do any work on this app by request as I have made this for my own personal reasons. I only share it because I feel that people should have the chance to experience Element X how I think it should have replaced Classic. Apart from this, take the app as it is. I will update the app as long as I use it myself. The source code is available in this repository.
The complete Android source is included here, based on Element X Android stable v26.09.4 with the customisations described in MATRIX_CLASSIC.md.
See that document for local build instructions and the upstream-update workflow. The installed app retains the name Matrix Classic and its existing application ID.
This source publication omits optional screenshot baselines because upstream Git LFS objects are unavailable. All application code, tests, documentation images and media test fixtures are included. Clone the source and download its included assets:
git clone https://github.com/jimz011/element-x-enhanced.git
Set-Location element-x-enhanced
git lfs pull --include="docs/images-lfs/**,libraries/mediaupload/impl/src/test/assets/**" --exclude=""The public repository preserves its original README history and imports the current source. The full upstream development history is retained in the maintainer checkout. Screenshot baselines are optional for compiling the app; CI can record new baselines.
The following is the upstream Element X Android documentation. Its store links refer to the official Element app.
Element X Android is the next-generation Matrix client provided by Element.
Compared to the previous-generation Element Classic, the application is a total rewrite, using the Matrix Rust SDK underneath and targeting devices running Android 7+. The UI layer is written using Jetpack Compose, and the navigation is managed using Appyx.
- Screenshots
- Translations
- Rust SDK
- Status
- Minimum SDK version
- Contributing
- Build instructions
- Support
- Copyright and License
Here are some screenshots of the application:
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Element X Android supports many languages. You can help us to translate the app in your language by joining our Localazy project. You can also help us to improve the existing translations.
Note that for now, we keep control on the French and German translations.
Translations can be checked screen per screen using our tool Element X Android Gallery, available at https://element-hq.github.io/element-x-android/. Note that this page is updated every Tuesday.
More instructions about translating the application can be found at CONTRIBUTING.md.
Element X leverages the Matrix Rust SDK through an FFI layer that the final client can directly import and use.
We're doing this as a way to share code between platforms and while we've seen promising results it's still in the experimental stage and bound to change.
This project is actively developed and supported. New users are recommended to use Element X instead of the previous-generation app.
Element X Android requires a minimum SDK version of 24 (Android 7.0, Nougat). We aim to support devices running Android 7.0 and above, which covers a wide range of devices still in use today.
Element Android Enterprise requires a minimum SDK version of 33 (Android 13, Tiramisu). For Element Enterprise, we support only devices that still receive security updates, which means devices running Android 13 and above. Android does not have a documented support policy, but some information can be found at https://endoflife.date/android.
Want to get actively involved in the project? You're more than welcome! A good way to start is to check the issues that are labelled with the good first issue label. Let us know by commenting the issue that you're starting working on it.
But first make sure to read our contribution guide first.
You can also come chat with the community in the Matrix room dedicated to the project.
Just clone the project and open it in Android Studio. Make sure to select the
app configuration when building (as we also have sample apps in the project).
To build against a local copy of the Rust SDK, see the Developer onboarding instructions.
When you are experiencing an issue on Element X Android, please first search in GitHub issues and then in #element-x-android:matrix.org. If after your research you still have a question, ask at #element-x-android:matrix.org. Otherwise feel free to create a GitHub issue if you encounter a bug or a crash, by explaining clearly in detail what happened. You can also perform bug reporting from the application settings. This is especially recommended when you encounter a crash.
Copyright (c) 2025 Element Creations Ltd. Copyright (c) 2022 - 2025 New Vector Ltd.
This software is dual licensed by Element Creations Ltd (Element). It can be used either:
(1) for free under the terms of the GNU Affero General Public License (as published by the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option) any later version); OR
(2) under the terms of a paid-for Element Commercial License agreement between you and Element (the terms of which may vary depending on what you and Element have agreed to).
Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the Licenses is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the Licenses for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the Licenses.