What is Matrix?

Matrix is a federated chat protocol. It can be used for group chats, direct messages, voice calls, and video calls.

Matrix can be used with or without a Saintnet account. If you don’t have a Saintnet account you will have to register through the web client (see below). If you have a Saintnet account, simply login using those credentials.

A neat thing about Matrix is that since it’s “federated” you can use your Saintnet Matrix account to talk to other Matrix servers/users. For example, the user Saintnet fblthp:saintnet.tech can be in both the room #general:saintnet.tech (located on the Saintnet Matrix server) and #matrix:matrix.org (Located on the main Matrix.org home server).

Accessing Matrix through Element

The main way to access the matrix server is through the default client, Element. There are other methods but this is the main one I support and recommend. It’s interface is broadly similar to Discord or Slack.

You can use Element either through the Web app or by downloading it. For the first time accessing it I highly reccomend using the web app.

Element Web App

I host a copy of the Element app software at element.saintnet.tech. If you’re new to Matrix this is the way I recommend to access it, as it has all the default values filled in for you.

This is also where you would create an account if you wanted to use Matrix without a full Saintnet account or are unable to get a sponsor.

You can also use the main Element web app at Element.io but I would only do so in an emergency.

Once you’re comfortable with Matrix I recommend downloading it.

Downloading Element

You can also run Element locally on either your computer or phone. Download links for PC are available here. This is how I’m most familiar with using it. It is unfortunately an Electron app though.

Element is also available on both the iOS and Android app stores. Simply search for either Element matrix or Element Riot (Riot being the app’s old name).

For both desktop and mobile you’re have to specify that you want to connect to the Saintnet Matrix server and not the default one. When it asks you for the server make sure you type in https://matrix.saintnet.tech .

Encryption and Device Verification

Matrix supports End-to-End-Encryption for all text chat and encrypts direct messages by default. This means that even I as the server owner can not read your chats if it’s encrypted (not that I really want to).

The first time you login you’ll be prompted to set up a recovery key. You can skip it for now but it is a good idea to create one and simply save it as a file somewhere on your computer. This key is so that if things go wrong somehow you can still access your encrypted messages; if you lose it you might lose access to already encrypted messages (i.e. your chat history).

Whenever you login to Matrix on a new device it will ask you to verify the login from another device. For example, assuming you logged in for the first time through the web app like I suggested, the first time you use the app on your phone it will ask you to verify your phone using your session in the web app. This is so that your encrypted messages can’t be read by someone using your password. The process should only take a few seconds and will only happen the first time you login. I recomend always doing it.

For direct messages it will also ask you to verify the other person the first time you start talking to them. This involves comparing a picture of a few emojis; each participant should be seeing the same picture. I suggest doing this over voice chat or in real life. You don’t have to do this but it does mean you’re not getting the full benefits of encryption.

Accessing Matrix through other clients

There’s a few other clients you can use to access the server, each having it’s own way of doing things and level of feature support. I don’t officially support using any of the clients but Element but personally I’ve used the following:

• gomuks
• Quaternion
• Mirage
• Weechat