Element Android (Element Classic): the Kotlin Matrix client that is now maintenance-only
A Matrix collaboration client for Android.
At a glance
- What is it?
- Element Android is the previous-generation Matrix client for Android, built in Kotlin and shipped under AGPL-3.0. It still receives security updates, but the README points new users and new feature work at Element X.
- Who is it for?
- Element Android suits organisations that need a Matrix client on Android 5.0 (API 21) or that maintain forks and downstream builds against a stable, security-updated codebase. It does not suit teams looking for new features or a modern architecture: the README directs those users to Element X, and states that no new features or usability enhancements are made here.
- Can I use it commercially?
- Yes, with strict conditions. AGPL-3.0 is a network copyleft licence: if people use a modified version over a network, for example as a hosted service, you must offer them its source code under the same licence.
- Is it still maintained?
- Yes. The repository last received commits 5 days ago.
- What is it written in?
- Mainly Kotlin, according to GitHub's language statistics.
Answers come from the project's GitHub data, last synced on September 30, 2026, and from our analysis. They are not legal advice.
Editorial analysis
What Element Android is, and the users it still fits
Element Android is a Matrix collaboration client for Android, written in Kotlin and published by Element. The README calls it Element Classic Android and describes it as a previous-generation Matrix client. The app runs on Android Lollipop and later, API 21 and up, which is a wider device floor than most current messaging clients offer.
The audience is narrow and specific. It fits organisations that already run a Matrix homeserver and need a client on old Android hardware, since the API 21 floor covers devices that newer clients may not. It also fits developers who build against the repository itself: the README states that Element and the new Android SDK share the same git repository, and that the SDK module is copied to matrix-org/matrix-android-sdk2 at each release so third-party apps can add a regular Gradle dependency. Anyone evaluating the project as a product, rather than as a codebase, should read the README's own recommendation first: it points to Element X as the next-generation mobile app.
How the app and the SDK share one repository
The architecture is visible in the repository layout rather than described in prose. Top-level entries include matrix-sdk-android, matrix-sdk-android-flow, vector, vector-app, vector-config and library, alongside build.gradle, settings.gradle and a Gradle wrapper. The README states that Element is based on a new Android SDK fully written in Kotlin, and that the two currently share the same git repository to keep early development fast.
The consequence is a split release path. At each Element release, the SDK module is copied into matrix-org/matrix-android-sdk2, so third-party apps consume it as a normal Gradle dependency instead of tracking the app repository. That means the SDK you depend on is a snapshot taken at release time, not a continuously published artifact from this repository. If you need an SDK change before the next Element release, the README does not describe a supported way to get it; the copy step is tied to releases.
Installing Element Android: APK, F-Droid and Play Store paths
The README offers three install paths. The Google Play listing is im.vector.app, and F-Droid hosts the same application id at f-droid.org/app/im.vector.app. Both badges are linked from the README. For a device, that is the whole install procedure: there is no server component to deploy.
If you want releases sooner than the stores deliver them, the README lists beta signup, direct APK installation, and dev builds. Direct APKs come from the GitHub releases page. The README notes that these are the Google Play version and depend on some Google services, and that users who want to avoid that should try the latest dev builds and choose the F-Droid version.
The dev build route is the most manual. Open the build workflow on the develop branch, pick a build, then click Summary to download the APKs. The README names the artifacts vector-Fdroid-debug and vector-Gplay-debug, and states that each file contains five APKs: four for supported device architectures, plus a universal APK for when you are unsure. If you install a release APK by hand, the README says you must allow installing from untrusted sources in device settings.
Store delays are a real constraint, not a footnote
The README devotes a section to why releases lag behind GitHub, and it is worth reading as a limitation rather than as trivia. Every versioned release starts as beta for at least two days. Only if no serious issues or crashes are reported does it become a production release on Google Play, with a request sent to F-Droid as well.
Google review is the unpredictable part. The README states this can take an unpredictable amount of time and that in some cases it has taken several weeks. F-Droid builds releases itself to guarantee the app matches the public source, and the README says this always takes at least 24 hours and can take several days depending on F-Droid's infrastructure load.
The practical effect: a security fix merged and released on GitHub may not reach a store-installed app for days or weeks. If your threat model depends on fast patching, store distribution is the wrong channel. The README's own alternative is direct APK installation or dev builds, both of which shift the update burden onto you.
What the README does not promise: features, rollback, or a supported downgrade
The clearest limitation is stated up front. This client is still supported and receives security updates but no new features or usability enhancements are made. If your evaluation criteria include new functionality, this repository fails them by design, and the README says so.
The version 1.0.0 roadmap note adds context: the README states that version 1.0.0 still misses some features previously included in Riot-Android, and that the team will work to add them on a regular basis. That sentence sits in tension with the maintenance-only statement above it, and the README does not reconcile the two. Treat the maintenance statement as the current position.
Rollback is not documented. The README does not describe downgrading an installed app, migrating data backwards, or what happens to local state if you reinstall an older APK. Anyone pinning a version for fleet deployment should verify that behaviour on a test device rather than assume it.
Element Android against Element X and other Matrix clients
The README's own alternative is Element X, at element-hq/element-x-android, described as the next-generation mobile app and recommended over this one. The difference in approach is architectural: Element Android carries a Kotlin SDK that is copied out to matrix-org/matrix-android-sdk2 at release time, while Element X is a separate repository and codebase. For a new deployment, the README's recommendation is unambiguous.
Against non-Element clients, the trade-off is different. Element Android is a full-featured classic client with an API 21 floor, and it is dual licensed, which matters if you want to embed or redistribute it. A client with a narrower feature set may install faster or track upstream changes more quickly, but you would be comparing against a project whose README explicitly says feature work has stopped. That is the honest comparison: Element Android is not competing on features anymore. It is competing on stability, device reach and licence flexibility. If none of those three matter to you, Element X is the answer the README gives.
Licence terms and the cost of staying on this branch
Element Android is dual licensed by New Vector Ltd. The README states it can be used either for free under the GNU Affero General Public License, version 3 or later, or under a paid-for Element Commercial License agreement whose terms vary by negotiation. The repository contains both LICENSE and LICENSE-COMMERCIAL at the top level, which matches that description.
AGPL-3.0 is a copyleft licence with a network-use clause. If you modify the app and let users interact with it over a network, the licence's obligations extend to those users. Whether that applies to your deployment, and whether the commercial licence is the better route, is a question for your own legal review; the README does not interpret the terms for you.
Upgrade cost is where the maintenance status bites. Releases exist (v1.6.64 on 2026-09-17, v1.6.62 on 2026-07-21, v1.6.60 on 2026-06-24) and the last push to the develop branch was on 2026-09-18, so the repository is not archived and is still being touched. But the README frames that work as security updates, not feature development. Budget for a codebase that will not gain capabilities, and for the store delay described above when planning patch windows.
Editorial conclusion
Element Android suits organisations that need a Matrix client on Android 5.0 (API 21) or that maintain forks and downstream builds against a stable, security-updated codebase. It does not suit teams looking for new features or a modern architecture: the README directs those users to Element X, and states that no new features or usability enhancements are made here. Before adopting it, verify the current release in the app stores against the GitHub release list, because the README notes that store publication lags behind release creation and that Google review can take weeks; then confirm whether the AGPL-3.0 terms or a paid Element Commercial License agreement applies to your distribution.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Element app good?
The README does not rate the app, but it does state that this client is still supported and receives security updates, and that no new features or usability enhancements are made. It recommends Element X as the next-generation mobile app instead.
Does Element have a mobile app?
Element Android is itself the Android client for Matrix, provided by Element and available on Google Play and F-Droid. The README recommends Element X as the next-generation mobile app instead.
Is Element actually secure?
The README does not make a security claim. It states that this client still receives security updates and points to SECURITY.md in the repository for the security policy.
Is Element better than Signal?
The README does not compare Element with Signal. It only compares Element Android with Element X, which it recommends as the next-generation mobile app.
Official sources
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