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Important: Before going ahead with the setup process, please read this post carefully, as it includes additional helpful information.
We have replaced the old self-hosted chat system (Mattermost) with a better Chat App.
1. Go to the Chat Page
Click on the "Members" tab in the forum navigation, and then click on "Chat":left: navigation on desktop; right: navigation on mobile
2. Put in the login credentials
Your new chat-username will be shown to you on that page - in most cases, it's identical with your forum name, sometimes a few special characters have to be eliminated, so there could be some minor changes (like spaces missing).Your password is the same that you are using in the forum currently.
You don't need to "Create Account" - it's already created at this point. Just click on "Sign In".
We use a self-hosted instance of Matrix.org - a secure and open-source chat protocol. The homeserver URL is matrix.unmute.tv.
- If you are on Mobile: First download the Element App. Once it's installed, just click on "Configure your app" so that our homeserver will be enabled, otherwise you can also do it manually.
- If you are on Desktop: After the initial setup via the Web App, we highly recommend using the official Element Desktop App.
Note: With your new username, we have automatically created a new account for you on a domain that we own (sso.unmute.tv). With this new account you can log in to the chat, and you will also be able to use this central identity for future Apps that we are currently working on. It's a single identity that eliminates the need for having multiple accounts with our services (called Single sign-on). When you change your password on sso.unmute.tv, it will also change the password for the chat.
3. Set up the Security Key
Important: Direct Messages (DMs) in the new chat can be securely encrypted. After the first login, the above popup will appear asking you to set up a secure backup - this will generate a Security Key which is separate from your password, and you have to write it down and store it somewhere safe. It is needed to restore your encrypted chat history when you log in with a new device. If you lose the Security Key, you will permanently lose access to your encrypted chat history. If you lose the key, you will still be able to use the App, and create a new key, but you won't be able to restore your previous chat history.
Enjoy!
(If you have any technical problems, please let us know by replying to this thread)
Possible questions you may have:
- What happens when I forget my username?
- What happens when I forget my password?
- What happens when I lose my Security Key?
- Something is wrong with the encryption in direct messages.
First you need to verify the user you are exchanging DM's with. Click on the user in question in the right sidebar, and click on "verify" and "Start Verification". It then waits for the other user to accept. Once you have both accepted, it will show a combination of Emojis, and you have to verify that you both are shown identical Emojis (you can just go ahead without verifying this, but if you want to be extra sure, you can send each other's screenshots of the emojis. This shouldn't be necessary, since we host this Matrix.org instance ourselves and do not have any incentive to break the encryption to snoop on your chats).
The verification process will time-out after a few minutes, so you both have to be online at the same time.
Some users use devices that do not support encryption or do not enable encryption by default, so those chats will either be unencrypted permanently, or only encrypted after activating it in the settings.
- I don't know how to log in to the App.
- Why should I use the Element Apps?
- Why is it important to use an encrypted service?
- I want to chat with a friend, but he/she isn't using the forum. Can I invite him/her?