Lotus Guild

Private Communications

How to Join

  1. 1 Open chat.lotusguild.org — your homeserver is pre-configured
  2. 2 Register with a token from Jared@jared:matrix.lotusguild.org
  3. 3 Join the Lotus Guild Space to access all rooms
or join from another server
Already have a Matrix account? Sign up free at mozilla.org or matrix.org, then join our space.

Recommended Client

Our Lotus Guild fork of Cinny adds: voice message recording & playback with 0.75×/1×/1.5×/2× speed control (MSC3245, E2EE), device verification fix (cross-client SAS emoji + inline cards), per-member device session panel with per-device verify buttons, full Discord-style presence tracking (online on startup, idle/away after 10 min inactivity, unavailable when tab hidden, offline on close — with a “Hide Online Status” privacy toggle), presence status indicators (online/busy/away dots) in member lists, incoming call ring + Answer/Decline (DMs & group chats), GIF picker (Giphy), emoji & sticker picker (custom packs, stickers send as m.sticker events), pinned messages panel (pin icon in room header, pin/unpin from message menu), who-reacted viewer (hover any reaction for a name tooltip; right-click for a full avatar list), draggable+resizable picture-in-picture call window, poll creation & voting (single or multiple choice, 2–10 options), message forwarding, image/video captions, location sharing (map view + send), deleted message placeholders, per-message read receipt avatars (click for full list with timestamps), private read receipts toggle (Settings → Privacy), screenshare fullscreen button, screenshare audio mute (mute a screenshare’s audio without leaving the call), PTT (Push-to-Talk with configurable hold key), push-to-deafen (M key, configurable in Settings → Calls), custom status messages with emoji picker + auto-clear timer (30 min – 7 days) shown below usernames, encrypted room search via local cache scan with per-room “Load more” history buttons, a dedicated Privacy settings section (hide typing, hide online status), sidebar room filter (search rooms by name in Home and DMs tabs), favorite rooms (star any room, syncs across devices via m.favourite tag), media gallery drawer (browse all images/videos/files shared in a room), invite link + QR code (in both invite modal and room settings), knock-to-join support (Request to Join button + admin Approve/Deny panel), code syntax highlighting in Lotus Terminal mode (keywords, strings, numbers, comments, functions), night light / blue light filter (warm orange overlay with adjustable intensity in Settings → Appearance), message length counter in the composer, and the Lotus Terminal design theme (with TDS-styled orange typing indicator dots). Also added in June 2026: message scheduling (MSC4140, datetime picker, cancel tray), saved messages / bookmarks (right-click any message, sidebar panel, syncs across devices), room history export (txt/json/html, date range, E2EE-aware), room activity & mod log (joins, kicks, bans, power level changes), server ACL editor (allow/deny lists, wildcard validation, power-level gated), room stats panel (top members, top reactions, media breakdown, 24h activity heatmap), opt-in image compression (Canvas API at 0.82 quality, shows before/after sizes), 13 domain-specific URL preview cards (YouTube, Vimeo, Twitch, Reddit, X/Twitter, Spotify, Steam, IMDb, Wikipedia, GitHub, Discord, npm, Stack Overflow), inline GIF preview (Giphy & Tenor share links auto-embed as animated GIFs via the homeserver proxy), policy list viewer (admin panel for m.policy.rule.* ban list rooms — complements Draupnir), collapsible long messages (auto-collapse > 20 lines with “Read more” toggle, threshold configurable), message send animation (0.15 s fade+scale on own messages, respects prefers-reduced-motion), right-click room context menu improvements (Mute with duration submenu 15 min–indefinite, Copy Room Link, Mark as Read, Leave Room, Room Settings), quick emoji reactions directly on message hover (3 most-recent emoji in the hover bar, single click to react), in-app notification toasts (TDS-styled slide-in card from bottom-right when the window is focused, 4 s auto-dismiss, click to navigate), presence avatar border ring (2px green/yellow/red ring on user avatars in the timeline, members list, @mention autocomplete, and notifications), room emoji prefix support (leading emoji renders at 1.15× in the sidebar; emoji picker button on all room name inputs), glassmorphism sidebar toggle (Settings → Appearance, off by default; frosted blur effect lets chat backgrounds show through the sidebar — fixed in June 2026 to mirror the background onto document.body so the blur has content to work through), and 5 CSS-only animated chat backgrounds: Digital Rain (two-layer vertical stripe scroll with parallax), Star Drift (three-layer radial-gradient dots drifting diagonally), Grid Pulse (neon grid lines expanding/contracting), Aurora Flow (sweeping radial gradient ellipses on a 200% canvas), and Fireflies (three layers of glowing dots drifting). All respect prefers-reduced-motion and include a "Pause Background Animations" toggle in Settings → Appearance. Also added: AFK auto-mute for voice calls (mic silenced after a configurable idle timeout of 1–30 min detected via Web Audio AnalyserNode; in-app toast confirms the action; toggle + duration selector in Settings → Calls), knock-to-join admin badge (a live warning badge on the Members button in the room header counts pending knock requests in real time, visible only to users with sufficient invite permissions), voice channel user limit (admins set a max-participant cap per room via the io.lotus.voice_limit state event; enforced server-side for every Matrix client by a guard that fronts the LiveKit JWT issuer and refuses tokens once a room is full, with a “Channel Full (N/N)” message and disabled Join button in Lotus Chat, while members already in the call can always rejoin), and custom call join/leave sound effects (a local cue plays when someone enters or leaves a call you’re in — tracked via MatrixRTC membership changes, synthesized in-browser with the Web Audio API so no assets are bundled; choose Chime, Soft, Retro, or off in Settings → Calls). Also shipped in June 2026: 11 seasonal & holiday theme overlays (Halloween, Christmas, New Year, Autumn, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Earth Day, Lunar New Year, April Fools’, Deep Space, and Retro Arcade — auto-selected by date with a manual override in Settings → Appearance; CSS-only particle systems, fully animated, all respect prefers-reduced-motion), improved chat background animations (phosphor-flicker brightness layer on Digital Rain, seamless per-tile star looping, per-layer independent aurora positions for a true fluid sweep, organic firefly bioluminescence via independent brightness+opacity pulses), user-to-user private notes (freeform text note on any user’s profile, visible only to you, auto-saves after 800 ms, syncs across devices via io.lotus.user_notes account data), presence status revert fix (status message now re-read from storage on every activity event so changing your custom status in Profile Settings is never silently overwritten), and voice ringing fix for public space channels (joining a persistent voice room no longer triggers the incoming-call ring; the m.space.parent state key lookup was corrected to use getStateEvents instead of the single-key variant that always returned undefined), and avatar decorations (99 curated APNG overlay frames — Gaming, Cyber, Space, Fantasy, Elements, Japanese, Nature, Spooky, Cozy — that animate around your avatar in the message timeline, members list, and @mention autocomplete; decoration is stored in your public Matrix profile via MSC4133 so other Lotus Chat users see it on your avatar in real time; select from Settings → Account → Avatar Decoration; includes a Lotus Flower decoration), and a 3-tier call noise-suppression control (Settings → General → Calls — Off, Browser-native, or on-device ML) where the ML tier runs RNNoise entirely in your browser to strip keyboard clatter, fans, and background chatter from your mic before it reaches the call; unlike Krisp-style cloud filters it needs no LiveKit Cloud subscription and works on our self-hosted SFU. Prefer the unmodified upstream? cinny.in works with our homeserver — set it to matrix.lotusguild.org.

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Other Clients

Web & Desktop — Official Cinny

Cinny
Web Desktop

The upstream open-source Cinny client. Same Discord-like UI and best-in-class space navigation as Lotus Chat, but without our custom additions (no GIF picker, no call ring notification, no PiP window, no message forwarding). Set homeserver to matrix.lotusguild.org.

Mobile — iOS & Android

Element X
iOS Android Rust SDK Voice, Video & Screenshare

Fastest Matrix client — instant load via Sliding Sync. Native MatrixRTC calls (voice-only + video), screenshare, DM voice calls, live location sharing, media captions. Full space create & management. Rust encryption (Vodozemac).

FluffyChat
iOS Android Desktop Web Dart SDK Calls Experimental

Simple, beginner-friendly, fully cross-platform. Dart SDK with Vodozemac encryption. Unique: supports image captions (text + image as one event). Voice/video calls are experimental — reliability varies by homeserver and platform.

Discord-like — Android, Windows, macOS & Linux

Commet
Android Windows macOS Linux Beta Voice & Video

Most Discord-like client overall. Multi-account support, built-in GIF search (privacy proxy — uploads to homeserver), shared calendars & photo albums, polls, screenshare on browsers & Android. Available on Android, Windows, macOS, Linux, and Web. Active development — iOS planned.

Desktop — Windows, macOS & Linux

Element
Windows macOS Linux Web Voice, Video & Screenshare

Most feature-complete Matrix client — every spec feature including polls, widgets, threads, screenshare. Heavier on resources. Encrypted message search on desktop only (not web).

Nheko
Windows macOS Linux Voice & Video

Native C++/Qt client — lightest desktop option, no Electron. Deep KDE/Plasma integration. No threads, no mobile or web. Best for Linux power users who want minimal resource usage.

View all Matrix clients →

Client Feature Comparison — June 2026 (latest)

← swipe to compare →

Lotus Chatchat.lotusguild.org
Our Cinny fork
Cinnycinny.in
Official
Element XiOS & Android FluffyChatAll platforms CommetAndroid / Win / macOS / Linux ElementWeb & Desktop NhekoDesktop only
Platform
iOS
Android
Desktop app Cinny Desktop Win, macOS & Linux
Web browser
Performance Light Light Very fastSliding Sync Moderate Moderate HeavyElectron / JS LightNative C++
Security & Encryption
E2EE
Vodozemac encryptionstronger crypto track record js-sdk js-sdk Rust SDK dart-sdk dart-sdk js-sdk, migrating
Device verification SAS emoji, cross-client requests show inline card ~cross-client requests
may show unsupported
Voice & Video
Voice & video calls rooms & DMs, group calls,
screenshare via Element Call
~Element Call embed;
no ring notification
MatrixRTC ~experimental, varies
by homeserver
~1:1 + group,
no E2EE voice rooms
Screenshare via Element Call; fullscreen button,
independent audio mute
via Element Call embed XDG portals & native
Noise suppressionfilter background noise from mic 3 tiers: off / browser-native /
on-device ML (RNNoise),
works on self-hosted SFU
~browser-native
via Element Call
~browser-native ~browser-native;
ML only on LiveKit Cloud
Push-to-Talkhold key to transmit configurable hold key,
PTT badge in call bar;
M = push-to-deafen
AFK auto-mutesilence mic after idle timeout 1–30 min timeout,
toast notification
Voice channel user limitadmin-set max participants per-room cap,
server-enforced
for all clients
Call join/leave soundscue when others come & go 3 styles,
Web Audio synth
Group calls via Element Call embed via Element Call embed MatrixRTC ~no E2EE voice rooms ~partial
Incoming call notificationring + Answer/Decline DMs & group chats;
ring tone, auto-dismiss
native push ~experimental desktop ~partial
Core Features
Spaces best-in-class sub-space nav best-in-class sub-space nav dedicated spaces tab,
full management
Discord-like categories sub-spaces clunky ~limited
Threads ~basic, no dedicated view ~basic, no dedicated view ~Labs flag shows as regular messages
Polls create, vote & display;
single or multiple choice
~display only create, vote & end added v2.3.0 added v0.4.2
Voice messagesrecord & play record & play, E2EE;
0.75×/1×/1.5×/2× speed
~playback only record, play, variable speed,
reply with voice
record & play,
pause support
~playback confirmed;
recording unclear
Pinned messages dedicated pins view ~view only
Custom emoji & stickers best-in-class ~ bulk upload, Signal packs ~sometimes shows mxc:// URLs
GIF search / picker Giphy, Terminal TDS themed,
click-outside to close
privacy proxy,
uploads to homeserver
Message search (encrypted) local cache scan; load-more
buttons extend history per room
~server search only;
no E2EE support
~cache scan only client-side; auto-fetches +
decrypts history during search
~desktop only, not web ~local DB scan
Widgets
UX & Extras
Multi-account ~supported but clunky CLI profiles only
Image captions(text + image as one event) caption field on
image & video upload
scrollable captions
on media (v26.04.2)
unique feature ~
Discord-like UI best-in-class for web WhatsApp/Telegram style most Discord-like overall
Shared calendars & albums unique to Commet
Night Light / Blue Light Filterwarm overlay, adjustable intensity 5–80% intensity slider,
Settings → Appearance
Animated chat backgroundsCSS-only, GPU-accelerated 5 animated wallpapers (rain,
stars, grid pulse, aurora,
fireflies); pause toggle
Deleted message visibility(redacted events) "Message deleted" with reason
if provided
redacted messages hidden "Message deleted"
placeholder shown
shows redaction notice shows redaction notice "Message deleted"
placeholder shown
shows redaction notice
Location sharing ~map embed view +
static share button
live & static,
map rendering
~basic static
Message forwarding forward to any room ~via share menu ~
Per-message read receiptswho read each message avatar pill below message,
click for list + timestamps
avatar thumbnails avatar row below message
Who reactedsee who reacted with each emoji hover tooltip with names;
right-click for full avatar modal
~tap reaction chip ~ tooltip + click for list
Edit history viewersee all prior versions of an edited message click "(edited)" label → modal
with all versions + timestamps
label shown, not clickable
Custom status messageshown below username emoji picker, auto-clear timer
(30 min – 7 days), 64-char limit
via profile settings
Online presence trackingidle/away auto-detection online on start, idle after 10 min,
unavailable when tab hidden,
offline on close; hide-status toggle
~manual AFK only; auto idle
detection PR open, unmerged
~basic online/offline only ~basic online/offline only ~inactivity monitor shipped Oct 2025;
no tab/close detection confirmed
~3-min idle timer (shipped Nov 2023);
no tab detection, no offline on close,
no user-facing hide toggle
~basic online/offline only
Media Gallerybrowse room images/videos/files right-side drawer;
Images/Videos/Files tabs
Sidebar room filterfilter by name in real time Home & DMs tabs
Favorite roomsstarred section in sidebar m.favourite tag, syncs
across devices
favourites section
Invite link + QR code matrix.to URL + QR code
in invite modal & room settings
Custom notification soundsper-category sound selector per-category sound selector; ▶ preview
Notification quiet hourssilence notifs in a time window silence all notifs in a time window; overnight support
Room sort ordersort sidebar rooms by activity, name, or unread Recent / A→Z / Unread First ~sort by activity only ~alphabetical only multiple sort options ~limited
Push notifications ~web push only ~web push only desktop
Export room historydownload messages as file txt/json/html, date range,
E2EE-aware
has export
Message schedulingsend later with datetime picker MSC4140, datetime picker,
cancel tray above composer
~partial / labs
Message bookmarks / saved messages right-click bookmark,
sidebar panel, syncs across devices
Collapsible long messagesauto-collapse >20 lines "Read more" toggle,
threshold configurable
Inline GIF previewGiphy / Tenor links auto-embed via homeserver proxy,
no direct CDN contact
Presence avatar border ringcolored ring shows online status green/yellow/red ring;
timeline, members, mentions
Room emoji prefix🎮 renders larger in sidebar 1.15× size; emoji picker
in all name inputs
Quick emoji reactions on hover1-click react, no menu needed 3 recent emoji in hover bar;
dismisses emoji picker
~hover bar, no recents
In-app notification toastsTDS-styled, when window focused slides in bottom-right;
4 s auto-dismiss, click to jump
Encryption architecture: Element X uses the native matrix-rust-sdk with Vodozemac. FluffyChat and Commet use matrix-dart-sdk, which also wraps Vodozemac for its crypto — all three benefit from Vodozemac's stronger security track record over the older JavaScript SDK. Cinny and Element Web/Desktop currently use matrix-js-sdk; Element is actively migrating to the Rust SDK. Clients using Vodozemac were not affected by historical js-sdk vulnerabilities.
Full support ~ Partial / experimental Not supported

Server Details

Access
Invite-only
Max Upload
200 MB / file
Message History
Kept indefinitely
Media Retention
3 yr local · 1 yr remote
Federation
Fully federated
Minimum Age
13+ (COPPA)
No ads or tracking No data sold E2EE — server cannot read encrypted rooms

Questions or need a registration token?

Reach out to @jared:matrix.lotusguild.org