# Element

Application: Element

Also called element messenger, riot.im, riot matrix

Element, Productivity

A Matrix protocol chat client, formerly Riot. On Windows the process is Element.exe.

## What you need to know

Element is a Matrix client. It is not Slack.

Element.exe talks to a Matrix homeserver. Slack is a different product. Discord is a third community chat.

- **What is it?**: Chat

  **Still current?**: Yes, see Current status

  **Official download?**: Use the vendor link in this article

Feex says

If Element.exe is open, I would ask which homeserver, not which Slack workspace. Riot was the old name. This is not slack.exe.

## What is Element?

Element is a Matrix protocol desktop client. The Windows executable is Element.exe. The homeserver can be matrix.org or a private server.

## If you have never used it

If someone said join the Matrix room in Element, this is the Matrix client formerly called Riot, not Slack. Download it from element.io/download. You need a Matrix account on a homeserver. The process is Element.exe. slack.exe is a different vendor.

## What is it used for?

**Matrix rooms**

Federated chat rooms. Slack workspaces do not federate this way.

**End-to-end encrypted rooms when enabled**

Element documents encryption for Matrix rooms. That is not Slack Enterprise Key Management.

**Bridges some homeservers run**

Optional bridges to other networks. Those are server features, not Windows services.

## Who is it for?

- People whose community already picked Matrix
- Users who still remember the Riot.im name
- Anyone who was handed an Element link and thought it was Slack

## Current status

Element (2016) is a current chat from Element. The vendor still points Windows users at https://element.io/download.

## How old is it?

Riot.im launched in 2016 and was renamed Element in 2020. It is newer than Slack (2013) and not IRC. Current Element is still a Matrix client.

## Versions

Major channels first. Exact build numbers are not all verified here.

Current Windows build

## System requirements

Values follow the publisher's public guidance. Workload still changes the real need.

### Minimum

| Operating system | A current supported Windows 10 or Windows 11 release, per the vendor |
| ---------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| RAM              | Enough for Windows plus this app. Heavy projects want more.          |

## Resource profile

- **CPU demand**: Follows what you open inside the app

  **RAM demand**: Follows documents, tabs, or libraries

## Installed processes

These executables belong to this product when it is installed.

| Element.exe | Main Windows executable |
| ----------- | ----------------------- |

## Startup components

Element can start with Windows from its own setting.

## File locations

| Typical install | C:\Users\\\<you>\AppData\Local\element-desktop\\ |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |

## File formats

files you drop in rooms

## Common problems

### Login fails because the homeserver is wrong

Element asks for a server URL. matrix.org is not every community's server.

### People hunt slack.exe after a rename

Riot became Element. Slack was never this app.

## Getting unstuck

### Install from element.io/download

A Riot 2020 exe from a forum is stale. Current branding is Element.

### Confirm the homeserver in the login box

element.io/help covers account and encryption. Slack Help will not.

### Quit Element.exe from the tray

The Electron host can stay resident after the window closes.

## Alternatives

Slack if the org already lives there. Discord for servers. Signal for 1:1 encrypted phone-number chat.

## Official help and downloads

Start with the vendor. Random exe sites are not a support channel.

| Download      | [element.io/download ](https://element.io/download)Official installer or vendor page |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Help          | [element.io/help ](https://element.io/help)Vendor support                            |
| Official site | [element.io/ ](https://element.io/)Start here, not a random exe host                 |

## Related hardware

RAM follows Electron plus encrypted room history. A GPU is optional for the message list.

## Technical details

Technical details

Vendor version numbers change. This article does not pin a build.

## Related

These entities connect to this article. Type is shown on every link.

[Slack: Application](https://feex.it/wiki/software/slack)[How to read Task Manager: Guide](https://feex.it/wiki/software/system/how-to-read-task-manager)

## Sources and verification

Reviewed by Feex editorial. Last verified August 2026 Status: Feex Reviewed. [How we research](https://feex.it/wiki/research).

- [Element official site ](https://element.io/)· Vendor product page
- [Element help ](https://element.io/help)· Vendor support
- [Foxhole process map ](https://foxhole.feex.it/)· First-party samples on Windows PCs. Not a lab benchmark.

## Was this article useful?

A yes or no is enough. Pick a reason if you want, or add a short note.

Quick facts

The short identity of this page. Specs, sources, and the full story stay in the article.

- **Developer**: Element

  **Category**: Chat

  **Process**: Element.exe

  **License**: Free to install. Homeserver may be paid or self-hosted

  **First released**: 2016

  **Official site**: [element.io](https://element.io/)

  **Mapped by Feex**: Seen on Windows PCs in Foxhole

Feex Reviewed: Last verified August 2026

---

Source: [Canonical Feex Wiki page](https://feex.it/wiki/software/element/)

[Developer guide](https://feex.it/wiki/developers/) | [API policy](https://feex.it/developers/api-policy/) | [Agent guidance](https://feex.it/wiki/llms.txt)