Joining rooms
Rooms can be on any Matrix server; your server joins them for you. You can join a room by its alias, its room ID or a link, find it in a room directory, or follow a link in a message.
By alias, ID or link
Press Ctrl+O, or type /join followed by the room:
| You give | Example |
|---|---|
| An alias | /join #matrix:matrix.org |
| A room ID | /join !abc123:example.org |
| A link | /join https://matrix.to/#/#matrix:matrix.org or /join matrix:r/matrix:matrix.org |
Links can carry the servers to join through, as ?via= in a matrix.to link. You can also give the servers after the room yourself:
/join !abc123 matrix.org example.org
Rooms of newer versions have IDs without a server, like !abc123; joining them needs at least one server that is in the room. Aliases don't need servers, as the alias's server tells where the room is.
A room you are already in opens instead.
Room directory
Press Ctrl+R, or type /list, to browse the public rooms of your server. Type a search in Search and press Enter.
To browse another server, type its name in Server, e.g. matrix.org, and press Enter; /list matrix.org opens the directory on that server directly. Leave Server empty for your own. The directory remembers the last server until you quit. Choosing Join joins the selected room through the server that listed it.
Links in messages
Select a message with Ctrl+Up and press Enter. Open link follows its room or user link: a room you are in opens, and other rooms are offered to join. A user link opens your direct chat with them, or offers to start one. See Acting on messages.