What you need before joining.
A Matrix ID is required for membership. A Matrix ID usually looks something like @yourname:matrix.org. You can use an existing Matrix account if you already have one.
Recommended setup: install Element X on your phone and use that as your normal way into the community. If you prefer a computer, you can also use Element Web ↗ or install Element for desktop or mobile ↗.
Once you have the account, copy the full Matrix ID and return to the Join form. We cannot approve a membership request without it because that is the address we use to send your private community invitation.
Create your Matrix account.
- Open Element Web or the Element app.
- Choose Create account.
- If you are asked which homeserver to use and you do not already have a preference, matrix.org is the simplest general-purpose starting point.
- Choose your username and complete the account setup.
- Set a display name you are comfortable using with other members. It does not have to be your legal name.
Your Matrix account is separate from this website. DeFlock Metro Detroit does not receive your Matrix password or recovery key.
Find your Matrix ID.
On Element Web or Desktop, open your profile menu, go to All Settings, then General. Your full Matrix ID is shown in the profile area.
Copy the full ID, including the @ at the beginning and the server name after the colon. Put that Matrix ID into the DeFlock Metro Detroit Join form.
What happens after you submit the Join form.
- Your Join form is encrypted in your browser and sent to DeFlock Metro Detroit.
- We review the request.
- If approved, we send an invite to the Matrix ID you provided.
- Open Element and accept the invite to the private DeFlock Metro Detroit space.
A forwarded website link is not enough to enter the community. Membership is handled by direct Matrix invitations.
Verify your devices and set up recovery.
Element is tightening device-verification requirements in October 2026. Set up recovery and verify the devices you use instead of putting it off until a phone replacement or deadline makes it annoying.
Element provides current instructions here: How to verify devices ↗.
Keep your recovery key private. Do not send it to DeFlock Metro Detroit, another member or anyone claiming they need it to invite you.
What you will find inside.
The private community can include a Start Here room, announcements, general discussion, event rooms and local organizing rooms as useful work develops.
You can change notification settings room by room. If you do not want every conversation to buzz your phone, mute general chatter and keep announcements or event rooms at the notification level that works for you.
Joining an online event.
- Register for the event on the DeFlock Metro Detroit Events page.
- Approved members who registered are invited to the relevant private event room.
- Open that room before the event starts and check any pinned or recent event instructions.
- When the event begins, use the room's call controls to join the voice/video session. The exact button wording can vary by Element version.
- Your browser or device may ask for microphone and camera permission the first time.
You are not required to turn on your camera unless an individual event specifically says otherwise in advance.
A few privacy basics.
- Encrypted rooms protect message content, but encryption is not anonymity.
- Your Matrix ID and display name are visible to people in the rooms you share.
- Use a display name or nickname you are comfortable sharing with other members.
- Do not post somebody else's private information into the group without a real need and permission.
- Do not share screenshots or member lists outside the group without permission.
- Never share passwords, recovery keys or access tokens.
If something does not work.
Element changes over time, so a button may move even when the basic process stays the same. If you cannot find your Matrix ID, accept an invite, verify a device or join an event room, contact DeFlock Metro Detroit and describe where you got stuck.