Chat shortcut icon support

[youphyun]

Your use case

I like to be able to add a chat shortcut icon to my home screen that makes it easier to stay in touch with my favourite contact(s).
This feature is available in the classic Element app and most other instant messaging applications.

Have you considered any alternatives?

The only alternative is to stay on the old Element app that is not actively developed anymore and does not fully support the new Matrix 2.0 implementation. I am not aware of any other 3rd party solution that could do the same.

Additional context

No response

Are you willing to provide a PR?

No

[spaetz]

I think we should be halfway there already, afaik, we can open a specific room by sending an android intent:
This code shows how to send an intent that should be opening a specific room:
adb shell am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d elementx://open/@benoit10518:matrix.org/!dehdDVSkabQLZFYrgo:matrix.org
(please don't spam that specific room now, I don't even know if it exists :-)).

So, all we need is a widget that sends an intent to open a specific contact room. That having said, I am just a user of this thing :-)

UPDATE: confirmed that command lines such as:
am start -a android.intent.action.VIEW -d elementx://open/@myuser:matrix.org/\!ROOMID:MYSERVER?via=MYSERVER does work in starting EXA in the specified room.

[cliffjao]

FWIW - this is one of the remaining parity features preventing me from upgrading to Element X

[spaetz]

Using Activity Manager, I can launch specific chat rooms. If you then visit the 'history' page and long-press an entry, you can create a homescreen shortcut.

Just for the archive, this is the Activity that I am sending.

P.S. Using the 'Shortcut Maker' app from the Playstore, I was also able to create homescreen shortcuts that directly open a specific room.