Matrix 1.19 spec release blog post (scheduled: July 8th, 2026 UK afternoon)

content/blog/2026/07/2026-07-08-matrix-v1.19-release.md

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+title = "Matrix v1.19 release"
+date = "2026-07-08T16:00:43Z"
+path = "/blog/2026/07/08/matrix-v1.19-release"
+
+[taxonomies]
+author = ["Travis Ralston"]
+category = ["Releases", "Spec"]
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+
+Hey all,
+
+[Matrix 1.19](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.19) is here! This release brings 6 more MSCs to the spec since the [Matrix 1.18 release](@/blog/2026/03/2026-03-26-matrix-v1.18-release.md) just over 3 months ago. Aside from [clarifying that server ACLs are case insensitive](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.19/client-server-api/#server-access-control-lists-acls-for-rooms), adding [mutual rooms lookup](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.19/client-server-api/#mutual-rooms), and making the [room directory order implementation-defined](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.19/client-server-api/#get_matrixclientv3publicrooms), this release brings a couple of commonly requested features to the protocol: room history sharing and custom emoji.
+
+<!-- more -->
+
+## Room history sharing
+
+When a user joins or is invited to an unencrypted room, they might see events from before their join/invite due to [history visibility](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.19/client-server-api/#room-history-visibility). When that invite or join happens in an encrypted room though, the same history visibility doesn't always apply. Room history sharing, introduced by [MSC4268](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/main/proposals/4268-encrypted-history-sharing.md), fixed that.
+
+Readers who have been following the spec and project a long time may recall that room history sharing used to exist approximately 5 years ago in the form of [MSC3061](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/pull/3061). The proposal passed Final Comment Period (FCP) and was being written up in the spec when the implementation was found to have a [security vulnerability](@/blog/2024/10/2024-10-15-security-disclosure-matrix-js-sdk-and-matrix-react-sdk.md). The cryptography team at Element worked to address the implementation and proposal concerns, opening [MSC4268](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/main/proposals/4268-encrypted-history-sharing.md) to bring the functionality back to the spec.
+
+The feature is now merged to the spec, without the prior security concerns, and shipped in several implementations to users. More information about how history sharing has been implemented in Element's clients can be found on [their blog](https://element.io/blog/seamless-encrypted-history-sharing-arrives-in-element/).
+
+## Custom emoji (image packs)
+
+Regular emoji simply isn't expressive enough for users - they need the ability to send custom emoticons, and share those image packs with other users so they can use them too. [MSC2545](https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/main/proposals/2545-emotes.md), the most commented-on proposal as of writing at 603 comments, introduces this capability.
+
+Similar to other proposals in this spec release, it's been worked on for over 6 years and has been through several iterations. Clients like [FluffyChat](https://fluffychat.im/), [Cinny](https://cinny.in/), and [Nheko](https://nheko-reborn.github.io/) have supported the proposal through those iterations and enable users to share their image packs with other users. With the proposal being [added to the spec](https://spec.matrix.org/v1.19/client-server-api/#image-packs), all clients can now interoperate with stable identifiers and images in a more expressive Matrix!
+
+## The full changelog
+
+The full changelog for Matrix 1.19 is:
+
+**TODO**: Complete during release.