Mattermost 5.20: New mobile editor, desktop dark theme, and more

Mattermost 5.20 ships with new features designed to increase team productivity:

• New mobile editor – spend less time composing messages on mobile thanks to updates that improve the usability of @-mentioning users, attaching photos and files, and more
• Desktop dark theme – customize the Mattermost desktop app with a new dark theme, plus other UX and UI upgrades
• Read recent messages faster – jump to the most recent posts by clicking a banner that automatically appears in busy channels
• Improved email notification workflow – open messages from email notifications in the Mattermost desktop or mobile apps you use every day
• mmctl available in Mattermost download – our mmctl tool to manage Mattermost servers remotely now comes packaged with the Mattermost server
• Revamped prepackaged plugins – pre-packaged plugins are now “pre-downloaded” plugins that are available within the Plugin Marketplace—even if your server doesn’t have direct access to the internet 
• Plugin Marketplace labels – plugins supported by Mattermost and those that come from the community are now visible, making it easier to select an appropriate plugin based on your organization’s security policies
• Role mapping from LDAP and SAML (E20) – increase control and compliance by assigning and restricting users to roles within Mattermost from your single sign-on (SSO) system
• Faster SAML install and configuration (E20) – use SAML without installing a separate binary and pull configuration metadata directly from the Identity Provider using an account-specific URL 
• PIV card authentication (beta) – sign into the Mattermost desktop app using the standard PIV card authentication method

Try these new features by downloading Mattermost 5.20 today. Since it includes security updates, upgrading is recommended.

Note: This is a Mattermost “feature release” with an even minor version number (e.g., “5.20”) offering new features for the fastest access to new capabilities. You can also install “quality releases” with odd minor version numbers (e.g., “5.19”) offering bug fixes.   

Thanks for all community contributions this month and in particular our 5.20 MVP, Md Zubair Ahmed (@Md_ZubairAhmed), for various contributions, including an improvement to show single image thumbnails in compact view, bringing his total lifetime contributions to Mattermost up to 26. Thank you, Md Zubair!

Send rich messages with fewer taps with mobile app improvements

Mattermost users can work more productively when they’re out of pocket thanks to a streamlined message drafting experience in our mobile app v1.28.0.

Now, the mobile post draft area includes buttons that enable you to access common functions more easily, including @-mentioning users, using slash commands, selecting photos and videos, attaching files, and taking a photo or video with the camera.

Download the Mattermost mobile app to try these features.

More control of your desktop app environment with a new dark theme, plus server tab and notification updates

Enjoy an improved UI and UX in the desktop app thanks to these upgrades:

• A new dark theme can be enabled by setting your system preferences on macOS or toggling themes on Windows
• Do you belong to multiple Mattermost servers? Reorganize servers by dragging and dropping tabs—just like you would in your favorite web browser 
• See notifications and new messages quickly with updated styling for mentions and unreads 

Download the Mattermost desktop app to try these new features.

Click banners to jump to the most recent messages

After entering a channel, jump to the most recent messages immediately by clicking a new banner that automatically appears when there are many unread messages—instead of having to scroll all the way down.

Open email notifications in the desktop or mobile app

Users who receive email notifications and click on them will now be given the option to open messages in the apps they use every day—instead of being directed to open them in the browser.

As a result, workflows become smoother, and users get to work in the environments they prefer.

Read more about Mattermost notifications.

Use mmctl without having to access a separate repository

Manage servers remotely with mmctl, a CLI tool that mimics the Mattermost CLI tool and ships inside Mattermost 5.20. Previously, you had to install mmctl from a separate repository.

Check out the docs to learn more about mmctl.

Enjoy more control over pre-packaged plugins

Some users with secure installations are unable to connect their Mattermost server to the internet. These customers had been unable to access the Plugin Marketplace or easily download plugins to their servers; pre-packaged plugins were previously installed automatically but remained inactive until they were enabled by an administrator. 

For Mattermost 5.20, we’ve reworked the pre-packaged plugins framework to make it easier for these customers to use plugins. Now, administrators can upgrade, install, and uninstall plugins directly in Mattermost, as plugins are bundled directly with the Mattermost binary, enabling “disconnected” machines to access core plugins through the Marketplace easily. 

Only “official”, production-ready Mattermost plugins are included in the download bundle (i.e., beta and community plugins aren’t available).  

Learn more about Mattermost plugins.

Identify official Mattermost plugins and community plugins quickly

Plugins are powerful, and through the magic of open source, new integrations are introduced to Mattermost regularly. 

We want to make it easier for Mattermost users around the world to find and leverage those plugins. We also want to make it easier for organizations that may restrict plugin usage to “official” plugins to easily adhere to compliance rules.

In this light, we’re happy to announce that users and admins can now quickly determine which plugins come from the Mattermost team, which come from the community, and which are in beta thanks to new tags that appear on plugins in the Plugin Marketplace. 

Currently, plugins that don’t have a tag are official Mattermost plugins, which are verified, produced, and supported by our team. In the near future, tagged community plugins will begin appearing in the Plugin Marketplace. These plugins are verified and checked by Mattermost for quality, but we don’t exert control over their direction or code.

If you’ve developed a plugin you’d like to get listed in our Integrations Directory or the Plugin Marketplace, you can fill out this submission form.

Check out this blog post for more information on the Plugin Marketplace.

Role mapping from your SSO system

It’s now easier to increase control and compliance in Mattermost thanks to new LDAP and SAML features found in Mattermost Enterprise Edition E20:

• The ability to sync AD/LDAP Groups to specific Teams and Channels and the roles within them (e.g., standard members, team administrator, and channel administrator), which makes it easier and faster for LDAP admins to onboard users.
• The ability to manage Mattermost system admin rights and all user privileges from one place using an LDAP filter or SAML attribute, improving compliance monitoring.

Learn more about these new features in our LDAP and SAML docs.

Faster SAML install and configuration

Enjoy a streamlined SAML implementation experience thanks to SAML-related updates available in Mattermost Enterprise Edition E20:

• Set up SAML faster without having to install a separate binary
• Configure SAML in less time by copying a single metadata URL from your SAML provider and pasting it into the SAML setup screen in Mattermost. In the past, users had to fill out several form fields for configuration.

We’ve also added the option to turn on goSAML2, which does encryption in memory, which is faster than the XML Security Library, which does encryption in the file system. Admins will need to opt-in to take advantage of this new feature.

Read more about Mattermost and SAML.

Sign into the Mattermost desktop app through PIV card authentication (beta)

Organizations that use PIV cards, including U.S. federal agencies, can now use PIV card authentication in Mattermost desktop clients in addition to the web app. 

Some government departments and high-security organizations require PIV authentication in order to control employee access to important facilities and information systems. This update allows users to select the proper certificate in the desktop client, which will enable them to enjoy a better Mattermost experience in the desktop app while improving security and compliance.

Read more about how Mattermost helps government agencies.

Contributors

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abdusabri, aeomin, agarciamontoro, AGMETEOR, agnivade, ali-farooq0, allenlai18, amyblais, andylibrian, anidok, AninditaBasu, anon6789, asaadmahmood, ashishbhate, atulya-pandey, avasconcelos114, bbodenmiller, bolariin, bpietraga, bradjcoughlin, c-yan, calebroseland, catalintomai, CEOehis, chikei, ChrisDobby, chuttam, cjohannsen81, comharris, cpanato, crspeller, ctmusicnz, davidjwilkins, DE-mbecker, deanwhillier, der-test, devinbinnie, dlclark, dra, DSchalla, emilioicai, enahum, enelson720, enolal826, esdrasbeleza, ethervoid, faase, flexo3001, fm2munsh, gabrieljackson, gigawhitlocks, gopheros, grubbins, gruceqq, gsagula, gupsho, hahmadia, hanzei, hector2, hectorskypl, hmhealey, hunterlester, ikeohachidi, imisshtml, iomodo, isacikgoz, itao, jasonblais, jasonlanderson, jaydeland, jespino, jfrerich, jomaxro, josephbaylon, JtheBAB, jupenur, justinegeffen, JustinReynolds-MM, jwilander, kaakaa, karlmarxlopez, Kaya_Zeren, khos2ow, kosgrz, larkox, lawikip, Lena, levb, lfbrock, lieut-data, lindalumitchell, lindy65, lukewest, lurcio, M-ZubairAhmed, marianunez, meilon, metanerd, mgdelacroix, michaelschiffmm, mickmister, migbot, mitchellroe, mjthomp95, mkraft, mlongo4290, nadalfederer, natalie-hub, niklabh, NiroshaV, nmlc, opllama2, phillipahereza, Pomyk, popstr, RajatVaryani, rajudev, rascasoft, rbradleyhaas, reflog, rodcorsi, rvillablanca, RyanCommits, saturninoabril, sbishel, scottjr632, sij507, somenet, sowmiyamuthuraman, streamer45, stylianosrigas, sudheerDev, svelle, tasdomas, thapakazi, thefactremains, themaverikk, thePanz, TQuock, uhlhosting, vesari, VishalSwarnkar, wget, wiersgallak, wiggin77, Willyfrog, xalkan

Install or upgrade Mattermost

New to Mattermost? Download it for free or sign up for a 30-day trial of Enterprise Edition (E20).

Find help updating to the latest version of Mattermost here. 

For more help on configuring Mattermost, please review our administrator’s guide.

Enterprise E10 and E20

Mattermost Enterprise E10 and E20 are commercial versions of Mattermost designed for high-trust organizations and include upgrade and installation support. For more information on features and pricing, visit mattermost.com/pricing.