Check out Armcord. It’s a 3rd party client with many customization choices (mainly due to the fact that it bundles Vencord and Shelter client mods).

I tried editing my config.yml as the guide suggests but the problem persists. The problem seems to be that I’m using MariaDB instead of MySQL (pdo_mysql is compatible with MariaDB). Is there anything more I can do or should I try installing MySQL?

EDIT: Purging MariaDB (Debian repo ships this instead of MySQL) and reinstalling it with sudo apt install default-mysql-server fixed the problem. Thank you.

Which TED talk are you talking about? Can you post a link?

Be sure to also check out dontkillmyapp.com to see if your device has unorthodox battery saving techniques that hinder your notifications’ behaviour.

You can migrate your account using this tool from Element: https://ems.element.io/tools/matrix-migration

Yes, it does make your DMs be under the rooms section, but you and your friends can input the command /converttodm into Element’s web/desktop client (on mobile, it doesn’t work as far as I know), and you’re back to normal.

Because of its federated nature, Matrix shares tremendously large amounts of metadata between instances, even though the messages (and I believe the usernames you send to, but someone correct me on this) themselves are encrypted.
On the flip side, Signal requires you to sign up using your phone number. Some Matrix instances only require you to choose a username and be done with it.

Renoise is an excellent tracker-based DAW with Linux support (you still have to find Linux-compatible VSTs though). It changed the way I write music.

EDIT: I know there are FOSS trackers like MilkyTracker. If you want an alternative, I can recommend it, even though it doesn’t offer the same amount of features as Renoise (e.g. VST or effect support).

I use ListenBrainz for a libre alternative.

For me, it’s the lack of a replaceable battery and the lack of an SD card slot. Otherwise, it would be a perfect phone to tinker with software-wise with all the custom ROMs that are available for Pixels.