you do need a matrix account:

Element is a messaging app that lets you talk to people over the Matrix protocol.

To get started, check out this link, where you can choose to either download Element for your platform or, if on a computer, open it in a browser.

The instructions that follow are for the desktop application and the web application, but the process is similar on all apps:

Press "Create Account"

We host our own Matrix server, so if you want you can change matrix.org to chapo.chat.

This is completely optional; users who sign up with a matrix.org username can still talk to people with chapo.chat username.

(Note: It is chapo.chat, not hexbear.net. Also, registrations aren't always open on chapo.chat; if they're not, just create an account on matrix.org)

Fill in a username and password

Hit register, and you're done!

You can also use https://github.com/Nheko-Reborn/nheko or

https://matrix.org/ecosystem/clients/cinny/

all clients can be found here: https://matrix.org/ecosystem/clients/