I have nothing against Signal. I just don’t have access to a phone number right now. I fully intend to use the Signal when I get a number. I know there is no silver bullet, no absolutes in the privacy world but I’m looking for any messengers that are generally considered to be private and secure on Android that I can try to convince my friends and family to use. I have a mid - low threat model, it’s just the thought of giving the Zuck anymore of my family’s data makes my skin crawl.
I’d suggest SimpleX, personally! Not only does it not rely on phone numbers, but because you add people through single-use links instead of using identifiers, there is no contact information of yours to be shared without you actively choosing to share it with someone yourself. I’d say it’s pretty approachable, and the actual messaging experience is packed with a nifty feature set.
Yeah I think I’m going to try SimpleX! It looks the most promising. Private with no identifiers (that’s quite a feat!) and pretty enough with UI that my parents can use it.