

Thats why I personally prefer Matrix.
However, the solution that Signal offers is the easiest for most people. Also it is not true that you always need the phone. The desktop version works fine alone unlike Whatsapp it doesn’t request you to connect the devices all 2 weeks. It does need a first installation on a Mobile or Android device in order to get the PC version running.
The difficulty is when you need to exchange the encryption keys between different clients. This is where it gets complicated with Tox and Jabber/OTR. And to be honest the solution of Matrix is easier but also can get confusing for people who are just used to having a phone as their main device.












Yes, but fact is, that this is the easiest way for most users. And also most users don’t care if you can use it stand alone on a PC or not, and if it is linked to a phone number or not.
You can use devices to cross-sign each other or use a passphrase.