What is the most secure messaging app that normal people will actually use?

Signal is the easy answer. It is end to end encrypted by default, run by a nonprofit, free, and the interface looks like any other chat app so nobody struggles with it. The only catch is your friends have to install it too, but it is a two minute ask.

Signal for the privacy purists, WhatsApp if you need everyone to already have it (it uses the same encryption under the hood, it is just owned by Meta and grabs more metadata). For most people Signal hits the sweet spot of private and normal-looking.

Fully closing and reopening the app (swipe it away) fixes more than you would think.

Just tried the top suggestion and it worked instantly, cheers.