XMPP - Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol. (Known also as Jabber) This is one of the oldest protocols that still exists and is used by many, many people. Surely now you think it's bare bones and it looks hard to use. No, you're the lazy one. How difficult is it to find one of the providers (or host your own), install the client and register and just find a few Multi User Chatrooms or contacts? Prefer to use more annoying ways? Choosing username, email and phone number verification then recaptcha or hcaptcha etc? Prefer Facebook or Discord to have all your messages in plain text? Now imagine you saying "I have nothing to hide" while corporations are reading all your messages, your private life, your information. Perhaps they even send this data to other places. In XMPP you have OMEMO encryption, even if you want you can use PGP. And this protocol does not monetize you! How about breaking your lazy barrier and convincing your friends to move to XMPP with you? You don't need any bloated stuff and features you've never used in your life to chat. Simple text is enough. Simplicity is the best.
Be free to say hello! My XMPP address is z011(at)kalli(dot)st
Official XMPP website - xmpp.org