Jack Dorsey Launches Bitchat: Offline Messaging App

Jack Dorsey, the guy behind Twitter and now CEO of Block, just dropped a cool new app called Bitchat. It’s a messaging app that works without Wi-Fi or data, using Bluetooth to let people chat directly with each other.

Launched as a test on Apple’s TestFlight, it hit its 10,000-user limit fast, showing people are excited about it. Dorsey called it a “weekend project,” but it’s got big potential.

Bitchat uses Bluetooth Low Energy to send messages between phones, so it’s perfect for places with bad internet, during outages, or even for private chats in tricky situations like protests or emergencies.

You don’t need to share your name or phone number to use it, which keeps things super private. Messages are encrypted, and they disappear after 12 hours unless you mark them as favorites to keep forever.

• Jack Dorsey Unveils Bitchat: Encrypted Offline Messaging App via Bluetooth
• Bitchat by Jack Dorsey Lets Users Chat Without Internet or Mobile Data
• Bitchat App Launches on iOS: Private, Decentralized Messaging for Tough Situations

The app can send messages up to about 300 meters by bouncing them through nearby phones, creating a kind of Bluetooth network. You can set up group chats, called “rooms,” with passwords, kind of like old-school chatrooms. If someone’s offline, the app saves their messages and delivers them when they’re back in range. Dorsey’s team is already planning to add Wi-Fi Direct to make it faster and handle stuff like photos or videos down the road.

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This app fits right in with Dorsey’s push for decentralized tech, like his work with Bluesky and Nostr. It’s similar to apps like Bridgefy, which people used during the 2019 Hong Kong protests, but Bitchat focuses heavily on privacy and strong encryption. Right now, it’s only on iOS, but the way it’s built suggests Android could be next. Some experts have pointed out that the app’s code hasn’t been fully checked for security issues, which could be a concern. Still, Bitchat is a game-changer for private, offline messaging, especially for people in tough situations.