According to CNBC, the Bitchat app, which doesn’t need a phone number, internet connection, or central servers, is currently in beta testing on TestFlight.
The news was announced on July 6 by Dorsey, who is well-known for advocating decentralisation, who described the project as a personal experiment in store-and-forward communication, encryption models, and Bluetooth mesh networks.
Bitchat provides users with encrypted, transient communication that is stored only on their devices, in contrast to conventional messaging services like WhatsApp, which rely on personal information and centralised servers.
As users navigate physical areas, the app establishes Bluetooth mesh networks, enabling messages to travel between devices even when they are outside of normal Bluetooth range.
By extending the network, bridge devices allow for longer-distance communication without requiring Wi-Fi or cellular service.
Dorsey’s dedication to privacy and censorship-resistant communication is demonstrated by the fact that messages vanish by default and never come into contact with centralized infrastructure.
Another feature of Bitchat is group chats, or “rooms,” which can be hashtag-named and password-protected. Messages can reach users who are momentarily offline thanks to the app’s “store and forward” functionality.
Future updates will add Wi-Fi Direct, which will increase the Bluetooth-based network’s speed and range.
In line with a larger goal to decentralize a range of digital services, such as communication and payments, this action expands on Dorsey’s prior support for decentralized social media platforms like Damus and Bluesky.
Similar to the Bluetooth-based applications used during the 2019 protests in Hong Kong, Bitchat’s design aims to provide a censorship-resistant alternative to popular platforms by keeping users connected during outages, internet shutdowns, or government surveillance.
Bitchat offers a radical change in online communication by diverging from corporate-owned messaging platforms like Meta’s WhatsApp and Messenger with its decentralized framework and dedication to user privacy.
