Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and former CEO of Twitter, has announced the launch of Bitchat App, a Bluetooth messaging app that operates entirely without internet, servers, or personal data.
The app is now live in beta on TestFlight, a test version was released to try out new features and fix any issues before the full app is officially launched.
Dorsey said he built the app over a single weekend. He said Bitchat harnesses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks to let devices within a 300-meter, exchange messages without Wi-Fi, cellular service, or even SIM cards.
It was gathered that unlike WhatsApp or Telegram, which tether users to cloud servers and demand personal identifiers, this Bluetooth messaging app stores messages locally on devices, deleting them after 12 hours unless marked as favorites.
How Bitchat works;
• Bitchat App does not require users to create accounts, meaning no personal identifiers or metadata are collected.
• The app includes support for one-on-one encrypted chats.
• The app has an optional group messaging via rooms, protected with passwords and searchable using hashtags.
• It stores and forwards functionality, allowing delayed message delivery to devices that are temporarily offline.
• Dorsey said he drew inspiration from Bluetooth-based apps used during protests in Hong Kong in 2019, where protesters bypassed surveillance and censorship by creating local mesh networks.
