Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, has launched a new messaging app called Bitchat, now in beta testing on iPhones through TestFlight. This app is different from WhatsApp and other messaging platforms because it doesn’t need the internet, phone numbers, emails, or any central servers to work.
Instead, Bitchat runs on Bluetooth mesh technology. This means nearby phones connect with each other through Bluetooth and pass on messages from one phone to another. So even if you’re not connected to the internet, your message can still reach far-off people using other connected phones in the area. These phones act like bridges to extend the message across distances.
Messages are:
- Encrypted (private and secure)
- Stored only on your phone
- Deleted automatically over time
- Never go through any central server
There’s also a group chat feature, where users can create chat rooms using hashtags and passwords. Another smart feature is “store and forward,” where a message is saved temporarily and sent when the other user comes back online.
Bitchat is inspired by apps like those used during the Hong Kong protests, where internet access was blocked. It’s part of Dorsey’s ongoing push for decentralized and private communication, like his earlier platforms Damus and Bluesky.
A future update is expected to add Wi-Fi Direct, making it faster and with more range—helping people communicate without relying on mobile networks or internet services.
Unlike WhatsApp or Messenger, Bitchat doesn’t collect any personal data—no phone numbers, no names, no accounts. It’s all peer-to-peer and user-owned.
