The app works even in areas with poor or no internet
Jack Dorsey has launched Bitchat, a new peer-to-peer messaging app that works without the internet and could be a potential rival to WhatsApp.
The app is available in beta via TestFlight, with a detailed white paper shared on GitHub.
Bitchat uses Bluetooth mesh networks. It doesn’t need internet, phone numbers, email addresses or central servers to send messages.
In a post on X, Dorsey described it as a personal experiment exploring “Bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things.”
Bitchat enables nearby devices to send encrypted, temporary messages to each other using Bluetooth.
The app works even in areas with poor or no internet, offering an alternative to services like WhatsApp.
As users move around, their phones automatically form short-range Bluetooth groups that can pass messages across greater distances.
According to the Twitter founder, a message can travel up to 300 metres, or 984 feet, by bouncing through other users’ devices.
Messages are never stored on central servers. Instead, they are kept temporarily on users’ phones before disappearing.
Bitchat also avoids collecting any data or requiring accounts, key principles of Dorsey’s broader push for privacy and decentralisation.
The app allows users to form group chats, known as “rooms”, which can be named with hashtags and protected by passwords. If someone is offline, messages can be stored and delivered later.
my weekend project to learn about bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things.
bitchat: bluetooth mesh chat…IRC vibes.
TestFlight: https://t.co/P5zRRX0TB3
GitHub: https://t.co/Yphb3Izm0P pic.twitter.com/yxZxiMfMH2— jack (@jack) July 6, 2025
A future update will add support for WiFi Direct, increasing both the app’s range and speed.
This positions Bitchat as a privacy-focused tool that can function during internet blackouts or surveillance.
Similar Bluetooth-based messaging systems were used during the 2019 Hong Kong protests to avoid censorship.
Dorsey’s latest launch follows his previous decentralisation efforts, including social media platform Bluesky and messaging app Damus.
It signals his continued interest in tools that reduce reliance on big tech infrastructure.
Unlike WhatsApp or Messenger, Bitchat doesn’t require user IDs, phone numbers or any personal data. Messages don’t pass through any company’s servers, and no sign-up is needed.
Shortly after Dorsey shared the TestFlight link, all 10,000 beta spots were taken.
The app is currently under review and has not yet received a full public release.
Whether Bitchat will find mass appeal or remain a niche tool among privacy advocates and tech enthusiasts remains to be seen.
Dorsey is currently CEO of Block, a financial technology firm he co-founded. It owns Cash App and Square, which provide payment solutions for individuals and businesses.
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