^{Photo: Telegraph India}

Jack Dorsey Launches Off-Grid Messaging App: ‘Bitchat’

Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter and CEO of Block, has announced the launch of Bitchat, a new decentralized messaging app that operates entirely without the internet, servers, or user accounts. Built over Bluetooth mesh networks, the app enables peer-to-peer communication that prioritizes privacy, resilience, and censorship resistance.

The beta version of the app is now live on Apple TestFlight, and a full technical white paper is available on GitHub, offering insights into its encryption models and message propagation logic.

How Bitchat Works

At its core, Bitchat is a Bluetooth-based messaging system that allows smartphones to communicate directly with one another in local clusters. These clusters pass encrypted messages between nearby devices using “store and forward” technology — meaning a message can hop across users' devices until it reaches its intended recipient, even without internet access.

Key Features:

• No internet, phone numbers, or email required
• End-to-end encrypted messages
• Messages stored only on-device and disappear by default
• No centralized servers or user identifiers
• Optional group chats (“rooms”) protected with passwords
• Future support for WiFi Direct to enhance speed and distance

The app mimics systems used in movements like the 2019 Hong Kong protests, where Bluetooth-based mesh networking apps helped protesters coordinate securely and anonymously during internet shutdowns and surveillance.

A Radical Shift in Messaging Philosophy

Bitchat’s architecture contrasts sharply with traditional messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger, which are owned by Meta and rely heavily on phone numbers, cloud storage, and data collection.

Instead, Bitchat is designed around complete local autonomy, removing any dependencies on centralized infrastructure or corporate control. The goal, according to Dorsey, is to explore "bluetooth mesh networks, relays, and encryption models" that allow communication even during blackouts, government blocks, or disaster events.

“This is an experiment in off-grid, censorship-resistant, peer-to-peer technology,” Dorsey wrote on X. “No servers. No middlemen. Just devices talking to each other.”

Bridging the Connectivity Gap

One innovative aspect of Bitchat’s architecture is its mesh expansion mechanism. When two Bluetooth clusters intersect via a shared device, they effectively merge, extending the reach of the network. This “bridge” function allows messages to travel well beyond Bluetooth’s typical 30-foot range, enabling communication across neighborhoods or buildings—without any central relay.

Upcoming updates will include WiFi Direct support, which offers a faster, longer-range peer-to-peer connection method. This will further advance Dorsey’s vision of a truly off-grid, decentralized communication system.

Privacy at the Forefront

Unlike most mainstream platforms that require identity verification and store message data in the cloud, Bitchat operates under strict privacy-first principles:

• No user profiles
• No identifiers
• No metadata collection
• Zero server dependency

Messages are deleted by default and remain only on the user’s device unless forwarded.

Part of a Bigger Decentralization Push

The launch of Bitchat is consistent with Dorsey’s broader push toward decentralized internet technologies. He has previously supported projects like Bluesky, an open protocol for decentralized social media, and Damus, a decentralized social app powered by Nostr.

According to market analysts, Bitchat could appeal to users in high-censorship regions, activists, off-grid communities, and privacy-conscious tech enthusiasts—groups underserved by existing communication apps.

Final Thoughts

As governments tighten their grip on online speech and tech giants collect ever more data, Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat offers a bold new vision for secure, peer-to-peer communication—one that works even when the internet doesn’t.

Its early rollout may still be experimental, but the principles it stands for—freedom, decentralization, and privacy—signal a compelling alternative to today's surveillance-driven digital landscape.