What is Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat?
Jack Dorsey’s new app could revolutionize offline communication — and for good reason. The founder of Twitter and Block’s CEO has launched a pilot of Bitchat, a revolutionary new messaging app operating entirely without an internet connection.
What was initially a weekend project for Dorsey is quickly evolving into a compelling proof-of-concept. It has the potential to offer truly decentralized, censorship-resistant communication, all of which is turning heads in the tech world and worrying governments.
Bitchat was released in beta on July 7, 2025, and maxed out its 10,000 TestFlight slots within a matter of hours. It immediately shows an interest in an offline communication solution like this.
The app isn’t just a technical experiment, though. It shows a step into the future where communication could exist even when traditional infrastructure fails or faces censorship. In an increasingly monitored digital world, a censorship-resistant communication tool is piquing the interest of many users.
How does the Bitchat offline messaging app work?
Bitchat works on a decentralized peer-to-peer messaging system that operates over a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh network. That means it doesn’t require servers, internet, phone numbers or centralized infrastructure.
In simple terms, it runs on different principles compared to traditional messaging apps like WhatsApp. It removes the need for cell towers and WiFi networks, instead creating a decentralized mesh of Bluetooth.
As shown in the image above, the mesh network uses BLE to relay messages across nodes within 30 meters. Alice’s message to Dave hops through intermediate devices (Bob and Carol) to reach its destination.
Every device that runs Bitchat functions both as a messaging client for the user and a server. This creates a mesh topology. Here’s how it works:
- When you send a message, it doesn’t travel on a cell phone or internet network to a distant server. It hops directly between your device and nearby Bitchat users, who then relay it further until it reaches its final destination. It’s a bit like a high-tech Chinese whisper.
- This message-hopping technique requires direct Bluetooth range between devices of approximately 30-100 meters. Using a store-and-forward system, messages can travel beyond this Bluetooth range. For example, if a recipient is offline temporarily, messages can be cached and stored on nearby devices, then delivered to the recipient when reconnected to the mesh.
Key technical components
There are some key technical components that enable Bitchat to operate in this peer-to-peer manner:
- Peer-to-peer architecture: There’s no single point of failure with each device acting as both a sender and a relay node. Relying on hundreds or thousands of nodes creates decentralization where networks can’t be brought down by a single attack or outage.
- Message hopping: Data packets can jump up to seven times through the networked devices, with each device adding routing information to build efficient paths.
- End-to-end encryption: Messages use X25519 key exchange and AES-256-GCM encryption. So, while data passes between multiple devices, only the recipient and the sender can read the message.
- No persistent identifiers: Random peer IDs are generated for each session to protect user privacy. So, each time you open the Bitchat app, it provides your device with an ID. There’s no persistent phone number or email.
Did you know? The global messaging security market is projected to jump from $8.56 billion in 2024 to $20.41 billion by 2029. More users and organizations are demanding privacy-first solutions in response to growing regulatory oversight and cyber threats.
How to use the Bitchat decentralized messaging app
Right now, Bitchat isn’t an official app in the iOS or Android stores. It’s available as a beta version for iOS devices using Apple’s TestFlight, which is a platform used to test apps before release on the official app stores, although this beta version has already reached maximum capacity.
The community on GitHub has also created an unofficial Android version, which is available to use. But Android users will need to sideload the app, which involves downloading the APK file from GitHub and installing an unknown app from your browser.
- To start using Bitchat, it’s refreshingly simple. There are no laborious phone numbers, account creation or personal information to provide.
- Once loaded, the Bitchat application starts looking for nearby peers on the Bluetooth mesh. You’ll be automatically given a nickname such as “anon1234,” which can later be customized.
- For those who have used classic chat rooms in the past, you’ll be familiar with the IRC-style command interface. Once…
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