Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, has launched a new messaging app, designed to operate without the internet.
Bitchat, described by Dorsey as a “weekend project”, does not require personal information, making every conversation anonymous.
The app aims to streamline messaging in areas with weak internet connection or no connection at all.
How to use Bitchat?
The app enables peer-to-peer messaging, where the user does not have to rely on mobile data or Wi-Fi to send messages. They can simply do it offline via Bluetooth.
A person can use the app by walking around with their phone, while the app will use Bluetooth to connect to nearby devices and form a group.
If the sender is far away, the message will hop from one phone to another nearby phone until it reaches the intended receiver. This process is called mesh networking.
Through this process, Bitchat will allow devices to connect directly with each other over short distances without requiring any central servers, phone numbers, or internet or email addresses.
Does it compromise user’s privacy?
Even though the messages are sent to the intended receiver through a network of phones, the founder has assured that the sender’s messages are safe.
The messages are sent to nearby devices using end-to-end encryption, so no one can read the message, except the sender and the final recipient.
- Privacy is maintained : The sent messages are deleted automatically after a certain period.
- Anonymous communication: Users are not required to create accounts using their email or phone number.
Is Bitchat available to download ?
As of now, the app is in the beta testing phase, hence not yet out for everyone. It is currently available to a few iOS users through Apple’s TestFlight platform, where it quickly reached the 10,000-user limit.
Jack Dorsey shared the whitepaper for the app and the beta invitation publicly on X (formerly Twitter).
The official release date has not yet been announced. In the meantime, the developers are also working on the Android version of the messaging app.
