How Bitchat Works, the Messaging App You Can Use Without Internet

Jack Dorsey , founder of Twitter (now X) and already known for alternative projects such as Bluesky and Block , has recently launched his new, mysterious creature: Bitchat .

It's a messaging app – currently available for testing on iOS via TestFlight , with 10,000 places selling out in a short time – that promises to get people talking even when there's no internet .

It's not just a matter of privacy or anti-censorship: Bitchat represents a rather radical technological experiment, based on Bluetooth Low Energy connections between devices, without relying on central servers. Much like the old peer-to-peer approach, it transforms every smartphone into a network hub.

How does Bitchat work?

The principle behind Bitchat is as simple as it is revolutionary: messages do not pass through the Internet but travel directly between nearby smartphones , thanks to Bluetooth technology.

In practice, each user becomes a network “node,” capable of receiving messages and then retransmitting them to other nearby devices.

Of course, if there's no one nearby with BLE enabled—given the limited range of the transmission system—the chain stops working. A phone number isn't needed, of course.

If a user sends a message, their phone broadcasts it via Bluetooth to all nearby Bitchat devices. These devices can read it (obviously only if authorized) and simultaneously forward it to new nearby devices . This is the concept of a mesh network : a transmission chain where messages hop from one phone to another, potentially traveling very long distances without ever reaching the internet.

What can you do on Bitchat?

At the moment, Bitchat theoretically allows you to send text messages, send photos and small files (although very large files remain problematic, given the slowness of Bluetooth), create local group chats and of course communicate even without a SIM card or active Wi-Fi (although it seems a future version could also integrate Wi-Fi connectivity).

Bluetooth's range is obviously limited (about 10-100 meters, depending on the device and the context). However, the strength of mesh networking lies precisely in the ability for multiple users to contribute to extending the range by rebroadcasting received messages to other smartphones.

A chat designed for freedom and privacy

Behind the idea of Bitchat there is also a specific philosophy, which is closely linked to Dorsey's past and more recent fascinations: creating a space where no one can block or monitor communication .

In censorship-ridden countries , an app like Bitchat could become a valuable tool for circulating information without relying on the internet or government infrastructure.

Furthermore, Bitchat doesn't store data on its servers: messages remain on devices until they're transmitted or deleted. That's it. This reduces the risk of interception and makes the system harder to censor or shut down at the source, as happens in many regimes around the world, from Iran to China.

The Limits (and Mystery) of Bitchat

The picture, however, isn't so rosy. There are, in fact, some critical issues.

The transmission speed via Bluetooth is quite low compared to those guaranteed by the various types of web connections.

It's hard to imagine the app as a replacement for WhatsApp or Telegram , especially for heavy content like long videos. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the mesh network depends on the number of active users in a given area : in sparsely populated areas, Bitchat risks becoming a mutilated chat. In the event of a natural disaster, however, it could become the only tool that continues to function.

Bitchat is currently in the experimental phase , and not all technical details have been made public. In short, little is known about it, except for what is available open source on GitHub, including with a view to improvements.

The encryption protocols are expected to be X25519 and AES-256-GCM for private messages and groups. A new user ID is generated for each session, and there's also a panic mode that deletes all content with three hits. Versions for Android and Mac are also expected.

A signal from the future

Despite its limitations, Bitchat is a project that encourages users and developers to take new, and perhaps even simple, paths to position themselves in an era in which trust in large centralized platforms is at an all-time low , and more and more users are looking for independent alternatives.

Jack Dorsey seems to want to build tools that give people direct control over communication, even when all else fails.

Whether it becomes a revolution or remains – much more likely – a geek curiosity or a context-specific platform, Bitchat is confirmation that the messaging of the future may not need the internet .