Jack Dorsey launches new app Bitchat Mesh, you can chat without internet

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has introduced a new Bluetooth-based messaging application named Bitchat Mesh, which is presently available to iPhone users only. The uniqueness of this application lies in the fact that it neither relies on the internet, nor does it need any phone number or email address.

Bitchat Mesh operates via a Bluetooth mesh network, where the users can directly connect with one another. Even when two users are out of range from Bluetooth, the message is transmitted via other users within the network.

Security and Privacy

• The app features end-to-end encryption (E2EE), which is based on the Noise Protocol Framework.
• Users can verify identities by comparing fingerprints and marking each other "verified".
• The app works without any servers, accounts or data storage, ensuring user privacy.

The interface of Bitchat Mesh is very simple and resembles old-fashioned IRC (Internet Relay Chat). Users can favorite, mention or even block unwanted users.

A warning on the Bitchat website mentions that although local messaging is secure, there has been no external security audit of 1:1 private chats yet. Therefore, it should be avoided to use them for confidential data.