Jack Dorsey Unveils Bitchat: A Messaging App Without Internet

Block CEO and Twitter co-founder has a new experiment. Jack Dorsey spent the weekend building Bitchat, a peer-to-peer messaging app that works without internet. On Sunday, Dorsey announced that Bitchat’s beta version is now live on TestFlight for iPhone users. He also shared that the app’s white paper is available on GitHub for anyone who wants to learn how it works.

In his post on X (formerly Twitter), Dorsey said Bitchat is a personal test. He wants to explore ideas like Bluetooth mesh networks, message relays, encryption models, and more.

Jack Dorsey Unveils Bitchat: A Messaging App Without Internet

Bitchat lets people send messages using only Bluetooth. There is no need for Wi-Fi, mobile data, phone numbers, or emails. It works by forming local Bluetooth clusters between nearby devices.

When you move around, your phone joins other nearby phones to pass messages along. This lets messages travel further than a single Bluetooth connection normally allows.

Some devices act as “bridges.” These bridges link clusters together, expanding the range of the network. Messages are stored only on the phones, not on any server. They disappear by default, keeping chats private.

Dorsey has long supported privacy-focused, censorship-resistant tools. Bitchat continues this mission. It lets people talk even when the internet is blocked or under surveillance.

This idea is similar to apps used during the Hong Kong protests in 2019. Back then, people used Bluetooth-based tools to stay connected when the internet was restricted.

Bitchat also has group chats, called “rooms.” People can create rooms, name them with hashtags, and protect them with passwords. It uses a “store and forward” method, too. If someone goes offline for a while, messages wait and reach them when they reconnect.

In the future, Dorsey plans to add WiFi Direct support. This will make Bitchat faster and extend its range.

A Push Against Big Tech

Apps like WhatsApp and Messenger are owned by big tech companies. They need your phone number or email to work. They also store your messages on their servers and often collect user data.

Bitchat is different. It has no accounts, no usernames, and no personal data. Everything is peer-to-peer and fully encrypted. This means no company controls your chats.

What’s Next?

With Bitchat, Jack Dorsey wants to give people an off-grid way to talk. The app fits into his bigger plan to decentralise more parts of the internet, from social media to payments.

This small experiment could be an important step toward more private, user-owned communication.

The Bitchat beta is out now. More updates are on the way. It will be interesting to see how this idea grows in a world where online privacy is becoming more important than ever.

See Also: AI is on Your Phone, But Do You Trust It? New Report Reveals a Major ‘Trust Gap’