Block CEO and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has launched Bitchat, a radical new messaging platform that operates completely off the internet, signaling a major push toward decentralized, surveillance-resistant communication.
Announced over the weekend, the beta version of the app is now available on Apple’s TestFlight, with a white paper published on GitHub detailing the technical foundations of what Dorsey describes as a “personal experiment” in alternative connectivity.
Unlike mainstream messaging platforms such as Meta’s WhatsApp, Messenger, or Telegram, Bitchat does not require a phone number, email, or any central server to function. The app works entirely over Bluetooth mesh networks, allowing users to send encrypted messages between nearby devices — even in the absence of Wi-Fi, mobile data, or internet infrastructure.
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A Challenge to Centralized Messaging Giants
Dorsey’s latest project is already being seen as a potential rival to WhatsApp, particularly in regions where internet shutdowns, government surveillance, or data privacy concerns are prevalent. While WhatsApp remains the dominant player in mobile messaging — with over 2 billion users globally — it requires user registration through personal identifiers like phone numbers, stores data on cloud servers, and has faced scrutiny over metadata collection and integration with Meta’s broader advertising ecosystem.
Bitchat, in contrast, is a privacy-first tool that doesn’t track users or store any messages outside of devices. Its peer-to-peer architecture ensures that conversations never touch centralized infrastructure, and messages are ephemeral by default, disappearing once delivered or after a set time.
How Bitchat Works
Bitchat leverages Bluetooth mesh networking and store-and-forward technology, enabling messages to hop across multiple devices like digital whispers in a crowd. Even if the recipient is not in range, another user’s phone can hold and later forward the message, making the system resilient in disaster zones, protest areas, remote regions, or under authoritarian censorship.
The app also includes support for group chats or “rooms,” which can be named using hashtags and locked behind passwords. In future updates, WiFi Direct support is expected, expanding the app’s operational range and speed while maintaining the infrastructure-free design.
This setup mirrors technology used in Bridgefy, a Bluetooth messaging app that became popular during the Hong Kong protests of 2019, and in Briar, another off-grid messaging app used in authoritarian states and emergencies. But Bitchat’s simple interface, strong encryption focus, and Dorsey’s influential backing could allow it to break through to a broader audience.
Aligning with Dorsey’s Push for Decentralization
The launch follows Dorsey’s continued advocacy for decentralized platforms. After stepping away from Twitter, he backed Bluesky, a federated social media protocol, and supported Damus, a Nostr-based app that runs on open standards with no central authority.
Bitchat is an extension of this mission. Dorsey called it an experiment in “Bluetooth mesh networks, relays, store-and-forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things” — essentially, a testbed for off-grid communication that could upend how people connect in restrictive or crisis environments.
Implications for Global Messaging and Security
Dorsey’s move comes at a time when governments are clamping down on encrypted communication, and tech platforms are facing increasing demands to hand over user data. In this climate, apps like Bitchat are not just technological experiments — they are statements of digital autonomy.
The potential to rival WhatsApp, especially among users concerned with privacy or living under regimes prone to surveillance or internet control, is substantial. While WhatsApp has end-to-end encryption, its reliance on centralized servers and phone-based identifiers creates attack surfaces that Bitchat aims to eliminate entirely.
Bitchat is still in beta and available only to iOS testers for now, but its ambition is clear. With no central database, user accounts, or app-based identity, it embodies one of the most radical visions yet for peer-to-peer communication.
In an era of growing concerns over state surveillance, tech censorship, and infrastructure failure, Jack Dorsey’s Bitchat is carving out a space where freedom of speech and privacy do not depend on connectivity — or on big tech platforms.