Twitter founder launches WhatsApp rival that works offline

Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey has launched a new messaging app that works without WiFi or phone service.

Bitchat instead operates using a phone’s Bluetooth signal, which allows users to communicate during situations like music festivals or protests where cell service is patchy or restricted.

Bluetooth typically has a range of around 100 metres, however Bitchat overcomes this technical limitation by using something called a Bluetooth mesh network, which relays messages through other users in the vicinity.

The service is completely decentralised and encrypted, according to a white paper detailing Bitchat, with the network not requiring a user’s email address, phone number or an account to operate.

“Bitchat addresses the need for resilient, private communication that doesn’t depend on centralised infrastructure,” the app’s white paper states.

“By leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networking, Bitchat enables direct peer-to-peer messaging within physical proximity, with automatic message relay extending the effective range beyond direct Bluetooth connections.”

Mr Dorsey shared details of the app in a post to X, revealing that it has a range of more than 300 metres through Bluetooth mesh networking, while no centralised servers means there is no tracking or data collection.

Messages also disappear by default, with optional group chats – referred to as “rooms” – allowing users to interact with multiple people at the same time.

Future updates to the app could allow for faster and longer-range communication through WiFi networks, according to Mr Dorsey.

The peer-to-peer nature of the app aligns with other projects launched by Mr Dorsey in recent years, who has focussed on censorship-resistant technologies since leaving Twitter.

A beta version of the app is available on Apple’s TestFlight for early users to test, before a wider roll out. The app on the app-testing service is already full since launching on Monday, meaning 10,000 people are already trying it out.