Twitter’s former CEO launches Bluetooth-based messaging app

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder and former chief executive of Twitter, has unveiled Bitchat, a new experimental messaging application that operates entirely over Bluetooth mesh networks, eliminating the need for internet, servers, SIM cards, phone numbers, or even email addresses.

The app is now live in beta on TestFlight, a test version released to try out new features and fix any issues before the full app is officially launched.

According to Dorsey, Bitchat enables encrypted, peer-to-peer communication between nearby mobile devices using Bluetooth.

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“It is a personal experiment in Bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things.”

This structure allows the app to function without Wi-Fi or mobile service, making it particularly valuable during internet shutdowns, blackouts, or surveillance-heavy environments.

Bitchat does not store messages on central servers. Instead, all messages are stored locally on users’ devices and disappear by default, echoing the principles of ephemeral messaging and user-owned communication.

The app does not require users to create accounts, meaning no personal identifiers or metadata are collected.

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The app currently includes support for one-on-one encrypted chats, optional group messaging via rooms, protected with passwords, and searchable using hashtags, store and forward functionality, allowing delayed message delivery to devices that are temporarily offline.

A future version of the app will introduce WiFi Direct, a technology that will allow faster and wider communication without internet infrastructure.