Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey is now developing a new messaging application named Bitchat, which operates using Bluetooth technology. In a post on X, he wrote: “My weekend project to learn about Bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store-and-forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things. Bitchat: Bluetooth mesh chat… IRC vibes.”
Bitchat, which Jack Dorsey refers to as a “weekend experiment,” facilitates direct peer-to-peer messaging by leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh technology. This allows users to exchange messages across distances exceeding 300 meters—without needing mobile data or Wi-Fi.
The app is presently in its beta phase and accessible through Apple’s TestFlight platform, though initial tester spots were quickly claimed following its reveal.
Bitchat focuses on secure, decentralized communication without relying on traditional networks. It uses Bluetooth to send short-lived, encrypted messages that travel from one nearby device to another. As users move around, their devices help pass messages along overlapping Bluetooth zones, forming a dynamic, ever-shifting mesh system. There’s no central server — instead, select devices can function as “bridges” to widen the network’s reach.
Notably, Bitchat operates without needing a phone number, email address, or user account. Combined with its fully decentralized setup—lacking any servers or centralized oversight—this makes the app exceptionally resistant to censorship and immune to traditional network outages.
Bitchat’s debut aligns with Jack Dorsey’s ongoing backing of platforms like Damus and BlueSky, highlighting his wider mission to decentralize areas such as social networking and digital payments. The app shares similarities with Bluetooth-powered tools used during the 2019 Hong Kong demonstrations, designed to remain operational even in the event of internet blackouts.
