After a short beta period, Jack Dorsey’s new Bluetooth messaging app has officially launched on the App Store. Here’s how it works.
A few weeks ago, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey announced bitchat, an open-source weekend project of a messaging app that relied on Bluetooth, rather than the internet, to connect users.
Now, the app is live on the App Store, although Dorsey has confirmed that a bug in the iOS version is preventing it from connecting to Android devices. A fix has already been submitted for Apple’s approval.
How does it work?
As many alternative messaging apps users will readily point out, the idea of peer-to-peer messaging isn’t new. But, bitchat mesh comes with Dorsey’s name attached to it, which arguably gives it more visibility.
Thanks to its privacy-first and decentralized approach, bitchat mesh has no servers, accounts, or user information and it doesn’t collect any data. That alone might be enough to raise a few regulatory eyebrows in a handful of countries, but let’s leave that for another time.
As soon as you launch the app, you get assigned a random @ handle, which you can customize by tapping on it. Swiping left or tapping the “users” icon on the top right corner takes you to a list of users you can reach through the peer-to-peer network. Tapping on one of them takes you to a private chat session.
The app offers end-to-end encryption and, because it’s Bluetooth-based, doesn’t require an internet connection. So as long as nearby users also have the app, the network relays messages and, as the app puts it, goes the distance.
Dorsey has also put the project up on Github, and you can download the app on the App Store, although it seems that it is not live in every country around the world just yet.
Are you willing to give bitchat mesh a try? Do you recommend other peer-to-peer messaging apps? Let us know in the comments.
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