Chatting without internet? Jack Dorsey's Bitchat might be next social media revolution. Here's how to install the offline app

Jack Dorsey, an ally of Elon Musk who once co-founded X with the Tesla CEO, has now launched a chatting app. What's special about it? The app does not need the internet! The application named Bitchat is the talk of the town in the tech world after its launch. Dorsey called the app his "weekend project". Taking to the social media platform X, tech mogul wrote, “My weekend project to learn about Bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models, and a few other things.”

What is Bitchat? All about it

Bitchat is an offline texting app and does not require an internet connection. It runs using Bluetooth. This peer-to-peer messaging app is the best when you have a weak internet connection or no connection at all.

The app allows devices to connect directly with each other over short distances. Bitchat does not require central servers, phone numbers, or internet or email addresses. The app automatically gets connected to the nearby devices using Bluetooth.

In case the person is at a far distance, the message hops from one phone to another nearby phone until it reaches the intended person. This process is called mesh networking.

Features of Bitchat

1. Offline communication: Works without internet using Bluetooth mesh networking
2. End-to-end encryption: All messages are encrypted
3. Extended range: Messages relayed through peers, reaching up to 300 meters or 984 feet
4. Mention: Use @nickname to notify specific users
5. Rooms: Create rooms for topic-based conversations
6. Password rooms: Secure rooms with passwords and AES encryption
7. Privacy: No tracking, no servers, accounts or data collection

Who can download?

Bitchat is currently in the beta testing phase and is available to a limited number of iOS users through Apple's TestFlight platform. The developers are also working on the Android version.