BitChat Explained: Jack Dorsey’s Offline Decentralized Messaging App
BitChat is Jack Dorsey’s open-source offline messaging app using Bluetooth and encryption. Learn how it works, its security risks, and real-world use cases.
BitChat Explained: Jack Dorsey’s Decentralized Offline Messaging App Reviewed
Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter, Bluesky, and Square, recently released a new open-source project that has sparked serious discussion in the tech world. The app is called BitChat, and it takes a very different approach to private communication.
BitChat is a decentralized, peer-to-peer messaging app that works entirely offline. No internet. No cellular network. Just Bluetooth.
After testing the app across Android and iOS, this article breaks down what BitChat is, how it works, where it shines, and where it clearly still struggles.
What Is BitChat?
BitChat is an offline private messaging app that uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to send messages directly between nearby devices. Instead of relying on servers, mobile data, or Wi-Fi, every phone becomes part of a Bluetooth mesh network.
Messages move from phone to phone until they reach the intended recipient. This allows communication far beyond normal Bluetooth range, similar to how Apple AirTags piggyback on nearby devices.Because there is no central server, BitChat is fully decentralized.
How BitChat Works
BitChat operates on three core principles:
1. Peer-to-Peer Bluetooth Messaging
Each device acts as both a sender and a relay. Messages hop across nearby phones until delivered, even if the sender and receiver are not directly connected.
2. No Central Servers
There is no backend infrastructure. No message storage. No account system. Everything runs locally on the Bluetooth mesh.
3. Encrypted Communication
Messages are encrypted using the Noise handshake protocol. The app rotates ephemeral encryption keys every 5 to 15 minutes, making tracking and message interception extremely difficult in theory.
Is BitChat Secure?
This is where things get complicated.
Jack Dorsey has publicly stated that BitChat was a weekend project, largely developed using Goose, an open-source AI assistant built by his company, Block. Shortly after release, security researchers identified serious architectural weaknesses.
As a result, Dorsey added a warning to the GitHub repository stating that the app has not undergone external security audits and may contain vulnerabilities.
That said, the project remains popular. External contributors are actively submitting security patches, and the open-source nature of BitChat allows anyone to review, improve, or fork the code.
At this stage, BitChat should be treated as experimental, not production-grade secure messaging.
Real-World Use Cases for Offline Messaging
Despite its current limitations, BitChat targets real problems that existing messaging apps cannot solve.
Potential use cases include:
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Large events where mobile networks are congested
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Protests or demonstrations where internet access is restricted
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Journalists protecting sensitive sources
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Confidential corporate meetings
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Emergency communication during network outages
In these scenarios, offline peer-to-peer messaging could be extremely valuable.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
BitChat supports both Android and iOS, with separate open-source repositories for each platform. Installation requires following platform-specific instructions, as the app is not yet available on mainstream app stores.
During testing, cross-platform performance was uneven.
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Android performed reliably and detected messages instantly
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iOS struggled significantly and failed to receive Android messages
At its current state, the iOS version is clearly not production-ready.
User Experience and Interface
From a user perspective, BitChat feels similar to a basic messaging app. The interface is minimal and somewhat rough. Nothing about the UI stands out, and it feels unfinished.
The real innovation happens behind the scenes with encryption and Bluetooth networking, not in design or usability.
Final Verdict: Does BitChat Have a Future?
BitChat is a fascinating concept with serious long-term potential. The underlying technology is impressive, and the idea of secure, offline, decentralized messaging is increasingly relevant.
However, the app currently suffers from:
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Major iOS bugs
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No formal security audit
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Experimental architecture
If these issues are addressed, BitChat could become a valuable tool for individuals and organizations that need reliable offline communication.
If not, it may remain an interesting but forgotten proof of concept.
What Do You Think?
Will Jack Dorsey’s vibecoded weekend project evolve into a trusted offline messaging platform, or fade away as an unfinished experiment? The idea is bold. The execution still needs work.
