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Jack Dorsey launched Bitchat Mesh, a new Bluetooth-based messaging app for iPhone, on Monday. The launch of the app comes shortly after the Twitter co-founder unveiled a new peer-to-peer (P2P) app that was developed as a weekend project and doesn’t rely on the internet, phone numbers, or email addresses to function. The app also supports end-to-end encryption (E2EE) as well as identity verification. It is now available via the App Store, while Dorsey has yet to announce when Bitchat Mesh will debut on the Play Store.
Bitchat Mesh Uses Noise Protocol Framework for End-to-End Encryption
iPhone users can now download Bitchat Mesh for iPhone via the App Store, Dorsey announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The description for the app states that it allows users to chat without access to the internet, relying on a Bluetooth mesh network instead. Bitchat Mesh supports direct connections between users, but it also relays messages through other peers on the network, allowing users to chat even when they are out of Bluetooth range.
Photo Credit: Jack Dorsey
The new Bitchat Mesh app has a very simplified interface that resembles a chat inside a terminal, similar to older text-based Internet Relay Chat (IRC) services that were popular decades ago. It also lets users mark certain users as favourites, mentioning them, and blocking unwanted contact.
The whitepaper for Bitchat reveals that messages are E2EE protected using the Noise protocol framework. It also allows users to verify the identity of the person they are chatting with by comparing “fingerprints” of their accounts in person or using another online channel, then mark them as “verified”.
It’s also worth noting that the App Store listing for Bitchat Mesh states that the app does not collect any data from the app, and that it works without accounts or servers. The app works on iOS 16 and newer versions, while smartphones running Android 8.0+ will be supported.
A security notice on the Bitchat website cautions users that unlike local messages, private (1:1) chats have yet to receive an external security review and users should refrain from using them for sensitive purposes.
iPhone users can download Bitchat Mesh via the App Store, but the app has yet to arrive on the Play Store. Meanwhile, technically inclined users can visit the official website, which links to APK releases via the project’s GitHub page, to try out the app before it is released.
