bitchat

Bluetooth mesh messaging that works with no internet at all.

bitchat.free
Price
FreeFree and open source.
Works on
Android, iOS
Based in
Decentralized
Source code
Open source
Encryption
End-to-end encrypted

bitchat is the experiment of the bunch. Messages hop from phone to phone over Bluetooth mesh, falling back to the Nostr network when there's a connection. It needs no servers, no accounts and no phone numbers and keeps working even when the internet is cut. That makes it genuinely useful in a crowd, a protest or a shutdown. It launched rough in 2025 with a broken identity check that let people be impersonated. Jack Dorsey moved it onto the well-tested Noise Protocol within days, which closed that hole and gave it proper authenticated encryption. What it still lacks is a full outside security audit. It has come a long way without being proven yet for anything truly sensitive.

Strengths

  • Works over Bluetooth mesh with no internet, servers or accounts
  • Open source, with no phone number or sign-up
  • Now uses the Noise Protocol for authenticated end-to-end encryption
  • Keeps working during internet shutdowns

Considerations

  • Still has not had a full external security audit
  • Not yet proven for high-stakes use
  • Bluetooth range means it needs other users nearby to relay
Listed inMessaging

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