Twitter co-founder launches messaging app that works without an internet connection

 Jack Dorsey, co-founder and former CEO of Twitter, launched BitChat last weekend for testing. It's a messaging app that runs on Bluetooth networks rather than Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey has launched a decentralized messaging app to enable communication without internet access. Jack Dorsey, who stepped down as CEO of Twitter in 2021, announced this weekend that he had launched BitChat, a peer-to-peer messaging network that aims to compete with WhatsApp.

The app, currently in testing, is designed to use Bluetooth networks, with each nearby device acting as both a client and a server, allowing it to send and receive messages without relying on conventional Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Encrypted Communication That Doesn't Depend on the Internet

Jack Dorsey claims that more than 10,000 people have already downloaded BitChat through TestFlight, an app that allows users to test new software before it's officially released to the public. "BitChat addresses the need for resilient and private communication that doesn't depend on centralized infrastructure," the entrepreneur states in a document posted on his GitHub account.

He describes the app as offering "ephemeral, encrypted communication without relying on internet infrastructure." BitChat offers multiple layers of encryption and features that allow messages to be delivered to temporarily offline users, meaning the app will work despite "network outages and censorship" that users may encounter, according to its creator.

This network will also be able to automatically reconnect in the event of an interruption.

The app will also allow users to create group chats that can be password-protected and named with hashtags.

A future update to the app will include WiFi Direct to increase the speed and range with which users can message each other, Dorsey explains.