Bitchat

Aplicativo Descentralizado

Decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application operating over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networks. No internet, servers, phone numbers, or accounts required. Each device acts as both client and relay, automatically discovering peers and forwarding messages across multiple hops (max 7). Features Noise Protocol encryption with forward secrecy, IRC-style group channels with hashtags, optional password protection, Panic Mode data wipe, and Nostr integration for internet-connected global messaging. Built as a weekend experiment by Jack Dorsey .

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Detalhes

Licença Open source (public domain); github.com/permissionlesstech/bitchat — Swift (iOS/macOS); whitepaper on GitHub; build via Xcode with xcodegen or Swift Package Manager
Status de Dev 🟢 Ativo
Detalhe do Status de Dev Beta / Active (v1.3.0+; iOS/macOS App Store release; Android available; 360,000+ worldwide downloads by late Sept 2025; significant adoption in Madagascar protests (70,000 downloads in one week), Nepal protests (50,000 downloads in one day), Uganda and Iran during internet blackouts Jan 2026; active development; security audit not yet completed) Reclassified 2026-09-14: 360,000+ downloads plus documented real-world use during active blackouts/protests (Madagascar, Nepal, Uganda, Iran) is real-world production use — the defining Active signal — regardless of the 'beta'/pre-audit self-description, which speaks to hardening, not deployment reality.
Proprietário Jack Dorsey (co-founder of Twitter/X, CEO of Block Inc.); developed under 'and Other Stuff' open-source collective funded by Dorsey; published via permissionlesstech GitHub organization
Órgão de Governança None (open-source development led through the 'and Other Stuff' collective funded by Jack Dorsey; no governance mechanism)
País USA
Ano de Início 2025
Stack Swift (iOS/macOS app); Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networking; Noise Protocol Framework (encryption); Nostr protocol (internet-connected messaging since v1.3.0); binary protocol optimized for BLE constraints; Xcode/xcodegen build system
Financiamento 'and Other Stuff' open-source collective (funded by Jack Dorsey personally)
Última Investigação 14 de set. de 2026

Domínios de Caso de Uso

Comunicação

Capacidades

Criptografado de ponta a ponta Funciona offline / em malha

Aplicativo Descentralizado Atributos

Origens Weekend experiment by Jack Dorsey (July 2025; motivation to learn about Bluetooth mesh networks, relay/store-and-forward models, and message encryption; IRC nostalgia; decentralization ethos from Twitter/Bluesky background)
Banco de Dados None (no persistent database; messages stored temporarily on-device only; disappear by default; Panic Mode wipes all local data with triple-tap; no server-side storage)
Linguagem de Consulta N/A (no query interface; real-time message relay via BLE mesh and Nostr)
Formatos de Dados Custom binary protocol (compact packet format optimized for Bluetooth LE constraints); Noise Protocol encrypted payloads; Nostr events (NIP-compliant for internet messaging); geohash-based location channels
Edição Colaborativa em Tempo Real No (text messaging only; no document collaboration)
Edição de Texto Rico No (plain text messages; IRC-style chat)
Suporte Móvel Yes (iOS 16.0+ App Store; Android; designed mobile-first — BLE mesh requires physical device proximity)
Suporte Web No (no web interface; operates via native mobile/desktop apps only; BLE requires hardware access)
Aplicativos Nativos Yes (iOS/iPadOS via App Store; macOS via App Store; Apple Vision Pro; Android; no Windows/Linux native apps)
Termos Free / open source (public domain license; no subscriptions, in-app purchases, or ad trackers; no account required)
Fundos Not disclosed (personally funded by Dorsey; no external investment; free to users)
Baseado Em Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE mesh networking); Noise Protocol Framework (end-to-end encryption with forward secrecy); Nostr protocol (internet relay for global reach); IRC (conceptual inspiration for channel-based chat)
Categoria de Caso de Uso Offline/emergency communication (disaster response, protests, internet blackouts, festivals, areas without connectivity; censorship-resistant messaging)
Tipo de Interface de Usuário Mobile chat app (IRC-style interface with hashtag channels; minimalist design; Panic Mode button)
Capacidades Offline Fully offline (core design — BLE mesh requires zero internet infrastructure; Nostr provides optional internet extension; store-and-forward for temporarily offline peers)
Recursos de Colaboração Group channels (IRC-style hashtag channels with optional password protection; #mesh default local channel; geohash-based location channels via Nostr; direct messages with E2EE)
Portabilidade de Dados None (messages are ephemeral; device-only storage; no export or backup mechanism; Panic Mode intentionally destroys all data)
Ecossistema de Integração Nostr (internet-connected messaging layer since v1.3.0; geohash location channels; Nostr relay integration for global reach beyond BLE range)
Exportação de Dados da Web2 No (no data persistence or export by design)
Coerência Pró-social Moderate (designed for communication freedom and censorship resistance; empowers protest and disaster communication; no identity verification — pseudonymous; community-oriented but no built-in prosocial incentive structures)
Fluxos Econômicos No (no economic or transaction features; free communication tool)
Governança e Tomada de Decisão None (no governance mechanisms; open-source development led by Dorsey/'and Other Stuff'; community contributions via GitHub)
Mídia / Publicação No (text messaging only; no publishing features)
Gestão do Conhecimento No (ephemeral messages; no knowledge persistence)
Sensemaking No
Gestão de Projetos No
Modelo de Comunicação BLE mesh relay (multi-hop up to 7 hops within ~300m per hop; flooding mesh where every device relays; Nostr for internet-connected global messaging; IRC-style group channels and direct messages)
Resiliência de Rede High (functions during internet blackouts, natural disasters, protest shutdowns; no infrastructure dependency; proven in Madagascar, Nepal, Uganda, Iran; vulnerable to Bluetooth jamming)
Mecanismo de Descoberta Automatic BLE peer discovery (devices automatically find nearby Bitchat users; no manual configuration; Nostr for internet-connected discovery; geohash channels for location-based grouping)
Participantes Máximos Limited by BLE range (~300m per hop, max 7 hops; no theoretical user limit but BLE congestion at high density; Nostr extends to global scale for internet-connected users)
Soberania de Dados Full device-level (no servers store data; no accounts or phone numbers; messages exist only on local devices; Panic Mode erases everything; no metadata collection)