New Bitchat App Lets You Send Messages Without Cell or Wi-Fi

Jack Dorsey is working on something new again—this time, it is a messaging app that skips the internet, phone numbers, and even emails. The project, called bitchat, is focused on privacy and resilience, offering encrypted peer-to-peer communication that works entirely offline using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) mesh networking.

Good to know

• Bitchat does not need internet access or cell service to work.
• Messages are encrypted, do not require phone numbers, and never touch a server.
• It uses BLE mesh tech to pass messages from device to device.

Bitchat’s biggest shift from traditional messaging apps is that it completely removes any dependence on centralized systems. No servers, no infrastructure, no app backend. Dorsey describes it in the official whitepaper as a tool for “ephemeral, encrypted communication without relying on internet infrastructure, making it resilient to network outages and censorship.”

The app uses BLE mesh networking—a low-energy protocol that lets nearby devices pass data between each other, even if those devices are not directly connected. If one person sends a message, others nearby can relay it further, extending its range even without an internet connection.

The entire setup is anonymous by design. Users do not sign up with phone numbers, email addresses, or anything that can identify them long term. Messages disappear from device memory by default, unless someone changes the settings.

Dorsey’s Focus on Decentralization and Privacy

Dorsey has long advocated for decentralized tech and user privacy. Bitchat is an extension of that vision. In the whitepaper, the app is described as:

1. Decentralized – No servers, no infrastructure, fully peer-to-peer
2. Ephemeral – Messages stay in memory only, unless saved
3. Encrypted – All messages are end-to-end encrypted
4. Private – No permanent identifiers required
5. Resilient – Can function even when networks go down

According to Dorsey, governments would need to go as far as using Bluetooth jammers if they wanted to block the app, because bitchat never relies on traditional internet access.

It is early days for bitchat, and there is no public launch yet. But the concept could attract users looking for ways to communicate privately during outages, protests, or even just while off the grid.

Dorsey, best known for co-founding Twitter (now X), has recently turned his attention toward more experimental tools that focus on open protocols, privacy, and decentralization. Bitchat falls neatly into that direction.