Have you ever heard of Bitchat? The app created by Jack Dorsey that everyone should have on their phones

Ah, Jack Dorsey. How we long for the days when Twitter was blue and free of rampant racism, bots, and pornography. Well, the creator of the little bird is back, and with an interesting proposal.

If you haven’t already come across it, Bitchat (also called Bitchat Mesh) is a messaging app developed by Jack Dorsey that works without needing an internet connection or mobile data.

Here’s how it works: unlike your usual WhatsApp or Signal, Bitchat uses Bluetooth to connect phones with each other directly. Messages hop between devices; your phone becomes part of a mesh network, relaying encrypted messages across nearby phones until they reach the intended recipient.

The idea is clever: if you’re at a crowded stadium, on a flight, or somewhere the mobile signal is weak, you could still send a message as long as someone nearby has Bitchat and Bluetooth turned on.

In terms of features: there’s no login or account creation required. You set a display name, change it if you like, and you’re good to go. Messages are end-to-end encrypted, and there’s even a “panic mode” that instantly wipes chat history in a private conversation.

On the flip side, for now the app only supports text messages and images; you can’t send audio or video yet.

Now, as to whether everyone should have it on their phones, I’d say yes and no. If you often find yourself in situations where connectivity is limited, Bitchat offers a genuine fallback option. It’s also interesting from a security and privacy angle: not having to register with an account means less personal data tied to the app.

However, it’s not a full-replacement for mainstream messaging apps. For one thing, the usefulness of Bitchat depends a lot on others nearby also using it. If you’re alone, or your friends don’t have it, it’s not much help.

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And because it’s new, some security experts caution that it hasn’t yet undergone the kind of extensive external review that more mature apps have.

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