Twitter creator launches WhatsApp-like app that works offline

Jack Dorsey , the creator of Twitter (now known as X) and one of the most influential names in the tech world, introduced Bitchat , a messaging app that doesn't require an internet connection to work.

The app, which is in beta and already has 10,000 active users, uses a mesh network via Bluetooth to connect nearby devices. This allows messages to be sent and received even when there's no mobile data or Wi-Fi signal, which is crucial in emergency situations or in areas with internet restrictions.

Unlike WhatsApp or Telegram, Bitchat doesn't rely on centralized servers or require you to create an account. Messages are transmitted directly between nearby devices, ephemerally and encrypted.

Jack Dorsey himself explained in his technical blog: “It provides ephemeral, encrypted communication without relying on internet infrastructure, making it resilient to network outages and censorship.”

Specifically, messages are stored only on participants' phones and disappear by default, enhancing privacy. Private conversations can also be password-protected.

• No internet : Works with Bluetooth between nearby devices.
• No accounts : No registration or centralized storage.
• Ephemeral messages : These are deleted by default after being sent.
• End-to-end encryption : protects privacy.
• Public and private conversations : with password option.

Bitchat is in beta and is currently being distributed through open source communities and testing groups, but Dorsey has promised a gradual expansion to iOS and Android in the coming months.

Jack Dorsey is widely known for founding Twitter in 2006 , as well as Square (now Block) in 2009, the payments platform that changed the way we collect and pay. He also pioneered Bluesky as a decentralized alternative to corporate social networks, although he stepped away from that project in 2024.

With Bitchat, Dorsey continues his line of criticism of large technology corporations and their control over information, proposing open-source alternatives without data collection: "It's an attempt to put communication back in the hands of the people, without relying on a single point of control," he noted.