Imagine you’re at a protest in Delhi, a festival in Rajasthan, or trekking in the Himalayas, and your phone has no signal, no mobile data, no Wi-Fi.

Yet, your message still reaches your friends, hopping from one nearby phone to another, like a whisper passed in a crowd. This is Bitchat, a new app launched by Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter (now X), designed to keep you connected without internet or cellular networks.

How Bitchat Works

Bitchat uses Bluetooth mesh networking, allowing messages to travel between nearby phones (up to 30 meters, extendable to 300 meters via relays). If your phone connects to another Bitchat user’s device, and theirs connects to another, your message keeps moving. No servers, no internet required. It’s like a digital walkie-talkie, but secure and private.

Key Features for Indian Users

Why Bitchat Matters in India

Internet blackouts are common in India during protests, elections, or festivals, leaving millions disconnected. Bitchat offers a lifeline for students, activists, journalists, or anyone in remote areas like the Northeast or Himalayan regions.

With growing concerns about data privacy and government surveillance, Bitchat’s decentralized, anonymous design ensures your messages stay private, even when networks fail.

Unlike WhatsApp or Telegram, Bitchat doesn’t aim for fancy stickers or video calls. It’s a minimalist, text-first app built for resilience, perfect when the system goes offline.

Getting Started

Why did Jack Dorsey Build Bitchat?

Jack Dorsey built Bitchat because he believes centralized messaging is too fragile, too surveilled, and too easily silenced. He wanted something that could survive when the internet doesn’t, something for protestors, off-griders, journalists, or anyone who just wants to talk without being watched.

He has never hidden his dissatisfaction with centralized control over communication platforms. Over time, he’s shifted toward creating tools that put power back in users’ hands. From championing Bitcoin as a non-state monetary system to backing Bluesky (a decentralized Twitter alternative), Bitchat is a natural next step in that mission.

Bitchat redefines offline communication, offering Indian users a secure, independent way to stay connected when it matters most. Whether it gains traction or faces regulatory hurdles, it’s a bold step toward censorship-resistant messaging.