Block CEO and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey wrote in an X post on Sunday evening that he spent his weekend creating an app known as Bitchat (presumably a mix of the phrases “bit” and “chat,” and never the other combination of words that it seems to be like).
Bitchat is a messaging app that operates by Bluetooth mesh networks, permitting customers to ship messages with out Wi-Fi or cell reception. Due to Bluetooth’s technical limitations, this type of app usually solely works at a spread of round 100 meters, making it helpful for conditions like discovering associates at a busy music competition the place cell service is spotty. Nevertheless, Dorsey claims that his app has an prolonged vary, relaying messages by friends to increase as much as 300 meters, or 984 toes.
Probably the most widespread Bluetooth messaging apps, Bridgefy, was notably used throughout pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, since its means to perform with out the web makes it more durable for Chinese language authorities to detect. Each Bridgefy and Bitchat say they’re end-to-end encrypted.
Coincidentally, Bridgefy is funded partly by one other Twitter co-founder, Biz Stone. However Dorsey’s newfound foray into creating Bitchat is sensible, given his long-term pursuits in decentralizing tech — he’s a large proponent of Bitcoin, and he initially based the venture that might develop into Bluesky whereas he was CEO of Twitter. Dorsey is not affiliated with Bluesky because it operates now.
Dorsey opened Bitchat to beta testers by way of Apple’s Testflight, however the take a look at is now full after hitting its 10,000-user most. He stated on X that the app remains to be beneath review earlier than will probably be launched.