Bitchat, a Bluetooth-based messaging app created by Twitter and Block founder Jack Dorsey, is now available to download from the iOS App Store. Dorsey said he wrote the main part of the app over a weekend in early July.
Bitchat works using Bluetooth technology, which means users can send messages to others within about 100 meters without needing a mobile network or Wi-Fi connection.
The app is very simple to use: there’s no login required, and users are taken straight to a chat window. Here, you can see what nearby users are saying, set your display name, and change it anytime you want.
While Bitchy has attracted attention because of Dorsey’s fame, Bluetooth messaging apps are not new. These types of apps are often used at big events where mobile service is weak or after natural disasters when internet access is limited. For example, during democracy protests in Hong Kong, a Bluetooth messaging app called Bridgefy was used because it works without internet, making it more secure.
When Bitchat launched in beta, Dorsey said it was meant to be a secure and private messaging platform. But security expert Alex Radocea wrote in his blog that it’s easy to send messages pretending to be someone else in the app, which raises concerns about how secure it really is.
“In cryptography, details matter,” Radocea said. “Even if the intentions are good, flaws in the system can put everything it tries to protect at risk.”
Dorsey later admitted the app has not yet gone through an external security review, so it might have vulnerabilities.
Another issue with Bitchat is on Android devices. There are many fake apps on Google Play claiming to be Dorsey’s app. Currently, Bitchat can only be downloaded officially from the iOS App Store, and Android users have to download it manually from GitHub.
Dorsey hasn’t officially commented on the fake apps but shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) warning people that Bitchat isn’t on Google Play yet and to watch out for fakes.
