Bitchat
Anonymous messaging via Bluetooth mesh networks by Dorsey
274 followers
Anonymous messaging via Bluetooth mesh networks by Dorsey
274 followers
Chat with people nearby using only Bluetooth - no WiFi, cellular, or internet needed. Messages relay through connected devices up to 300m away. End-to-end encrypted with no accounts or tracking. Built for gatherings, disasters, protests, etc.
Hey Product Hunters 👋
Excited to hunt Bitchat today! 🤩
Imagine, what if messaging worked even when the internet didn’t?
BitChat is a privacy-first, peer-to-peer messaging app that runs entirely over Bluetooth mesh networks — no servers, no SIM cards, no internet.
Most messaging apps rely on centralized servers, persistent IDs, and account systems. That creates a single point of failure, tracking risks, and makes them unusable in offline or censored environments.
BitChat flips that model. It’s:
Fully decentralized – messages hop device to device, mesh-style
End-to-end encrypted using X25519 + AES-256-GCM
Runs natively on iOS & macOS
Built for zero registration and zero trust environments
Adds fun IRC-style commands for real groupchat nostalgia
And features like emergency wipe, cover traffic, and battery-aware scanning show how serious the team is about privacy & UX.
Use Cases:
Local community chats at protests or festivals
Mesh-based team communication in disaster zones
Group messaging in remote areas without mobile coverage
Students or travelers looking for ultra-private, no-footprint messaging
Who it’s for:
Privacy maximalists, off-grid enthusiasts, protest organizers, hackers, researchers, and anyone building future-proof communication infrastructure.
Open source. Public domain. Protocol-first.
If you're into mesh networking, cryptography, or local-first software, this is worth diving into. The protocol is also Android-ready for those who want to port it.
👉 Try it, fork it, contribute and join the mesh. Here's the GitHub link: https://github.com/permissionlesstech/bitchat
This is probably going to revolutionize a lot of things. But I am still confused about how would it work in places where you have no one around? Isn't it limited by the proximity? What do you guys think about it?
Btw, great hunt @rohanrecommends
@lakshya_singh It’s limited by proximity, yes! if no one’s around, it won’t work. But in crowded areas, BitChat shines by hopping messages across nearby devices. It’s not a replacement for the internet, but a powerful offline alternative when networks aren’t available.
Love how this skips the internet entirely, it’s like walkie-talkies got an encrypted PhD.
Curious how stable the message relay is in crowded places like concerts or campuses, does it degrade gracefully?
@rohanrecommends @jack
@shantanusewu Per my understanding, in places like festivals, campuses, or concerts, BitChat won’t crash or lag like internet-based apps. Instead, it adapts to the network density using local devices, ensuring messages eventually get through, even if there's a slight delay. That’s the beauty of peer-to-peer over BLE. :)
E2E encryption with no accounts sounds ultra-private! But how do you prevent spam/flooding attacks when anyone nearby can broadcast? Is there *any* identity persistence (even temporary device IDs) to rate-limit bad actors?
I build a chat application using BLE for my bitsflow hardware (BBC micro:bit like hardware) it use BLE advertisement for sending message. I also use esp-now for building same messaging system, it also uses Wi-Fi advertisement for sending message. This is very cool projects but use case is very limited.
@manobbiswas I agree with you on the part where you mentioned the use case is limited.
@german_merlo1 Same, I found it interesting + unique hence hunted! :)
@jack @rohanrecommends Nice, I always thought this was a great idea for airplane travel too.
@jack @tim_holmgren1 Yes, BitChat can work during airplane travel as long as Bluetooth is enabled and others nearby are also on the app. It's ideal for offline, short-range, secure chat in flights or airports.