Imagine a world where your messages aren’t stored on massive company servers, where you don’t need a phone number or email to chat, and where communication continues even if the internet goes down. That’s the vision behind Bitchat, a new messaging app developed by Jack Dorsey, co-founder and former CEO of Twitter (now X).
Launched on July 7, 2025, Bitchat is described by Dorsey as a “personal experiment” in alternative connectivity. Its core purpose is to keep people communicating even when the internet is down, censored, or unavailable. Unlike traditional messaging apps, Bitchat is a peer-to-peer platform that works entirely offline using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This decentralized approach means no third parties store your data, reducing the risk of leaks or surveillance.
The initial iOS beta launched on Apple TestFlight and reached its 10,000-tester limit within hours, showing strong interest. While the iOS version is still under review for full release, the protocol itself is open-source and platform-agnostic. This allowed a community-built Android version to appear quickly. An Android build was published on July 8, 2025 by @callebtc on GitHub, enabling communication between Android and iOS users.
Since Bitchat is currently available only to a limited number of iOS users, this guide focuses on the Android version: how to install it, how it works, how the mesh network operates, and the advantages and disadvantages of Bluetooth-based communication.
Getting Started with Bitchat on Android
If you’re an Android user interested in trying Bitchat, follow the steps below to download, install, and start using it.
Download
Download the APK file from the GitHub releases page. On your Android device, open the GitHub link and download the latest .apk file. At the time of writing, the latest working version is 0.3.
1. GitHub download page for Bitchat
How to Install
Before installing, you may need to allow your browser to install unknown apps, since Bitchat is not available on the Google Play Store.
Once enabled, open the downloaded APK file and proceed with the installation.
How to Use Bitchat
After installation, launch Bitchat. The app automatically starts its mesh networking system. You will be assigned an auto-generated nickname such as @anonNNNN.
Bitchat will automatically connect to nearby Android and iOS users running the app. Messages you send are visible to all users within range. The number of nearby online users is shown in the top-right corner.
2. Group chat showing the number of nearby online users
From the list of online users, you can select a specific user and send private messages. These messages hop from phone to phone through the mesh network until they reach the intended recipient.