Jack Dorsey's Bluetooth messaging app is now on the App Store

Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, has launched a new peer-to-peer, Bluetooth-based messaging app called Bitchat. The app is now available on the App Store, allowing users with compatible Apple devices, including the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and even the Apple Vision Pro, to try it out. Bitchat is designed to enable users to chat with others in close physical proximity without the need for email addresses or phone numbers. The app is private and encrypted, and it includes a "Panic Mode" feature that allows users to delete all their Bitchat data with a triple tap. Dorsey created Bitchat under the auspices of "and Other Stuff," an open-source development collective he has backed financially. The app is an experiment in "Bluetooth mesh networks, relays and store and forward models, message encryption models and a few other things," according to Dorsey. One of the key features of Bitchat is that it does not require internet access to function, making it a useful option in situations where authorities block mobile data and Wi-Fi connectivity. Other apps offering Bluetooth mesh messaging have been available for over a decade.