Tool Open source
bitchat is a decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app with two transport layers: Bluetooth mesh for offline communication and the Nostr protocol for internet-based messaging. It does not require accounts, phone numbers, or central servers.
The app discovers nearby peers over Bluetooth LE and can relay messages across a mesh network for up to seven hops, automatically falling back to Nostr relays when internet connectivity is available. It supports location-based channels using geohash coordinates, IRC-style commands, and end-to-end encrypted private messages using the Noise Protocol on the mesh and BitChat private envelopes over Nostr. The project also documents message compression, battery-saving modes, and an emergency data-wipe gesture.
The repository provides native iOS and macOS support and links to App Store and Play Store distributions. It is released into the public domain. The README notes that nearby radios can observe a persistent per-device identifier derived from the identity key, despite the app requiring no account or phone number.
1 use taken from transcripts — each links to the moment in the video.
A decentralized messaging app that works without accounts, phone numbers, or servers. It uses Bluetooth mesh for offline chat and the Nostr protocol for global reach, with end-to-end encryption for private messages.
1 in the library.