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.
Top comment
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
Comment highlights
reminds me of firechat https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/firechat-chat-without-wifi-signal/
It really take me back to the 90s... and also reminds me of our privacy nowadays. CONGRATS and thank you for you work!
This is quietly powerful.
In a world obsessed with cloud connections, something local, private like this feel refreshing. Whether it’s emergency zones, or just off-grid moments, having a secure way to communicate nearby without needing signal or credentials is a total win.
Offline, anonymous, and encrypted — this is such a powerful concept for real-world use cases like festivals or emergencies. Congrats on the launch 🚀
THE LINKED WEBSITE IS A SCAM. This should be removed. This poster created a fake website. It is not the actual website. fyi. crazy that PH didn’t catch this
@jack @rohanrecommends Nice, I always thought this was a great idea for airplane travel too.
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?
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
Awesome Jack! I didn’t see something similar before. It’s an amazing alternative and I’m sure it’s gonna change the communication game. Wish you all the best here
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.
Tried it out at a concert and it worked surprisingly well. No lag, no setup headaches — just straight-up messaging. Definitely see the potential for festivals or emergencies.
I swear the author of the name knew about sound game BIT-CHAT v.s. BITCH-AT
No internet needed?? That's wild—perfect for when the wifi dies at festivals or whatever. Super smart, fr. Big props to Dorsey & team for this one!