Jack Dorsey, the Co-Founder and former CEO of Twitter (now X), has shared an update on BitChat, a peer-to-peer messaging app he launched on decentralized networks. The app uses Bluetooth Low Energy mesh to enable communication without internet or cellular service.
In a recent post on X, Dorsey said BitChat is adding “location chat,” a feature that lets people connect with others in nearby regions or join conversations across the globe. This came in just around a month after he had released the messaging app on both Apps Store for iOS users and Play Store for Android users.
He explained that the system works through geohashes, which divide the world into chat channels. Each user gets a new pseudonym based on their location, a design meant to protect privacy. Messages are then carried across decentralized relays, similar to Nostr, the open protocol Dorsey has long supported.
Innovation and Interactivity
As of now, the update is under App Store review. If approved, it could make BitChat more interactive, moving it beyond its quiet early phase and closer to Dorsey’s vision of an open chat layer for the internet.
Community reaction was mixed but engaged. One user asked, “I can teleport to anywhere in the world?” Dorsey confirmed with a short “yes.” Another said they had been on BitChat since launch but had yet to find anyone online, asking if anything is wrong. Dorsey replied, “no, just needs time.”
The replies showed both interest and concern. Some liked the idea of joining chats anywhere in the world without having to worry about internet connection, while others worried the app might stay too quiet if more users don’t join.
For Dorsey, BitChat is part of his wider work on open and private networks. The new feature could help the app find its place and test how far decentralized chat can go.
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