Offline chatting app, BitChat, tops the charts due to unrest
Last year, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey launched an interesting app widely believed to be a gimmick at the time: BitChat. The app is similar to regular messaging apps, with one caveat: it doesn’t need an internet connection.
The launch made no splash and was more of a flop. But months later, demand for the app is soaring, with almost 30K downloads in the first two weeks of the year. It has become a crucial communication tool in multiple countries, like Uganda, after the government shut down internet access ahead of a disputed election. The same thing happened in Iran, where widespread unrest led to an almost total internet blackout.
Bitchat, which works without internet or cellular service via Bluetooth mesh networking, has been an important tool for staying connected in communities across the aforementioned nations. The app allows messages to hop between nearby phones, creating a decentralized, offline network with no login required.
Use cases for the app are limited when everything is fine, but it is designed to be a more resilient backup to regular communication methods. The app is limited by Bluetooth range, so it won’t be effective for people in remote areas. But in dense urban areas, the app can be a lifeline during internet blackouts or natural disasters.
