Bitchat aims to be a privacy-first chat app that ditches the internet altogether to create localized chat rooms. Phones link up via Bluetooth Low Energy to form an ad hoc mesh where every device relays, stores, and forwards end-to-end encrypted messages. Thus, chats keep flowing, even through 30 m-hop chains, when networks are down or censored.
No phone numbers, servers, or permanent IDs are needed, and ephemeral storage plus optional password-protected rooms round out a design meant for resilient, censorship-resistant communication anywhere people gather.
The goal is to offer secure peer-to-peer messaging without compromising on design or usability.
White Noise uses end-to-end encryption backed by strong cryptographic standards, including forward secrecy and post-compromise protection. These ensure that past and future messages remain secure even if encryption keys are compromised.
This setup allows users to access their identity, data, and contact lists across different apps and platforms without being tied to a central service. It also allows users to communicate anonymously, an important feature in regions with widespread surveillance and internet censorship.
Instead of relying on centralized servers, White Noise is powered by a network of distributed nodes. If a government or internet service provider attempts to block access, users can switch relays or host their own, maintaining access without sacrificing privacy.
According to the project’s website, even if an ISP attempts to intercept data, only encrypted metadata is visible. Notably, this metadata does not expose the message content.
The project stated:
“Messages in White Noise are encrypted end-to-end and temporarily relayed through several Nostr servers, which cannot read them and don’t permanently store them. Relays act as transient delivery points, discarding data after transmission.”
The app will be open source, with code published on GitHub. It will be available across multiple platforms, including Nostr’s Zap Store, Google Play (upon approval), and Apple TestFlight.
What’s most interesting here is that Dorsey, while seemingly actively developing a novel ‘internet-free’ secure messaging app, appears content to promote potential competitors that share his privacy-first vision for global communications.
