Bluetooth Connectivity... Usable Without an Account
Popular Even in Authoritarian Countries Like Uganda
The messenger app "Bitchat," which can send messages even when the internet is down, is drawing attention as a useful communication tool in authoritarian countries such as Iran and Uganda.
Protesters are participating in a rally supporting a nationwide large-scale demonstration against the Iranian government on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, in Berlin, Germany. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Bitchat, which was released last July by Jack Dorsey, co-founder of Twitter (now X) and CEO of Block, is a messaging app that operates via a Bluetooth mesh network. Its decentralized system allows users to send and receive messages without Wi-Fi or cellular signals. There is no need to create an account or verify a phone number.
Due to the nature of Bluetooth, its typical range is within 100 meters, but if there are many users nearby, each device can act as a relay, reportedly extending the range up to 300 meters. End-to-end encryption ensures that messages cannot be intercepted in transit, and no records are left on a central server.
Because of these features, usage of the app is surging in countries experiencing turmoil due to protests, wars, or authoritarian regimes. According to multiple foreign media outlets, in Uganda, Bitchat downloads surpassed 28,000 this year, making it the number one app in both major app markets.
This is because the Ugandan government cut off internet access ahead of the presidential election on the 15th. As President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, seeks a seventh term, protests are taking place, led by opposition candidates in their 40s. In Iran as well, the authorities recently shut down the internet to prevent the spread of anti-government protests, resulting in Bitchat usage tripling.
Previously, during the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in 2020, a messenger app called Bridgefy, which operates in a similar way to Bitchat, gained popularity. In Myanmar, where the military seized power in a coup, Bridgefy downloads surpassed 1 million in 2021.
Meanwhile, Jack Dorsey is reportedly feeling some responsibility and regret for contributing to the centralization of the internet. Interested in technological decentralization, he launched the decentralized social messaging platform Bluesky last year as an alternative to X.
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