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A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

bitchat.free

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Re: A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

#21

Post by behnamoh »

maqp wrote: post #9

Could someone please explain in what situation do you use a BlueTooth messaging app? Like, even BT5 range won't exceed 400 meters. What good is this? You're not going to send images to journalists from protests with it (you'd do wisely to keep it in airplane mode until you get home and then you'd upload them to their securedrop or whatever), and you don't need off-band security to let the kids know it's dinner time.

In Iran right now... Internet shut down while the regime keeps slaughtering people at the order of 4x9/11.

Re: A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

#22

Post by troupo »

gloxkiqcza wrote: post #6
jagermo wrote: post #3

I don't know. I do not like Jack Dorey's involvement. Not a big fan of his. I'd rather use Briar ( https://briarproject.org/ )

There’s no app for Apple platforms making it a lot less useful.

Apple pulled similar apps from the App Store: https://www.npr.org/2019/10/10/768841864/after-china-objects...

Re: A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

#23

Post by bariswheel »

atoav wrote: post #4
jagermo wrote: post #3

I don't know. I do not like Jack Dorey's involvement. Not a big fan of his. I'd rather use Briar ( https://briarproject.org/ )

If you don't like a thing and share that dislike, care to elaborate your reasoning so others can profit from it?

Indeed, it's immature to disclose an opinion without being forthcoming and add some objective rationale behind a bold conclusion as disliking an entire person. It may be something they said, or did, getting specific would help, ideally something that is relevant to the original thread. It's not entirely helpful and potentially a negative impact to just imply you don't like someone. Do what you want obviously, that's my 2 cents.

Re: A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

#25

Post by oreilles »

yaris wrote: post #15
maqp wrote: post #9

Could someone please explain in what situation do you use a BlueTooth messaging app? Like, even BT5 range won't exceed 400 meters. What good is this? You're not going to send images to journalists from protests with it (you'd do wisely to keep it in airplane mode until you get home and then you'd upload them to their securedrop or whatever), and you don't need off-band security to let the kids know it's dinner time.

Any situation when mobile internet cannot be used. That is not only protests, but also legal gatherings, i.e. street concerts, or places where mobile coverage is poor in general.

Or planes.

Re: A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

#26

Post by nicois »

One missing feature: deferred message propagation. As far as I understand, while messages will be rebroadcast until a TTL is exhausted, there is no mechanism to retain in-transit messages and retransmit them to future peers. While this adds overheads, it's table stakes for real-life usage.

You should be able to write a message and not rely on the recipient being available when you press send. You should also be able to run nodes to cache messages for longer, and opt in to holding messages for a greater time period. This would among other things allow couriers between disjoint groups of users.

Re: A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

#27

Post by zenmac »

maqp wrote: post #9

Could someone please explain in what situation do you use a BlueTooth messaging app? Like, even BT5 range won't exceed 400 meters. What good is this? You're not going to send images to journalists from protests with it (you'd do wisely to keep it in airplane mode until you get home and then you'd upload them to their securedrop or whatever), and you don't need off-band security to let the kids know it's dinner time.

One of these bluetooth messaging app was made by a developer who was on a cruise ship with family, and the Internet over satellite costs an arm and leg. So he wrote an app to communicate with his families over bluetooth.

Also why would one want to have the data go over some servers thousands miles away when the device is right next to you? Seems like bluetooth is the perfect way to communicate for devices that are close to each other.

Re: A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

#28

Post by zenmac »

maqp wrote: post #10
gloxkiqcza wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There’s no app for Apple platforms making it a lot less useful.

That's probably because AFAIK Apple doesn't allow process forking, making any Tor-based messenger almost impossible to run as Tor would have to run as part of the main thread.

but having the bluetooth part working on iOS should not be an issue right?

Re: A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

#29

Post by j1elo »

This has released tags since back to July 2025. Does anyone know if it's being actively used to exfiltrate news from Iran right now? (if someone's been living under a rock: [1][2])

[1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46667491

[2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46573384

Re: A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging application that operates over Bluetooth

#30

Post by budududuroiu »

j1elo wrote: post #29

This has released tags since back to July 2025. Does anyone know if it's being actively used to exfiltrate news from Iran right now? (if someone's been living under a rock: [1][2]) [1]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46667491 [2]: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46573384

Not sure about bitchat, but Briar is being used in Iran right now. https://byteiota.com/briar-offline-mesh-when-internet-shutdo...

Tbf, if my government would be out to kill me for protesting, I'd use something that at least was security audited. Not to shit on bitchat, I haven't audited the code personally.

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