# bitchat

bluetooth mesh chat, IRC vibes

Repository: https://github.com/permissionlesstech/bitchat
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/bitchat
Language: Swift
License: Unlicense
License Family: permissive
Topics: bluetooth, bluetooth-le, decentralized, e2e-encryption, ios, macos, mesh-network, messaging, nostr, swift
Last push: 2026-08-23T06:07:23+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 84/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 95, longevity 30
- inputs: {"age_days": 425, "days_push": 10, "days_rel": 33, "gap_med": 5, "n_releases_24m": 20}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 35966, forks 5708 (observed 2026-08-28T04:12:00.937495+00:00)

## What it is
A decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app that combines offline Bluetooth LE mesh networking with internet-based Nostr protocol transport, requiring no accounts, phone numbers, or central servers. It offers end-to-end encryption via the Noise Protocol, IRC-style commands, location-based geohash channels, and multi-hop message relay across nearby devices.

## Use cases
- chat without internet or cell service
- send messages during a disaster or network outage
- message privately without giving a phone number
- run a group chat with no central server
- communicate when the internet is censored or shut down
- find nearby people via location-based chat rooms
- relay messages across multiple hops through peers

## When to choose
- you need offline messaging that works purely over Bluetooth mesh
- you want censorship-resistant, serverless communication with E2E encryption
- you prefer IRC-style commands and ephemeral, account-free chat
- you want a native iOS/macOS/Android app with a verifiable public-domain source build

## When to avoid
- you need guaranteed message delivery or long-term message history
- you require large file sharing or media-heavy group chats
- you need enterprise features like user management or compliance
- you depend on reliable global delivery when no peers or Nostr relays are reachable

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: chat-interface, cryptography, p2p, networking, compression
- domain: messaging-platforms, privacy, censorship-circumvention, mobile-development, cross-platform
- platform: cross-platform
- tags: bluetooth-mesh, bluetooth-le, nostr, e2e-encryption, decentralized-messaging, offline-communication, irc-style, noise-protocol, geohash-channels, public-domain, ios, macos, android, swift, mobile

## Member repositories
- permissionlesstech/bitchat (main) score 84
- permissionlesstech/bitchat-android (main) score 84

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:12:00.937495+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T16:26:44.360979+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/permissionlesstech/bitchat (fetched 2026-08-28T04:12:00.937495+00:00, sha 06618170fb89)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.