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Bitchat – A decentralized messaging app that works over Bluetooth mesh networks

(github.com)
770 points ananddtyagi | 3 comments | 07 Jul 25 00:05 UTC | HN request time: 0.67s | source
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lxgr ◴[07 Jul 25 00:34 UTC] No.44485515[source]▶
Very nice! Could this be published in the App Store, or does it use any APIs Apple considers off-limits?

I'm regularly frustrated by modern phone's complete inabilities to allow any communication when outside of mobile network or Wi-Fi coverage, not even within the two large walled gardens.

It would be so easy for Apple to extend iMessage to work peer-to-peer, at least between people that have already messaged each other before and while both screens are on. That's literally how AirDrop works, and having to send a "Notes" text back and forth is just silly.

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apetresc ◴[07 Jul 25 02:24 UTC] No.44486152[source]▶
Legit curious what the use case would be, that would justify Apple adding it in. Like, when do you need to text someone who's within Bluetooth range but somehow has no WiFi or cell reception?
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dewey ◴[07 Jul 25 02:37 UTC] No.44486237[source]▶
On top of that “It would be so easy” is almost never true for a billion users network with all kinds of edge cases. Seems like a very narrow use case when there’s things missing from iMessage that could be way more appealing for a bigger group of users.
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1. lxgr ◴[07 Jul 25 03:44 UTC] No.44486562[source]▶
I’d agree if Airdrop, which includes offline identification via users’ address books, didn’t already exist. That seems to be by far the hardest part.
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2. dewey ◴[07 Jul 25 04:14 UTC] No.44486702[source]▶
The technical details are often not the tricky part of new features. You have to integrate it into the existing app that people know and use, explain how it works, maintain it forever etc.
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3. lxgr ◴[07 Jul 25 12:59 UTC] No.44489936[source]▶
“With iOS xx, now you can message your loved ones even without any cell or Wi-Fi signal from up to a mile away! Simply make sure you already have an iMessage conversation with them started while you still have signal.”