Bitchat disappears from Indian app stores after blocking order
Jack Dorsey’s offline messaging app Bitchat has disappeared from Apple and Google’s stores in India. An Apple notice shared on October 3 cites a government blocking demand. The Bluetooth-based app can exchange messages during internet shutdowns, and Indian authorities previously sought removal of its GitHub repositories. Digital-rights advocates challenge the legal basis of the latest restriction.
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Bitchat loses its Indian App Store listing
Apple removed Bitchat, Jack Dorsey’s offline messaging app, from its Indian App Store after a government demand. Dorsey shared the notice on October 3; it cites the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.[1], [2]
Bitchat was also unavailable on Google Play, and its website could not be reached through several Indian internet providers. Whether Google and the providers received separate federal directions remained unclear. Apple’s notice keeps the app available outside India but also blocks its TestFlight testing service inside the country.[1]
Bluetooth messages can travel without internet service
Launched in July 2025, Bitchat uses Bluetooth mesh networking: nearby devices relay encrypted messages without cellular service, internet connections or central servers. Indian authorities had already sought removal of associated GitHub code repositories in July. They argued that the architecture complicated interception and user tracing and allowed communication during internet shutdowns. That demand used a different legal provision concerning intermediaries and third-party content.[1]
Digital-rights advocates dispute the blocking basis
The Internet Freedom Foundation, a digital-rights organization based in New Delhi, calls the latest order unconstitutional. It argues that Section 69A permits blocking unlawful information and challenges restricting an app because it works during shutdowns. The organization says neither the order nor the allegedly unlawful content has been made public. The restrictions follow youth-led protests over voter rolls; internet service around New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar was suspended for twelve hours on Friday.[1]
