Jack Dorsey Launches Decentralized Bluetooth Messaging App Bitchat - 1

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Jack Dorsey Launches Decentralized Bluetooth Messaging App Bitchat

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Jack Dorsey, Block CEO and Twitter co-founder, launched his new messaging app Bitchat on the App Store this Monday. The platform allows users to send encrypted messages via Bluetooth, without the need for an internet connection.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Twitter founder Jack Dorsey launched a new messaging app called Bitchat.
  • Bitchat is currently available for free on the App Store.
  • The messaging platform doesn’t require an Internet connection; it uses Bluetooth to link nearby devices.

Dorsey announced the release of the new app on the social media platform X—formerly Twitter—on a post with links to both the App Store download page and the app’s GitHub repository.

“Chat with people around you. Don’t need their phone # or email,” states the description of Bitchat Mesh on the App Store. “Uses Bluetooth mesh, no internet needed. Relays messages to go the distance! Encrypted private messages.”

Bitchat is compatible with iPhones— iOS 16.0 or later—Mac, and Apple Vision, and is currently available for free.

Computer scientist Andrej Karpathy—former Tesla and OpenAI engineer, and Eureka Labs founder —praised the app’s light weight in a comment. “Very interesting. Love that it’s 2MB – I tried to download a chess app yesterday and it was 400MB,” he wrote. Dorsey replied, saying that keeping the app small was one of the goals.

According to The Street, Bitchat was initially released in beta on July 7 and is now expanding to a broader user base. The app connects nearby devices by creating mesh networks using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

Bitchat uses Noise protocol for end‑to‑end encryption and doesn’t require usernames or phone numbers. Messages are sent directly between the devices and can reach distances of up to 3.2 kilometers. Messages are automatically deleted unless users activate the app’s store-and-forward function. Users can also create private group chats protected by a secret password.

Besides Twitter and now Bitchat, Dorsey has also contributed to other communication platforms such as Bluesky, a decentralized social media alternative to Twitter that has reached millions of users worldwide. However, Dorsey quit Bluesky’s board about a year ago.

Microsoft Launches Copilot Mode For Edge Browser - 2

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Microsoft Launches Copilot Mode For Edge Browser

  • Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
  • Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager

Microsoft introduced a new experimental model for its Edge browser this Monday, called Copilot Mode. The new AI feature offers a different browsing experience by predicting users’ needs and simplifying information to support decision-making.

In a rush? Here are the quick facts:

  • Microsoft introduced Copilot Mode, an AI feature for its Edge browser.
  • Copilot Mode is an opt-in feature; Edge users must activate the option.
  • The agentic feature can perform multiple tasks and predict users’ needs.

According to the official announcement , Microsoft considers that AI is reshaping many online experiences, including the way people interact with the web, and has introduced its signature chatbot to the equation. Copilot Mode is an opt-in feature designed exclusively for Edge and is now available to both Windows and Mac users for free.

“Today we’re excited to launch Copilot Mode, a new experimental mode in Microsoft Edge, and our next step towards building a more powerful way to pilot the web,” wrote Sean Lyndersay, Vice President of Product for Microsoft Edge at Microsoft. “With Copilot Mode on, you enable innovative AI features in Edge that enhance your browser. It doesn’t just wait idly for you to click but anticipates what you might want to do next.”

Microsoft explained that Copilot Mode includes agentic capabilities as it can perform different tasks on behalf of users and suggest actions to enhance their web experience. Copilot can view all open tabs and understand the context of a user’s research to help with decision-making.

“For example, when researching vacation rentals across multiple sites, chat with Copilot to quickly identify which option is closest to the beach and includes a full kitchen – saving time and reducing friction,” added Lyndersay.

In a demonstration video, Microsoft showed how Copilot Mode can interact with users as a virtual assistant by finding paddle board experiences near the user’s workplace and considering the weather for booking the activity, or suggesting someone to continue working on the website they have been developing recently.

The AI agent also recognizes speech, allowing users to give it voice commands. Microsoft also encouraged users to share feedback and assured that it only collects data to improve its user experience.

Microsoft is not the only tech company rethinking the way users interact with browsers. Opera introduced its first agentic browser , Neon, in May. And, a few days ago, OpenAI said it will release an AI-powered browser soon .