The short answer
All four let phones talk with no internet. They differ in what they will carry over Bluetooth, what they ask of you to sign up, and how much of the code you are allowed to read.
Pick Briar
If years of independent scrutiny matter most. Every app here except Bridgefy is open source now, but Briar is the one that has actually been audited, and that is worth a great deal.
Pick MeshXi
If you want photos and voice notes to survive the offline hop, calls with no server on your own Wi-Fi, and Tor already switched on.
Pick bitchat
If you want the smallest, simplest thing that sends text over Bluetooth and does nothing else.
Side by side
| MeshXi | Briar | Bridgefy | bitchat | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works with no internet | Yes — Bluetooth mesh + Wi‑Fi Direct | Yes — Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Tor | Yes — Bluetooth mesh | Yes — Bluetooth mesh |
| Account or phone number | Neither | Neither | Has required a phone number | Neither |
| Photos over Bluetooth | Yes — shrunk to about 256 KB to fit | Text and small attachments | Text-focused | Text only |
| Voice notes offline | Yes | No | No | No |
| Calls with no internet | Yes, on shared Wi-Fi or Wi‑Fi Direct | No | No | No |
| Tor | Bundled, always on, obfs4 + Snowflake bridges | Bundled, core to the design | No | No |
| Open source | Yes — GPLv3 | Yes | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Android 7.0+ | Android, desktop | Android, iOS | iOS, Android |
| Price | Free, no ads | Free | Free tier | Free |
Details of the other apps come from their own public documentation and change over time — check theirs before deciding. Everything in the MeshXi column is visible inside the app itself, on the Channels screen.
Where MeshXi is genuinely behind
- No independent audit. The source is public now, but nobody outside the project has reviewed the cryptography. Briar has years of scrutiny behind it; MeshXi has none yet, and that is a real difference.
- No iPhone version. Bridgefy and bitchat have one. The offline parts need real iOS work and there is no date to promise.
- Fewer users means a thinner mesh. Every app here is only as good offline as the number of nearby phones running it.
What none of them can do
Any app promising otherwise is worth closing:
- Bluetooth reaches tens of metres per hop. Range comes only from other phones in between relaying it. There is no long-range radio in your phone.
- Make you anonymous in an absolute sense. These apps remove the account, the phone number and the server holding your history. They do not defeat someone holding your unlocked phone.
- Work with nobody else nearby. An offline mesh with one user is one phone in a field.
Try MeshXi
Free, no ads, no account. Get it on Google Play · read the details first.