Offline messengers compared

Offline messaging has a history. FireChat made headlines during protests in the 2010s and then disappeared. Today the options fall into two groups: phone-only apps and apps that need extra hardware.

App	How it works	Extra hardware	Platforms
Flight Mode Chat	Bluetooth LE mesh, encrypted, text/photos/voice/files	No	iPhone, iPad
Bitchat	Bluetooth mesh, text-focused	No	iOS, Android
Meshtastic	LoRa radios, long range	Yes, a LoRa device	iOS, Android + device
AirDrop	Apple file sharing	No	Apple devices

Which fits

• Plane, festival, group trip: a phone-only app. Everyone already has a phone.
• Remote hiking over kilometres: Meshtastic with LoRa devices, or a satellite messenger.
• One photo to the person next to you: AirDrop.

What Flight Mode Chat focuses on

Ease: install, open, see who’s nearby. It handles media (photos, voice notes, files), and has public channels and private chats. The interface is English-only.

Fun App

Found this app by accident and really like it. Very nice UI worked surprisingly reliable. Tested it with my wife only at home so far, but will definitely use it on the plane or other occasions.

★★★★★ App Store review, Germany, 7 August 2025, VaiRBP · App Store

Full comparison: Flight Mode Chat vs competitors