Feature Request / RFC: Cross-platform desktop support, adaptive file transfer, and location/map sharing

[hank3149-hue]

Hi bitchat team,

First of all, thank you for building bitchat as a free, open-source, decentralized communication tool. The idea of combining local Bluetooth mesh communication with internet-based reach is extremely valuable, especially for situations where normal infrastructure is unavailable, unreliable, censored, or overloaded.

I would like to suggest a few features that could make bitchat more useful as a real-world communication layer, not only for mobile users but also for desktop, laptop, emergency, event, and field-work environments.

1. Windows desktop support and stronger desktop/laptop experience

bitchat already has strong value on mobile devices, but many real-world communication scenarios also involve laptops and desktop computers.

For example:

• universities and classrooms
• conferences and large events
• emergency operation rooms
• journalists and field researchers
• designers/developers transferring project materials
• people working in areas with unstable internet

A Windows version would be especially important because many users rely on Windows laptops as their primary device. If bitchat could work across iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, it would become much closer to a true cross-platform decentralized communication network.

Suggested direction:

• Windows desktop app
• clear desktop/laptop interface
• cross-platform compatibility with existing mobile clients
• QR-based or local peer discovery between phone and laptop
• optional desktop notification and background relay mode

This would allow laptops to become stronger nodes in the bitchat network, not just passive client devices.

2. Adaptive file sharing

One feature that could significantly increase the practical value of bitchat is file transfer.

However, I understand that Bluetooth mesh is not ideal for very large files. Instead of forcing all files through Bluetooth, bitchat could use an adaptive transfer model:

• small text and emergency messages: Bluetooth mesh
• small files/images: Bluetooth mesh when appropriate
• larger files: Wi-Fi Direct, local network, or internet relay when available
• very large files: resumable, encrypted, chunk-based transfer
• offline situation: queue the transfer and resume when better transport becomes available

In other words, Bluetooth could be used as the resilient fallback layer and discovery layer, while faster transports could be used whenever available.

This would make bitchat much more useful in real-world environments. Users could exchange:

• photos
• PDFs
• maps
• emergency documents
• design files
• field reports
• compressed archives
• media files

For very large files, it would be better to show clear transfer status, estimated time, pause/resume, retry, and automatic transport switching.

3. Automatic switching between internet and Bluetooth

The most powerful version of bitchat would not force users to think about the network layer.

The app could automatically choose the best available transport:

• If internet is available, use internet-based relays for speed and global reach.
• If internet becomes unstable or unavailable, automatically fall back to Bluetooth mesh.
• If nearby peers are available, use local mesh for local communication.
• If both internet and local mesh are available, choose the most reliable route.
• If a message or file cannot be delivered immediately, queue it and retry through another transport.

This would make bitchat feel seamless for normal users while preserving its core value: resilience when infrastructure fails.

4. Location and map sharing

Location sharing could also become a very useful feature, especially in emergency, event, travel, campus, protest, disaster, and field-work situations.

Suggested approach:

• When internet is available: allow users to share a map link or location pin that can open in Google Maps, Apple Maps, or other map apps.
• When internet is unavailable: allow users to share basic coordinates, geohash, or a text-based location note.
• In channels: allow optional location pins for meeting points, aid stations, lost-and-found points, danger zones, or event areas.

This would make bitchat more practical during situations where people need to coordinate physically, not just exchange messages.

5. Why this matters

bitchat has the potential to become more than a private chat app. It could become a resilient communication layer for moments when normal networks fail.

The most important use cases are not only “chatting without internet,” but also:

• staying connected during outages
• coordinating in crowded events
• communicating in schools, airports, campuses, and underground spaces
• sharing emergency information
• helping local communities communicate without depending entirely on centralized infrastructure

My suggestion is to evolve bitchat toward a cross-platform, adaptive, resilient communication tool:

Mobile + desktop
Bluetooth + internet
Text + files
Online map links + offline coordinates
Normal use + emergency fallback

I believe this direction would make bitchat much more useful to everyday users while staying aligned with its original values: decentralization, privacy, resilience, and accessibility.

Thank you for considering this suggestion.

[dugdale1978]

We are currently working on a Python based implementation of bitchat. It have currently been testing it on MacOS/Linux, but should of course be able to run on Windows as well.

It of course does not include all the features you suggest above, and no fancy UI. It is (mostly) so far compatible with the iOS/Android clients over BLE and for easy user interactions has the option to utilise MQTT to connect to separate IRC-style client for chatting (by integrating with MQTT, also makes it easy to interface with any other code that wants to use bitchat for the communication). It also supports a hybrid simulator/emulator mode where you can run a network of simulated bitchat nodes that also includes a gateway that interacts with real devices (either our implementation or iOS/Android) over BLE.
Still under development, but hope to be able to open source eventually.