BitChat Desktop — native macOS early preview, with Windows and Linux planned

[youhanasheriff]

Hi everyone — I've been working on BitChat Desktop, an independent, open-source desktop project built from upstream Bitchat's Apple codebase. Thanks to the Bitchat contributors for the foundation.

The first macOS early preview is available now. My focus is a small native app with a desktop-oriented interface, with native Windows and Linux clients planned.

What's in this preview

• Native SwiftUI interface with a persistent sidebar for channels, people, and conversations.
• Bubble or Terminal chat layouts, selectable in Settings.
• Terminal, Native Light, and Graphite appearances.
• Desktop navigation for private/group conversations, peer verification, notices, and mesh topology.
• An 8.7 MB DMG for Apple silicon Macs, with drag-to-Applications installation. A ZIP alternative is also available.

This builds on upstream's existing SwiftUI/CoreBluetooth implementation; it isn't a new protocol implementation or an official Bitchat release.

Screenshots

These are captures of the actual native macOS interface with fictitious sample conversations, not a verified live mesh session.

Terminal appearance and chat layout

Links

• Website: https://youhanasheriff.github.io/bitchat-desktop-site/
• Source: https://github.com/youhanasheriff/bitchat-desktop
• macOS download and installation notes: https://github.com/youhanasheriff/bitchat-desktop/releases/tag/v0.1.0-preview.1
• Roadmap: https://github.com/youhanasheriff/bitchat-desktop/blob/main/docs/ROADMAP.md

Current limitations

This is an early preview. The macOS app retains upstream Bluetooth, Noise, Nostr, and Tor code, but real-device interoperability and network/permission flows still need qualification. I'm not claiming complete compatibility or a new security audit.

The download is Apple silicon only, declares macOS 13+, and has been tested locally on macOS 26.6.2. It is ad-hoc signed and not notarized; the release notes explain first launch. Windows, Linux, and the shared Rust core are currently scaffolds, with no downloads yet.

I'd welcome feedback on the desktop experience, guidance on staying aligned with upstream, and help testing interoperability with existing Bitchat clients. Reproducible issues and contributions are welcome in the project repository.

— Youhana Sheriff