Apple removed Bitchat from its China App Store after Beijing’s internet regulator said the messaging app broke rules for services that can shape opinion or mobilize people. Jack Dorsey said Apple also pulled Bitchat’s TestFlight beta in China. The order came from the Cyberspace Administration of China. The app remains available in other countries.
Can a messaging tool built beyond the internet avoid pressure when app stores still control distribution?
Bitchat is a decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app developed by Block CEO Jack Dorsey. It runs over Bluetooth and mesh networks, so users do not need an internet connection. The app also avoids the standard telecom path that most messaging services use.
That design makes Bitchat hard to stop through internet shutdowns or firewall filtering. In turn, it can keep working when authorities disrupt conventional online access. China’s Cyberspace Administration said services with public opinion or social mobilization capabilities must complete security assessments before launch.
Apple’s review team told Dorsey that Bitchat’s App Store listing would no longer appear in China. The same notice also covered the TestFlight beta. Dorsey disclosed the removal in an X post on Sunday.
Bitchat gained traction during protests in Madagascar, Uganda, Nepal, Indonesia, and Iran. Authorities in those countries tried to restrict internet access to curb dissent. As a result, the app became a visible communication option during tense periods.
Earlier this year, Reuters reported that people in Iran and Uganda turned to Bitchat during periods of internet restrictions and shutdowns. In Iran, usage more than tripled. Meanwhile, downloads surged in Uganda before elections and during internet disruptions.
The app’s offline setup gave users a way to keep communication when standard online services slowed or disappeared. Bitchat has recorded well over three million downloads across platforms. It logged more than 92,000 downloads in the past week, though regional figures were not available.
Google Play separately shows well over one million registered downloads. Even so, the figures do not break down usage by country. That leaves no public regional split for the latest surge.
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The clash also points to a wider regulatory issue in China. Officials focus closely on digital tools they believe can influence public debate or collective action. That stance allows regulators broad room to challenge new services.
That approach matches China’s long-running online governance model. The system relies on pre-approval, platform oversight, and rapid intervention when a service appears politically sensitive. At the same time, technically novel apps can face barriers before they gain local scale.
Apple has historically complied with local app rules in markets where it operates. Still, Bitchat remains accessible outside China, even after the takedown. China’s move blocks a major distribution channel, while the app itself still works beyond standard internet controls.
Apple removed Bitchat from China’s App Store after regulators said the decentralized messaging app needed a security review under social mobilization rules. While the app remains available outside China, the move shows how platform access can still limit censorship-resistant tools in tightly regulated markets.