Chinese authorities demanded the removal. The Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) issued the order.
Apple removed the decentralized messenger Bitchat from the Chinese App Store. Block CEO Jack Dorsey developed the app.
In a post on X, Dorsey shared a screenshot of a message from the Apple Review team. The message states that Bitchat violates local rules governing online services that could influence public opinion or enable social mobilization.
Related: KuCoin-backed Dmail Shuts Down After Web3 Email Bet Fails to Pay Off
App Features and Reasons for Removal
Bitchat operates entirely via Bluetooth and mesh networks without requiring an internet connection. This architecture makes the app resistant to traditional communication blocking and censorship methods.
Protest participants actively used the app in Madagascar, Uganda, Nepal, Indonesia, and Iran when authorities restricted access to conventional communication channels.
According to CAC rules, services with the potential to influence public opinion must undergo security reviews. Apple confirmed that the app and its TestFlight beta version are no longer available in China.
Availability in Other Countries
Despite the removal in China, Bitchat remains available in other countries. According to Chrome data, users have downloaded the app more than 3 million times, with over 92,000 downloads in the past week alone. Google Play Store records more than 1 million downloads.
By comparison, Tencent’s popular Chinese messenger WeChat has approximately 810 million users within China, a country with a population exceeding 1.4 billion people.
Related: Chainalysis Launches “Blockchain Intelligence Agents”
