It is believed that instant messengers appeared relatively recently, and each requires an Internet connection to use. You will be surprised, but this is not so: it turns out that in order to exchange messages with someone you do not need the Internet, because you have other connection methods in your smartphone – Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Yes, this is a rather strange and, it seems, a very specific way of communicating, but it exists and even works quite well. We tell you what offline messengers are, how they work and which one is better to download.
What is the offline messenger?
Despite the fact that LTE is already available, probably everywhere, many users find a rather exotic way to communicate by downloading offline messengers. This is not only interesting but also economical – such applications help save traffic and chat even where there is no network. It is based on Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology, so participants can exchange messages without the Internet at a distance of up to 100 meters, and thanks to Mesh networks, this distance can be increased almost indefinitely.
The chip is very convenient: if in mobile communications smartphones are connected to the tower to receive a signal, then in this network each user is a signal repeater for other participants, so you can create a separate chain for data transmission without the Internet using a smartphone! At the same time, the number of users is not limited, and information is transferred from one device to another until it reaches the right user.
The participants themselves will not notice anything – the data is transmitted at the expense of other smartphones connected to the network, so this approach is somewhat reminiscent of Apple’s AirTag. It is also important that the data is encrypted , so offline managers are quite safe.
By the way, if you think that offline messengers have appeared recently , then you are greatly mistaken: applications existed 15 years ago, when the mobile Internet was slow and not everyone could use it. All you had to do was download a Java application to your phone and add a Bluetooth interlocutor without registration . Unfortunately, then everything was limited only by the range of Bluetooth – there was no talk of any local networks of users.
Which offline messenger to download
As you can imagine, this is an extremely convenient way to communicate. For example, in the country, in the forest or on a hike in the mountains. So a group of people can always stay connected without the Internet and share important data. In any place where there is no network, an offline messenger is a real salvation: you can exchange not only text, but also photos, videos and other useful data. The only condition is that smartphones must be located in the visibility zone from each other, that is, about a hundred meters, but less is better, since they operate using the P2P system ( peer-to-peer – from person to person).
Also, their trick is that even Wi-Fi Direct can be used as a data transfer, with which we connect smartphones to the TV : you just need to go into the application and start searching for friends! At the moment there are several popular offline messengers.
- Bridgefy is an app powered by Bluetooth Low Energy. To use, you need to give permission to determine the geolocation, and an Internet connection is only needed at the first start.
- Briar is a handy open-source application. It can work over the Internet or via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. At startup, you need to create a password that will be stored on your device. There are private messages, groups, a forum, and even blogs.
- Airplane Messenger Lite is a free anonymous messenger that does not have profiles or other identification. You can chat with anyone nearby. In the paid version, messages are available only to trusted users and voice messages. Unfortunately, only for iOS.
- Bluetooth Chat is a simple application that sends text messages and images via Bluetooth. Internet is not needed even for registration, and to start communication, it is enough to choose a nickname.
- White Mouse Chat is perhaps the most secure application of all. It has an automatic deletion of messages , forwarding is prohibited, and screenshots and registration is available without a phone.
