Do P2P Messaging apps that don't require the internet exist?

[turbowafflz@lemmy.world]

I mean this is a terrible answer, but DS pictochat fits that

[lazerdickmccheese@sh.itjust.works]

No joke, I was talking about this recently. I feel like niche groups (me included) are just going full-circle back to the DS days

[thatguynamedzeus@feddit.org]

yes, a lot of people were using those kinds of apps during the free hong kong protests, they go from device-to-device with no internet in between.

No idea what the app is called, but apps like those exist

[quazaromega@lemy.lol]

Besides the already mentioned Briar, there's Berty, can't speak to its quality since I never used it, but I always found the project neat in and of itself

[empatheticteddybear@lemmy.world]

Bridgefy?

[bad_news@lemmy.billiam.net]

Possibly?

[merde@sh.itjust.works]

wouldn't a cheap walkie-talkie be more practical in that situation?

[master@lemm.ee]

Isn't this what airdrop was?

[thatguynamedzeus@feddit.org]

wouldn’t a cheap walkie-talkie be more practical in that situation?

That's not secure or encrypted

[thatguynamedzeus@feddit.org]

scratch telegram off that list, but Session messenger there instead.

Telegram isn't private, one guy has the master key to the whole thing

[idkwhatusernametoputherelolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

You can encrypt a radio.

Rattlegram is an app on iOS/Android that alllows converting text to audio and play it over your phone's speaker

Secure Space Encryptor (SSE) (known as Paranoia Text Encryption on iOS) is an Open Source app that can encrypt text.

1. Use SSE to encrypt text
2. Copy-Paste the Ciphertext to Rattlegram
3. Sent it over the radio
4. On the other end, use Raddlegram to turn the audio back to the ciphertext
5. Use SSE to decrypt.

Voila! Off-Grid Encrypted communications.

Warning: Encryption over radio is illegal in many countries (but fuck the law lol, who cares)

[idkwhatusernametoputherelolol@lemmy.dbzer0.com]

Briar (Android Only) - Uses Bluetooth, Wifi, or Internet via Tor to communicate. You can theretically create a large mesh group. Think of protests where the government shuts down the internet.

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Also: You can send encrypted text over SMS using Secure Space Encryptor (SSE) (known as Paranoia Text Encryption on iOS). It's an Open Source app that can encrypt text.

1. Type text
2. Copy the Ciphertext
3. Send and tell the recipient to use SSE fo decrypt.

You both have to share a password/passphrase over a secure channel, then use that to encrypt and decrypt.

Or PGP (there are mobile apps), but they aren't quantum resistant. If someone intercept and stores them, it could be decrypted later. So I recomment Symmetric Encryption like AES 256 (so use SSE for better security, since they use AES 256)

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You can also encrypt a radio:

Rattlegram is an app on iOS/Android that alllows converting text to audio and play it over your phone’s speaker.

As mentioned before, SSE.

1. Use SSE to encrypt text
2. Copy-Paste the Ciphertext to Rattlegram
3. Sent it over the radio
4. On the other end, use Raddlegram to turn the audio back to the ciphertext
5. Use SSE to decrypt.

Voila! Off-Grid Encrypted communications.

Warning: Encryption over radio is illegal in many countries (but fuck the law lol, who cares)

There's also Meshtastic, but it has much shorter range, but, in the USA at least, they aren't "Ham Radio" so they (supposedly) can be encrypted legally.

[mrpalmer16@lemmy.ml]

This one works, if you don't mind a little diy and texting only: https://circuitmess.com/products/chatter-lora-communication-device

[suckmyspez@lemmy.world]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FireChat

[elperronegro@lemmy.world]

Check out Reticulum Network Stack using LORA radio. Works really well.

http://reticulum.network/

[root@lemmy.world]

Meshtastic can be encrypted and is LoRa based. Can easily hit nodes dozens of miles away with a good line of sight. It also relays messages across nodes to reach even further distances.

[foremanguy92_@lemmy.ml]

If you don't want to use internet the only ways are to use radio or deploy your own network infrastructure (optic fiber or cell tower), so there's no really any messaging app that can be used without internet. Briar can use Bluetooth but with a limited range, needing an actual dense mesh network.

[bad_news@lemmy.billiam.net]

Yes, this is totally what I was thinking of!

[monkdervierte@lemmy.ml]

Briar has a mesh mode.

[ferk@lemmy.ml]

Yes, it's possible. To be honest, I find it very sad that we have grown so dependent on ISP and big telecom companies to have a working network.

In theory, you could have an infrastructure in your neighborhood and be able to play Quake with your neighbors without making use of the phone line at all, and with a very efficient connection too! you'd just need cabling connecting the apartments/houses. It's a pity that's not a standard thing when designing residences.

You can technically do it with Wifi and mesh networking though... there are projects like B.A.T.M.A.N, see https://www.open-mesh.org/