BitTorrent’s Encrypted P2P Chat App Launches Publicly On The 3 Major Operating Systems

BitTorrent has launched a stable version of its P2P “secure” chat platform Bleep on Android, iOS and Windows. According to VentureBeat, BitTorrent has added a new whisper function to Bleep for both mobile and desktop (though it works best on Android and iOS). In short, whisper lets you send ephemeral messages; just tap “Go to Whisper” to ensure both text and pictures disappear from devices after they’ve been viewed (after 25 seconds). The experience is slightly different on the desktop: Hold shift while hitting send. “You can switch back and forth between normal and whisper messages seamlessly, so you don’t lose the flow of your conversation,”

Here’s the new stuff to expect when you get the updated Bleep;

That’s what’s new. As for what else Bleep can do, here the five features BitTorrent wants to highlight:

• No Personal Info Required: To get started with Bleep, all that is required is choosing a nickname. You can share your Bleep key wherever you like, and no one will have any of your other details. Optionally, you can verify your email addresses and mobile numbers with Bleep, which will let your friends discover you through Bleep when they open an account.
• In Your Hands, Instead of the Cloud: Messages and the encryption keys for images are stored on your local device, not the cloud. For messages and metadata, there is no server for hackers to target, and because you hold the keys, images can’t be leaked to haunt you later. BitTorrent claims it has “solved” serverless peer-to-peer messaging.
• Adding friends is easy: Invite friends via your device’s address book, their email address, mobile number, or Bleep key. In situations where you want to add a friend in person, you can scan/share a Bleep code.
• Free Voice Calls: Start a Bleep-to-Bleep call with any online contact by tapping the phone icon at the top of your text conversation. Calls are connected directly (with a cloud service) with end-to-end encryption.
• Cross-platform: The mobile apps work over cellular or Wi-Fi connections, while the desktop apps have essentially feature parity except that they can’t yet send images (only receive them). Each device you own is registered with Bleep separately, but you can add your friends to each device to stay in touch.

Credit: VentureBeat