Briar
A messenger that works with no internet, through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or Tor.
Instead of WhatsApp
Screenshot from briarproject.org, taken 2026-10-23, shown to help you recognise the tool. It belongs to its maker. Ask us to remove it.
Briar sends messages straight between phones, and over Tor when there is a connection, so there is no central server. It was built for activists and journalists and works during outages.
It runs on Android only, and both people need the app open, so Delivery is a 2.
- Messages go from phone to phone, with no central server
- Works over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi without internet
- Android only
What stands out
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For comparison, we also reviewed WhatsApp (14/30) as a benchmark.
Other tools for “chat with people”
Delta ChatA chat app that runs on ordinary email, with no phone number needed.
SignalA private messenger run by a nonprofit, with end-to-end encryption by default.
ElementA messenger built on the open Matrix standard, which you can host yourself.- SimpleX ChatA messenger with no user IDs, not even a phone number.