Jack Dorsey’s decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app Bitchat has witnessed a surge in usage among Ugandans ahead of a crucial general election in 2026.
Summary

• Bitchat-related searches on Google have surged in Uganda over the past days.
• Opposition leader Bobi Wine has urged locals to use Bitchat to bypass potential internet shutdowns.

According to Google Trends data, search interest for “Bitchat” in Uganda has soared over the past few days. Bitchat search interest | Source: Google Trends

Popular search phrases during the same period included “bitchat apk,” “bitchat mesh,” “what is bitchat,” and “how to use bitchat.” All were marked as breakout topics, meaning Google registered a significant increase in their search volume over a short span of time. Related queries | Source: Google Trends

Bitchat is a decentralized messaging app that relies on Bluetooth mesh networks to enable secure, encrypted communication between nearby smartphones without needing internet access.

Every phone in the network acts as a relay node, and messages are stored within the devices themselves instead of a server. Meanwhile, users do not need a phone number, SIM card, or email address to use the app.

Bitchat becomes an anti-censorship tool

Over the past months, Bitchat has found traction in jurisdictions grappling with political unrest and censorship, including Nepal, Madagascar, and Indonesia, where protesters used the app to bypass government surveillance and connectivity blackouts.

Bitchat became a talking point in Uganda after politician and opposition leader Bobi Wine began encouraging locals to install the app as a countermeasure to any attempt by the ruling government to cut off communication services heading into the elections.

“As we all know, the regime is plotting an internet shutdown in the coming days, like they have done in all previous elections. They switch off the internet in order to block communication and ensure that citizens do not organise, verify their election results and demand for accountability over the massive election theft,” Wine wrote in a Dec. 30 X post.

Wine is currently leading a challenge against long-time President Yoweri Museveni, whose administration, during the 2016 and 2021 elections, blocked access to the internet for five days beginning on the eve of voting.

Reports from December 2025 indicate that the Electoral Commission and security agencies have again discussed a temporary shutdown to curb what they described as misinformation, hate speech, and sectarianism on social media platforms.

Wine, however, argues that the real motive behind such measures is to prevent opposition supporters from transmitting Declaration of Results Forms, which serve as the official records of vote counts from each polling station.

“You will be able to send pictures of DR Forms and share any other critical information to specific or other users,” Wine added as he urged his supporters to download Bitchat.

According to data from Chrome-Stats, Bitchat downloads have spiked over the past week, with more than 32,000 new installations. In the past 24 hours alone, the app recorded 4,252 downloads.