Myanmar coup: What is Bridgefy, the offline messaging app with over 1 million installs in 48 hours?
Check out all you need to know about Bridgefy, the offline communication app that has seen a spike in usage amidst the Myanmar Coup.
Communication-based apps getting suddenly popular amidst an ongoing crisis isn’t new. Take the WhatsApp privacy policy crisis from last month, that allowed rivals Signal and Telegram to amass a large user base in a matter of days. Now, Bridegfy, an offline messaging app for Android and iOS users, is gathering a large number of users in the middle of the Myanmar military coup. Here is all you need to know about the offline messaging tool, including how it works and how secure the platform is.
What is Bridegfy and how does it work?
Being an offline communications app, Bridgefy allows nearby users to communicate without the need of a data network or SMS. Instead, the app operates on a mesh network. What this means is that it uses other nearby Bridgefy users to relay your messages via Bluetooth.
Bridegfy’s range requires at least one other user within about 330 feet. Ideally, the more Bridgefy users between you and the receiver, the better. The app requires internet connectivity in the beginning to set itself up and sync your contacts, following which you can send messages to nearby users.
It also allows you to share live location with another Bridgefy user. There is also a broadcast feature that allows you to communicate with nearby users even if they are not in your contact list.
This makes Bridgefy ideal for scenarios where a lot of users know that others are going to be present. This could either be a college function or something as big as a concert or a protest.
But Bridgefy becomes completely pointless if you have no other Bridegefy user within Bluetooth range.
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Keep reading the full post from The Indian Express.