Here are a list of apps that lets you stay connected even offline - for the next time your favourite messaging app has an outage

• There are 692 million active internet users in India.
  
• Meta-owned Whatsapp suffered a two-hour global outage earlier this week, affecting 450 million India users.
  
• Business Insider India brings to you a list of alternative messaging platforms that can be used even when there is no internet connection.
  

There are 692 million active internet users in India and about two-thirds are on the popular messaging app Whatsapp. When the Meta-owned Whatsapp suffered a two-hour global outage earlier this week, it not only affected social connectivity but was a punch in the gut for a growing number of small businesses that use this platform for business.

With analysts predicting that these kinds of outages could occur more often going ahead, it is only prudent to look for alternative options that work even offline.

Business Insider India brings to you a list of alternative options that you can use to send messages without using the internet. However, these apps come with a caveat – the privacy and security of some enlisted apps are still under scrutiny, despite a few of them offering encryption.

Used by journalists, activists, for disaster management or by campaign managers and travellers alike, these apps can be an efficient alternative to popular messaging apps.

Here are the most popular options you can explore.

1. Near Peer

Near Peer is an offline chat application that allows users with the app to chat without an internet connection in a 100-metre radius. The application is available on Google Play Store and uses a mesh network to create offline communication. It can be used for individual and group chats, although it is only available for Android users. The app can also send files.

2. Bridgefy

This application was widely used during the Hong Kong protests and the government crackdown that followed. Bridgefy allows you to send and receive offline messages to users within 100 metres. The app uses Bluetooth to establish an offline connection to devices. This app works without Wifi or data and can even send encrypted broadcast messages. Data is encrypted during transit, the app claims. It is available on both Android and iOS.

3. Briar

Users can establish offline communication by sending and receiving messages without the internet through Briar. The app is available only on Android and can be accessed through Bluetooth, Tor (free and open-source software used for undetected communication), and even through Wifi. It also lets you create blog posts, share a link for adding contacts and even create a discussion group.

4. Meshenger

Meshenger is a free and open-source Android application that lets you make voice or video calls without any internet connection. Users have to generate and scan the QR contact code of one another to access this app without even signing up. It also provides data backup and encrypted communication. The app is available for download on F-Droid, which is a free and open-source software.

5. Rumble

Rumble is an offline Android microblogging application that also does not need an internet connection to stay active. It lets users share images and exchange messages, activating anonymous communication via Bluetooth. “Using only the social fabric as an infrastructure, it makes Rumble suitable for use cases where the Internet is either best to avoid, (surveillance/censorship) or simply not available,” claims Rumble.

6. Serval Mesh

Serval Mesh is another offline messaging alternative that connects nearby devices via Bluetooth. It aims to enable communications for the unfortunate who are experiencing chronic loss of the internet. “Search and discovery have become invaluable elements of the modern internet. However, for communities experiencing transient or chronic loss of internet access, these facilities are not available,” Serval Project said in a statement.

7. Peer Chat

Peer Chat is available for iOS users and is a group messaging application that allows users to chat with upto eight contacts. The app claims all messages are encrypted, and no data is logged. This application does not store data on servers and thus makes communication more private, with no registration required.

8. Signal Offline Messanger

The popular messaging application Signal also provides offline communication through WiFi Direct, a technology that allows nearby devices to create their own Wifi network without using the internet. This technology allows free peer-to-peer connection, enabling users to exchange files, audio, video, and messages without data.

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