“Off the grid” messaging service FireChat launches on Android

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Published 4 Apr 2014

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Disclosure

There are a ton of messaging apps available in the ay store, but there aren’t many that let you chat “off the grid” like FireChat. The San Francisco-based startup behind the app, Open Garden, launched its clestine messaging app last week for iOS, now it’s available for Android.

firechat roid

Instead of using a typical -Fi or cellular connection, FireChat enables devices to connect directly to one another. However, there are differences between the ione Android versions: FireChat’s iOS app utilizes Apple’s Multipeer Connectivity Framework A, while FireChat on Android works with proprietary technology that the company developed itself. As a result, iOS Android users can’t message one another just yet.

OpenGarden has established itself as a security-focused app developer, first with its myriad of internet sharing apps for Android, then by bundling its eponymous app with the Blackphone, an Android-powered hset dedicated specifically to enabling surreptitious smartphone use. But OpenGarden’s FireChat has a heaping of messaging apps to compete with in the Android ecosystem, like the ever-popular atsApp Snapchat. It may provide a reliable, secure way for users to contact one another, but at present it’s just not as fun as some of the other messaging apps available in the ay store.

If you’re interested, you can download the free app test it out yourself.