Bitchat removed from Apple's India App Store after government demand: Jack Dorsey
Apple has officially removed the offline messaging application Bitchat from its India App Store following a demand from the country's IT Ministry, according to an X post by the app's developer and Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey on Saturday, October 3, 2026. In the notice, Apple stated that the app would be removed per demand from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) because it includes content that is illegal in India, which is not in compliance with the App Review Guidelines.
Bitchat had previously come under government scrutiny in July 2026, when the Home Ministry's cybercrime arm, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, had ordered GitHub to remove the Bluetooth-based messaging application. According to Dorsey's post, MeitY issued the takedown demand under Section 69(A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000. Apple's notice stated that developers are responsible for understanding and complying with local laws, beyond Apple's own guidelines.
The Apple notice indicated that the app's developer can contact the Ministry directly for more information about the removal or about Indian laws and requirements. The application remains available in the App Stores of other territories, Apple said.
