Apple has pulled the decentralized messaging application Bitchat from its China App Store following a regulatory demand from Chinese authorities.

Key Takeaways

• Apple removed Bitchat from the China App Store on February 28, 2026, citing local legal violations.

• The Cyberspace Administration of China claims Bitchat violates Article 3 of its security assessment provisions.

• Bitchat reached a 10,000-user limit on Testflight before its removal from the Chinese market in early 2026.

Chinese Crackdown on Peer-to-Peer Messaging

Apple Inc. notified Block Inc. CEO Jack Dorsey that his decentralized messaging application, Bitchat, has been removed from the China App Store. The removal, effective as of February 28, 2026, was triggered by a formal demand from the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) regarding the app’s non-compliance with local security regulations.

The CAC determined that Bitchat violates Article 3 of the “Provisions on the Security Assessment of Internet-based Information Services with Attribute of Public Opinions or Capable of Social Mobilization.” These regulations require any service capable of influencing public opinion to undergo a state-mandated security assessment. Bitchat, which operates via Bluetooth mesh networking without requiring an internet connection or national infrastructure, was flagged for its “social mobilization” capabilities.

While the application is no longer available in China, it remains accessible in all other global territories through App Store Connect. Apple’s notice also confirmed that the Testflight version of the app—which had previously reached its maximum capacity of 10,000 testers—has been disabled for all users and internal testers located within mainland China.

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