Short-Range Messaging Without WiFi or Cellular Data? New Apps

Now you can chat with people around you – even if there is no Internet connection or mobile phone coverage. It just works and it’s free.

Whether you’re on the beach or in the subway, at a big game or a trade show, camping in the wild or at a concert, or even abroad, simply fire up the app with a friend or two and find out who else is there.

Get FireChat now and be ready for the next Burning Man, Wanderlust, SXSW, Super Bowl… or create your own community anywhere and start bringing people together.

Wait, how does this work without an Internet connection or any type of mobile coverage? The magic comes from one of Apple’s iOS 7 most advanced technologies: the Multipeer Connectivity Framework, which FireChat is built upon.

Welcome to a new era of open communications.

FireChat “takes advantage of the Multipeer Connectivity Framework in iOS 7 to give people the ability to chat with those around them,” even without a WiFi or cellular data connection present.

“We may think that we depend on the Internet for everything. FireChat proves that it’s not always the case,” said Micha Benoliel, CEO of Open Garden, which made FireChat. “People ask me: How does this work without an Internet connection? Thanks to the Multipeer Connectivity Framework introduced in iOS 7, we are now able to deliver a best-in-class peer-to-peer chat experience to anyone with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.”

In addition to instant messages, FireChat also supports photo transfers, with the company saying the app has “no significant impact on battery consumption.” The app’s “Nearby” mode will show you who is locally available to communicate with “off the grid,” while the “Everyone” mode looks to utilize your data connection (if available) to connect online with friends from afar.

And since the app can be used in areas where an Internet connection is not available, FireChat has an even more useful purpose: offering a communication method in “scenarios such as disaster recovery and public safety.”

FireChat is available for free in the App Store, and it works on devices running iOS 7 or later. It’s not clear at this time whether a FireChat for Android application will be available down the road.

Short-Range Messaging Without WiFi or Cellular Data? New Apps