I built MeshLive: video calling and live broadcasting over Bluetooth mesh, without internet (Open source)
A few weeks ago, during the student protests in Delhi, I saw how mobile internet was shut down and how the government even tried to get Bitchat's GitHub repositories taken down, although they remained accessible. That genuinely bothered me. Students were protesting for fair exams, and even basic communication was being restricted. That got me thinking: why stop at text? What if we could make…
During recent student protests in Delhi, I witnessed the government blocking mobile internet, preventing even basic communication between protestors. This prompted me to wonder if we could enable voice and video communication using Bluetooth without relying on the internet. So, I began experimenting with a solution. The result is MeshLive, a free, open-source Android application for nearby phone communication over Bluetooth. Key features include:
- Live camera and microphone broadcasting
- Multi-hop relaying, allowing broadcasts to travel beyond the original sender's range
- Two-way voice and video calls
- Experimental offline messaging
The app operates without any account, backend server, mobile data, or Wi-Fi requirements. It currently relies on Android alone, with an early iOS implementation in development. The main hurdle was Bluetooth's limited bandwidth, especially when attempting live video transmission. Complicating matters further were the complexities introduced by relaying, various Android versions, manufacturers, codecs, and Bluetooth implementations.
Despite working on a basic MVP for weeks, I ultimately decided to focus on testing after the Indian app stores removed Bitchat, the app I had initially used for testing.
Although still in experimental beta, MeshLive has shown promise with occasional lag and limited compatibility. However, it hasn't undergone an independent security audit, so I wouldn't advocate using it in critical situations just yet. I possess only a handful of testing devices, which hampers thorough testing. The app's open-source nature aims to encourage wider testing, contributions, and development of innovative applications beyond the initial purpose of aiding student protests.
Interested developers can access the Android source code on GitHub (https://github.com/MeshLive/meshlive-android) and download the beta APK from the same repository. Early iOS development can be found at (https://github.com/MeshLive/meshlive-ios). I welcome bug reports, feature suggestions, and pull requests to enhance the project.
Written by urgent.news from Dev.to's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
