Offline mesh networking mode to resist nationwide blocking
Dear Telegram Team,
I would like to propose an optional “offline / mesh networking mode” for Telegram mobile apps.
The idea is to allow users’ devices to form a local mesh network over Bluetooth and Wi‑Fi Direct and relay messages between peers even when there is no direct Internet access or when ISPs in a specific country (for example, Russia) are fully blocking Telegram traffic at the network level.
Key points of the proposal:
Devices act as temporary relays, forwarding encrypted packets between nearby users.
When at least one node in the mesh has Internet access (VPN, satellite, foreign SIM, etc.), it can act as a bridge to Telegram servers, synchronizing messages for the rest of the mesh.
All encryption and end‑to‑end privacy guarantees remain the same; intermediate nodes cannot read message contents.
The feature is opt‑in and can be limited by battery, bandwidth and data caps to avoid abuse.
This mode can be especially important in countries where governments are trying to completely block Telegram and force people onto state‑controlled messengers.
Such a feature would dramatically increase Telegram’s resilience to nationwide blocking and internet shutdowns while staying aligned with Telegram’s mission of protecting freedom of speech and privacy.
Thank you for considering this idea.
Fully support this idea — offline mesh mode in Telegram would be a huge step for resilience against nationwide blocking and shutdowns, especially in countries with aggressive censorship.
Ensuring communication in cases of network bloc... #60083