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When the lines go down: How Briar can keep people connected in times of disaster
Technews
When the lines go down: How Briar can keep people connected in times of disaster
When the lines go down: How Briar can keep people connected in times of disaster
The mesh networking app that works without cell towers, Wi-Fi, or the internet, and why emergency responders and everyday citizens should take notice.
Published Jun 9, 2026 01:47 pm
Briar is a free, open-source messaging app that was originally for people who wanted a secure form of communication. However, it serves another function, one where a wider audience may appreciate. It can be used to communicate with people even without cell towers or Wi-Fi, making it a solid tool when communication lines go down.
When two people with Briar installed on their Android phones are within roughly 100 meters of each other, the effective range of Bluetooth, they can exchange messages without any external infrastructure at all. Crucially, those messages can also hop through intermediate devices. If Person A cannot reach Person C directly, but Person B is between them with Briar running, the message travels A → B → C automatically, extending the network's reach organically.
This "store and forward" architecture means that even a handful of people in a disaster zone with Briar on their phones can form an impromptu communication network in minutes.
However, Briar has a severe limitation, and that is its range being only a few meters. However, the more users there are, the wider that range becomes as each device with Briar installed turns that phone into a node, similar to a mesh system.
Real-World Value: From Rubble to Relief
Communication blackouts are common, due to major typhoons, floods, and recently, an earthquake.
In a scenario where traditional disaster response coordination tools are unavailable, a community with Briar installed could, in principle, build a living map of their neighborhood's needs: which homes are intact, where food is being distributed, which roads are passable, and so on, and with proper deployment and coordination in local barangays could work wonders.
Privacy and Security Built In
Perhaps in times of disaster privacy is one of the things people may care about the least. But just in case, Briar was developed with security in mind as well.
All communications are end-to-end encrypted, meaning messages can only be read by their intended recipients. Briar does not require a phone number, email address, or any identifying account to use.
Messages and contact information are stored in encrypted form directly on the user's device, not on any external server.
For disaster survivors, this security layer matters in ways beyond privacy. In post-disaster environments, misinformation spreads rapidly. Knowing that a message came from a trusted, verified contact, and that it has not been tampered with in transit, gives Briar communications a reliability that rumors on unencrypted radio channels lack.