Bitchat Update for Android Stuck in Google Play Review

• This is the first version of Bitchat with a reproducible executable build.
• These delays are critical in a context marked by constant security updates.

The latest version of Bitchat for the Android operating system has been stuck for over 5 days in the Google Play store verification process.

This was announced by the developer known as Calle BTC, maintainer of the project and member of the Bitcoin Red Team. The delay impacts the official rollout of version 2.0.1, a major update due to the new features integrated to enhance privacy and the use of bitcoin (BTC) in peer-to-peer communications.

The delay affects both the smartphone application (version 2.0.1, build 38) and the variant for Wear OS devices (version 0.1.1). The image shared by the developer on the platform shows that the changes are under review by the Google store review team, preventing the community from updating the software directly through the usual channels.

From the Google account on X, they responded: <<Currently, the application review process on Google Play is taking longer than usual. Review times may vary and, in exceptional cases, may take 7 days or more>>.

According to the official release notes in the Bitchat GitHub repository, this release represents a technical milestone as it becomes the first version with a complete reproducible executable build of the project.

This property allows any developer or external auditor to independently verify that the distributed executable corresponds exactly to the published source code.

Among the most notable features of the update are:

• Support for Cashu: allows recognition and preview of eCash tokens from the Cashu protocol, integrates the << /pay >> command, and redeems balances through compatible external wallets.
• Integration with Wear OS: extends public messaging and encrypted direct messaging functions to smartwatches, as well as allowing voice note recording and file sharing from the wrist.
• Live Audio (Push-to-talk): enables voice transmission in public channels and encrypted private conversations.
• Performance and Privacy Improvements: introduces persistence of private chats between restarts, a 3D geohash balloon offline, and adjustments in the management of the Noise encryption protocol.

The delay in centralized application stores reignites the debate about the dependence on corporate intermediaries for software distribution in the digital asset ecosystem.

Although advanced users have the option to download and install verified APK packages directly from the open-source repository on GitHub, the general public relies on the approval of platforms like Google Play.

The timely availability of these tools is crucial in the current context, where the security of software surrounding bitcoin has become critically relevant.

Projects like the Bitcoin Red Team, in which Calle BTC himself participates, have intensified open-source code review to fix vulnerabilities in wallets and applications, following the hack of Coldcard.

In a scenario where constant reviews and updates are necessary to strengthen applications against complex attack vectors driven by artificial intelligence, bottlenecks in distribution represent a persistent challenge.

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