Bridge messenger, an alternative to Telegram, was shown in Ukraine

In Ukraine, there is an ongoing discussion of the possible blocking of the Telegram messenger, which has been repeatedly raised by high-ranking officials. Against the background of these discussions, information has emerged about the development of a domestic alternative. A group of IT specialists from Lviv has created a new messenger called Bridge, which can compete with popular communication services.

The developers position Bridge not just as a messenger, but as a full-fledged social platform with advanced capabilities. Among its features are a built-in recommendation feed, a widget system, and additional tools for interaction. Special attention has been paid to the convenience of the interface, adapted to the needs of Ukrainian users.

The program is able to work even at low Internet speeds, which is ensured by data compression and traffic optimization. The current version uses the WebSocket protocol to connect to the server, but in the future the team plans to implement its own solution based on TCP.

The developers claim a high level of data protection. The messenger features end-to-end encryption (E2EE), the ability to create temporary anonymous accounts without the need to enter personal data, and a panic button that allows you to instantly delete all information from the device.

In addition to standard use, Bridge offers built-in automation tools for business without the need to involve third-party services. Monetization of the project involves premium and business subscriptions, as well as the integration of advertising solutions for companies.

The idea of ​​creating a messenger appeared in the summer of 2024, when users faced difficulties in communication due to problems with power supply and weak Internet. The first version of Bridge was presented on October 29, after which a beta test was launched, in which more than five thousand people participated.

The project is being developed by a small team of four specialists from Lviv, who work on it in their free time and finance it from their own funds. At the moment, more than two thousand working hours have been invested in the creation of the messenger, which is equivalent to about 85 thousand dollars.

Bridge testing is ongoing, and everyone can join it by registering on the official project website bridgemsg.com.