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At work, all our team uses Linux. We use chat software (basically either Empathy or pidgin) to communicate internally, via the local network, using the Bonjour protocol (AKA Avahi, AKA zeroconf, AKA People Nearby, AKA...).

I think it's a really nice feture and I'm trying to use it on my android phone. But apparently I can't find any chat / IM app for android that supports Bonjour.

So, are there any

  • Chat / IM apps
  • For Android (any version)
  • With Bonjour support
  • Free, paid, freemium, shareware, I don't care.
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  • Alternative messaging network to WhatsApp? is related, but the requirements are different. If you found an app you like on that thread, you can post an answer here.
    – Gilles 'SO- stop being evil'
    Mar 7, 2014 at 22:05
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    I was wondering about the lack of messaging apps with local-network protocol support, and I realized it is counter-intuitive to have this on mobile platforms. Non-mobile devices are, well, not mobile, and it can be assumed that the network it's connected to remains constant; whereas a mobile device can be connectec to 3G/4G, then to a wifi, then to another wifi, then offline. To the final user it will look like the contacts are disappearing all the time. Not practical. I can see why the lack of dev interest on this.
    – That Brazilian Guy
    May 18, 2014 at 18:28
  • No, @ThatBrazilianGuy, it is very practical and I'm looking for it as well. Not only it is logical and economical (a message sent to someone in the same room or the next room doesn't go around the world), as it is the only protocol to work without an Internet connection. On Android phones, one phone can be a Wifi hotspot, so it works in the desert, in Amazonia, and I think it will be ideal for when my wife is in the no-husband zone of the obstetrics service again.
    – migle
    Feb 18, 2015 at 20:31

1 Answer 1

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Found one! ChatSecure supports "People Nearby" though it doesn't say so on GooglePlay, I found out only after installing it and trying it.

And it has a lot of pluses:

  • Also supports XMPP, the other interesting chat protocol, IMO;
  • Available for Android and iOS;
  • Privacy oriented, the Electronic Frontier Foundation ranks it high;
  • Free, both as in beer and as in freedom, source code is available on github;
  • Developers are active and available, all have their GPG keys;
  • Voice plug-in and a plug-in with a lot of funny pictures, so maybe you can convince your kids to use it too.
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  • ... but I'm disappointed that I can't get it to work.
    – migle
    Feb 23, 2015 at 21:46

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