For the first time, you can communicate privately as a group, even if you don’t have Internet access, cellular coverage or cellular data. "Offline private group messaging” is available in the new FireChat today. 

Creating a private group is as easy as composing a message. Simply select the people you wish to communicate with privately and send them a message. FireChat does the rest. 

Private messages are encrypted from end to end. Only the sender and the recipients can see the content of the private messages, or even be aware of their existence. Private groups can include up to 50 people. 

Offline private group messaging is particularly important for members of communities, staff of organizations, and first responders during emergencies. 

Communities around the world use FireChat to create their own free communications network, that does not require a signal or a data plan. For example, in the USA, people use it during large events, such as the Electric Forest music festival. In India, students use it as a resilient communications network. In the Philippines, media organizations such as GMA News use it to broadcast news, weather and traffic alerts to people whom they could not reach otherwise. 

With offline private group messaging, it is now easier than ever to use FireChat to stay in touch with your fam, tribe, squad, team, posse, village… and start something - together.

FireChat is free app, available for iOS and Android. 

FireChat is going back to school!

We’re proud to announce that we are joining forces with the Ateneo Social Computing Science Laboratory, a pioneering research center for disaster management in the Philippines. The laboratory is a part of the Department of Information Systems and Computer Science at Ateneo de Manila. It hosts eBayanihan, an initiative of the Republic of the Philippines Department of Science and Technology - to improve disaster preparedness and response through innovative uses of social media and technology.

Ateneo de Manila is one of the oldest and largest universities in the Philippines. It was founded in 1859, which makes it exactly 78 times older than FireChat. It also one of the most recognised universities in Asia with 20,000 bright studious minds under its roofs. 

The university occupies a beautiful sprawling campus on the edge of an active seismic fault, the Marikina Valley Fault System. Since the Philippines are situated both on the mighty Pacific Ring of Fire and on the westward Pacific typhoon track, disaster preparedness is an everyday concern for science researchers and for all Filipinos. 

In the next few months, we will be working with faculty and students to share the “people’s network” on FireChat peer-to-peer technology with communities across the country.

Experts in disaster risk reduction acknowledge that communication in times of natural disaster is vital, “as important as food and shelter”. Efficient warning systems, timely communication and early action all mean that more lives can be saved even in the worst emergencies. 

Yet, all existing communication solutions from SMS to mobile apps are dependent on centralised cell networks or the Internet to function. When networks are congested or destroyed, as is often the case during natural disasters, back-up solutions are expensive (satellite phones) or require expert training (ham radios). 

Thankfully, a new application of our technology can help close this gap. FireChat Alerts was designed for organizations (government agencies, NGOs and select media). It functions as a large scale warning system that works even when cellular networks and Internet access are not available. 

We are honoured and grateful to be working with Ateneo de Manila on this first-of-the-world initiative to help make communities more resilient in their preparedness and response.

This short video illustrates how FireChat Alerts works. For more information please email us at alerts@opengarden.com.

Don’t miss the biggest and most awaited Color and Music Festival in the Philippines. Here’s your chance to win a pair of VIP tickets. So you can bring a friend too.

Here is how:

1. Get FireChat on your smartphone (Android or iPhone)

2. Follow this link to the Chroma2016 chatroom: http://firech.at/Chroma2016

3. Invite your friends to the Chroma2016 chatroom via Twitter and/or Facebook (with the same link: http://firech.at/Chroma2016)

4. Follow FireChat & Chroma Music Festival on Facebook and/or @firechat​app & @Chroma2016 on Twitter

That’s it. We hope to see you there!

With FireChat you can chat with your friends, even with no signal or no load. FireChat connects phones directly with one another and it’s completely free. 

The more people use FireChat, the better it works. That’s why we’re counting on you to get the word out.

See you at Chroma and on FireChat!

The FireChat team

Details:

- there will be two winners. 

- each winner get two VIP tickets

- winners will be announced on FireChat and Twitter on March 31st

- winners will be contacted via FireChat

- you must be over 18 and have a valid photo ID

To see how FireChat works, please check out this short video.

UPDATE: we now have enough people for these tests. Thank you.

We are a startup in San Francisco. 

Our technology enables people and communities to create their own free messaging network.

We are looking for people to do some simple tests in Berkeley next week. 

If you’d like to participate, please see details below. 

As a thank you, we will give you $100 in Amazon gift cards.

When: Tuesday March 8th between 1pm and 4pm (3 hours).

Where: Willard Park in Berkeley, CA (one block off Telegraph, 6 blocks from UC Berkeley)

Requirements: we are looking for people who…

- have a relatively recent Android phone 

- know how to turn on or off the WiFi and Bluetooth radios on a phone

If you fit the requirements, please follow this link to answer a few questions and apply. We will save your information for future tests.

Thank you

Come and help people in your community, while working with a fun team, and earn a generous compensation.

We are looking for enthusiastic people to represent FireChat and help create a revolutionary free communications network in Manila. With FireChat, you can send messages from your phone even if you have no signal, no data or no load.

Sounds magical? Yes, it is - and a great way to remedy bad networks and expensive mobile data. Best of all, it’s a simple app for iOS and Android, and it’s completely free.

To apply, please read the details below and contact us via email at  jobs@opengarden.com to apply

As a Network Leader, your responsibilities will be to:

- Help people and communities sign up for FireChat.

- Encourage them to invite all their friends and spread the word.

- Give us feedback about how to improve FireChat.

Requirements:

- You live in Intramuros, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, or Marikina.

- You have an iOS or Android phone with access to a cellular network.

- You are at ease with engaging people in conversation and working in teams.

FireChat has been featured many times in the BBC, Bloomberg, Rappler, ABS-CBN, CNN Philippines GMA News and The Inquirer. It was first used during the visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines in January 2015.

This is how FireChat works

We’re looking for a “go-getter”: a driven, high achieving, and resourceful person to help drive the adoption of FireChat and build “the people’s network” in the Philippines.

Built on new revolutionary technology, FireChat is an app for smartphones that allows people to communicate, even if they don’t have a network connection or data load. Communities around the world, from Taipei to Hong Kong, Paris, Moscow, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai and Manila are using FireChat to create their own network. Since its launch in March 2014, FireChat has reached the top 10 among social networking app in 124 countries.

In 2015, FireChat was the recipient of the SXSW Innovation Award for Connecting People, the Financial Times Award for Boldness in Business and the Tech4 Resilience Award. Often called “the future of the Internet”, FireChat has been featured by The Financial Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, Rappler, ABS-CBN, GMA News, The Inquirer and many other news organizations around the world.

Responsibilities: Develop the best strategies and tactics to grow the adoption and usage of FireChat in the Philippines. This includes leading and managing a team of ambassadors who are responsible for growing FireChat’s adoption.

Qualifications

- Must live in Manila

- Experience marketing a service or mobile app in the Philippines

- Excellent communication skills. Fluent in English and Filipino

- Experience engaging with and developing communities

- Experience managing people and small teams

- Background in event management, non-profit sector and marketing communications are welcome.

Please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@opengarden.com

A lot happened in 2015 as people and communities around the world embraced FireChat to overcome communications challenges. We’re also quite proud to have received 5 awards this year.

With our thanks and best wishes for 2016.

The FireChat team

2015 Highlights

Five awards

- SXSW Innovation Award
- Financial Times Boldness in Business Award
- Mashable Best Apps of all Time
- Mashable Best Social Media Apps of all Time
- Tech4Resilience Award

Historical events

- Philippines: Pope Francis’ visit (January)
- Malaysia: the Bersih anti-corruption movement (August)
- Venezuela: historical elections (December)

The “disaster-proof” app

- Ecuador: Cotopaxi volcano eruption (August)
- Mexico: hurricane Patricia (October)
- India: floods in Kashmir (April) and Chennai (December)

Reaching the unconnected masses

- News organizations such as GMA News, The Inquirer, ABS-CBN, Rappler in the Philippines
- Burning Man, music festivals and artists such as Armin Van Buuren
- Government agencies and municipalities in French Polynesia and the Philippines

The #COP21 climate talks will start in four days. They are crucial to our future as they could well be the last chance for countries to agree on legally binding agreements before it’s too late. Organizations around the world have been working for years to make ordinary citizen voices heard during the event.

The ParisAgreement and members of the Climate Action Network are pioneering an instant platform for information-sharing on a global scale, including live behind-the-scenes updates from the official negotiations. This ‘Global Live Chat’ will take place on FireChat, a free mobile app that enables public debate on a large scale and with a whole new level of interactivity.

To join the global mobilisation on COP21 and make your voice heard, simply click on this link from your mobile.

FireChat creates an instant forum that is open to everyone and expands instantly to the entire world. Hundreds of thousands of people, from Taipei to Hong Kong, Moscow, and Kuala Lumpur have used it to support democracy. It has been called “the citizen’s network” because it’s a powerful tool for very large groups of people to accomplish their goals collectively. 

FireChat scales infinitely and lets tens of thousands of people share messages and pictures in real time. It is open to NGOs, journalists, campaigners and citizens everywhere in the world. The more people use it, the better it gets. It’s completely free. Simply share this link on email, SMS, social media, a blog post…and invite others to join: http://firech.at/ParisAgreement

If you work with an NGO or with media, click here to contact us or request a verified account.

iOS 9 is here. This means taco and burrito emojis, endless debates with our friends about which features they like the most, and… a brand new version of FireChat for iOS9, available today.

Our favorite feature is 3D Touch. We love it! Here is how it works.

You’ll now find shortcuts based on touch pressure including: 

• “Quick Actions” for composing new messages and replying to friends directly from the start screen,
  
• “Peek and Pop” for instant preview of the content of chatrooms, private conversations and URLs.
  

Here are some examples of Quick Actions:

Here is how Peek and Pop can help you find and join the most interesting conversations even faster:

Thanks to iOS9 App Thinning, FireChat will take even less space on your device (down to a tight 5.6MB). Safari View Controller gives you richer content viewing directly in FireChat. And if you’re on an iPad, the Split View will allow you to multitask to your heart’s content.

Last but not least, we’re adding instant syncing with Contacts. Even if your username is PotatoMuffin78, you’ll be able to easily find and invite your friends to chat.

We can’t wait to hear what you think about the new FireChat for iOS9. 

Want to see Armin Van Buuren, Hardwell, Dash Berlin, DVBBS, NERVO, Zeds Dead, and many more of your favorite DJs? Here’s your chance to win a pair of tickets. So you could surprise a friend too. 

1. Follow this link to the SCMF chatroom on FireChat: http://firech.at/SCMF

2. Invite your EDM family to the SCMF chatroom via Twitter. Tag your friends.

3. Follow @Firechatapp and @OfficialSCMF on Twitter, so we can DM if you win.

It’s easy, follow this link on an iOS or Android phone http://firech.at/SCMF

Once you are in the SCMF chatroom, favorite it (click on the star symbol at upper right corner). The app will prepare a draft invite tweet for you when you click on the share button.

That’s it. Hope to see you there!

With FireChat, you will be able to chat with your friends, even if there is no cell coverage or Internet access. FireChat connects phones directly with one another and it’s completely free. The more people use it, the better it works. That’s why we’re counting on you to get the word out.

But that’s not all. Some of your favorite DJs will be on FireChat during Labor Day weekend. Don’t miss the chance to chat live with them. We’ll announce them here http://firech.at/SCMF

FireChat is super simple. If you want to see how it works, check out this short video from the Ultimate Music Experience in Texas too.

See you in El Paso!

The FireChat team

Details:

- two winners per weekend

- first weekend is Fri 8/21 - Sun 8/23

- second weekend is Fri 8/28 - Sun 8/30

- each winner get two tickets, valid for two days (General Admission)

- winners will be announced on FireChat and Twitter

- winners will be contacted via DM on FireChat and Twitter

- winners must pick the tickets on site at “will call” and bring a valid photo ID

- for more information about the Sun City Music Festival please visit  http://suncitymusicfestival.com/