Bluetooth/WiFi peer-to-peer messaging for protest organizers and participants. Works completely offline — no internet connection, no shared WiFi network, and no cellular service required. Everything runs over airplane mode.

• Event Creation & Management - Organizers create events with 6-digit access codes
• Bluetooth P2P Messaging - Off-grid communication via Google Nearby Connections, no WiFi needed
• Broadcast Messages - Organizers blast messages to all connected participants
• Panic Button - Emergency alert system that notifies everyone instantly
• Crowd Map - Live map showing participant locations with GPS + proximity estimation
• Privacy-First - No accounts, no cloud, all communication is local and ephemeral

• Two iPhones running iOS 16 or later
• A Mac or PC with Node.js 18+ installed
• Bluetooth enabled on both phones (no WiFi, no internet, no shared network required)

1. Open the App Store on each iPhone
2. Search for "Expo Go"
3. Install the app (it is free)

Open a terminal and run:

cd /path/to/Activistly
npm install

npx expo start

This will display a QR code in your terminal.

1. On iPhone 1 (the Organizer):

   • Open the Camera app
   • Point it at the QR code displayed in your terminal
   • Tap the Expo Go banner that appears to open the app

2. On iPhone 2 (the Protestor):

   • Do the same thing -- scan the QR code with the Camera app
   • Tap to open in Expo Go

Note: If the QR code does not connect, press s in the terminal to switch to tunnel mode, then re-scan.

When the app opens on each phone, it will ask for permissions. Accept all of them:

• Bluetooth - Required for P2P communication
• Location - Required for the crowd map feature
• Local Network (iOS) - Required for Bluetooth device discovery (no actual network connection needed)

1. Type an event name (e.g., "March for Justice")
2. Tap "Create an Event"
3. Note the 6-digit access code shown in the popup (e.g., 482931)
4. Tap OK to dismiss
5. Tap "Start Event (Organizer)"
6. The phone is now advertising via Bluetooth and waiting for participants

1. Tap "Join an Event"
2. Wait a few seconds -- the organizer's event should appear under "Available Events"
3. Type the 6-digit access code in the text field
4. Tap "Join" next to the event name
5. You are now connected to the organizer

Messaging:

• On the organizer phone, type a message and tap "Send Blast" -- it appears on the protestor's screen
• On the protestor phone, type a message and tap "Send" -- it appears on the organizer's screen

Panic Button:

• On either phone, tap "PANIC ALERT"
• Optionally type an emergency description
• Tap "Send Alert" -- the other phone shows an emergency popup

Crowd Map:

• On either phone, toggle "Show me on map" to ON
• Optionally toggle "Share my GPS" to ON
• Tap "View Crowd Map" to see participants on a live map

expo-nearby-connections requires a development build (not just Expo Go) to use native Bluetooth APIs. If Bluetooth features do not work in Expo Go, you need to create a development build:

# Install EAS CLI
npm install -g eas-cli

# Log in to Expo
npx eas login

# Create a development build for iOS
npx eas build --profile development --platform ios

This generates an installable .ipa file. Install it on both iPhones via:

1. Download the build from the link EAS provides
2. Or use npx eas build:run -p ios if you have a simulator

For testing on real iPhones with full Bluetooth support:

# Register your devices first
npx eas device:create

# Build for internal distribution
npx eas build --profile development --platform ios --local

Then install the build on each iPhone using the QR code or link provided by EAS.

Once the development build is installed, start the dev server with:

npx expo start --dev-client

Scan the QR code from within the installed development build (not Expo Go).

• React Native + Expo SDK 54
• expo-nearby-connections (Google Nearby Connections API)
• expo-location + react-native-maps
• TypeScript