Methods and systems are presented in this disclosure that enable mobile devices without access to an active network connection (e.g. cellular, satellite or Internet network) to communicate between each other by sending and receiving data packets (e.g. text, location, or image) through a mesh of connected devices. A mobile device receives a request to send a packet having an identifier of a recipient device. Based on the identifier, the mobile device determines whether the recipient device is in a list of mobile devices within a wireless range of the mobile device. Based on the determination, the mobile device includes the packet into an outgoing queue having packets for forwarding. The mobile device establishes one or more connections with one or more mobile devices in the list, and forwards one or more packets from the outgoing queue to the one or more mobile devices using the one or more connections.