How do Smartphone-Wallets work?

[turvarya]

Hi,

I am currently using Bitcoin-QT on my PC. That means I have the whole blockchain downloaded there.

I'd like to use a Wallet on my Phone and have tried 2 Apps.

First one was https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.schildbach.wallet which took forever to start the "Scan QR" process(I have a slow Smartphone)

Second one was https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=piuk.blockchain.android, but there I have to make an account on https://blockchain.info/wallet/ and send my BTC to a wallet, I don't controll. I don't wanna do that, since I lost most of my BTC on MtGox(yeah, I am stupid).

So, I was wondering, when I don't have to make an account for the first App, where is the blockchain? It is obviously not on my Smartphone.

Does anybody know a good Smartphone wallet?

[farlack]

I think the blockchain app is blockchain.info and I think the blockchain.info you can download your keys.

[SirWilliam]

KnC Wallet seems to work well. You can get $5 of free bitcoin right now too while their Chicago Sun-Times-sponsored promotion lasts:

http://kncwallet.com/

http://www.coindesk.com/knc-chicago-sun-times-launch-prefunded-bitcoin-wallet/

Note: obviously I would use this as an actual "wallet" for storing and spending and receiving smaller amounts of bitcoin, with a paper wallet or offline wallet to separately store any larger amount of coins...

[turvarya]

I think the blockchain app is blockchain.info and I think the blockchain.info you can download your keys.

I just read the FAQ and you seem to be right(if what they say is true):

Is it secure? Will another mybitcoin.com situation occur again?

Yes, it is, and no, we are protected from such situations as all of your private keys are encrypted with your password before leaving your computer. We do not hold a copy of your password, and thus are unable to view or spend your Bitcoins. You retain full control of your private keys, so your wallets can never be seized or blocked and can be imported into any desktop Bitcoin client.

https://blockchain.info/wallet/wallet-faq

[Meuh6879]

Android Bitcoin Wallet (schildbach) is a merkles tree system ... you can tranfer to it, a small amount of bitcoin (like 100mBTC) and work with it.

When you first start the application, bitcoin adress to receive are created like bitcoin-QT.
no account, this application work ONLY on real bitcoin network with merkles tree summary system (it don't download the blockchain ...)

that's why, before receive or buy with this app, you must wait and observe the block in "surveillance" sheet (to view the last block).
personaly, i create a new adress when this app have finish to retrieve the merkles tree summary system ... to have a valid adress in any time.

i use this app all the time to "purge" my bitcoin-QT of lines ... and have a clean new wallet every 15 days (for example).
fee : 0,0002 BTC.

[BitcoinQTlol]

you can export your private keys from blockchain.info so if the site goes down u can still recover ur funds

also u shouldn't keep no more than a few hundred bucks in ur 'hot' wallet anyway.

rest = cold storage

[turvarya]

that's why, before receive or buy with this app, you must wait and observe the block in "surveillance" sheet (to view the last block).

Is that why I have to wait that Long, before I can scan a QR-Code?

[Meuh6879]

possible.
in Wifi, it's short (few seconds on 10MBit/s) ... in 3G (128-500kBit/s) ... take some minutes.