Importing addresses without sweeping

[BlockDiva]

I'm looking for a wallet that will allow me to import an address previously managed by another wallet without sweeping it, thereby avoiding the transaction fee.

Suggestions appreciated.

[jackg]

Where are you importing it from? What sort of wallet were you using before or do you just have a private key?

If you just have the private key or a mnemonic phrase you can import it into electrum and it won't charge you a fee...

[pooya87]

you can't sweep an address, and if you import it then it will be watch-only meaning you can't spend from it. you need private key to sweep or import while being able to spend from that address. as @jackg said you can do it using Electrum but know that you have to create a new wallet and in the creation window that appears you have to enter the key with its script type otherwise you can not import a key into an existing wallet with seed.

also be warned that sweeping is mostly about avoiding any possible vulnerability in the original wallet. otherwise if you import the key, it will still remain in the original wallet. if it were vulnerable (a web wallet, a wallet that had broken RNG, the original wallet gets hacked some day,...) you will lose your funds.

[bob123]

A lot of wallets offer that option.

But your post is missing tons of information, such as:

• The wallet you currently are using
• Any wallet you would prefer, have an eye on
• Any features the wallet should have (besides importing private keys)
• The platform (pc, mobile? Windows, linux?) you are using

If you want proper suggestions, you need to create a post containing more information than "im looking for a wallet which can import private keys"..

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

I'm looking for a wallet that will allow me to import an address previously managed by another wallet without sweeping it, thereby avoiding the transaction fee.

To import one address from wallet A to wallet B (different softwares) you need to check wallet B supports the BIP used by wallet A or not.

Sweep is another way to move your bitcoin from wallet A to wallet B and it charges fee (not free).

Importing Vs Sweeping Private Keys; What you need to know.

[bob123]

To import one address from wallet A to wallet B (different softwares) you need to check wallet B supports the BIP used by wallet A or not.

What?

OP wants to import a single private key into a different wallet.
This has nothing to do with the mnemonic codes and seeds you probably are referring to with "BIP" (BIP39).

Sweep is another way to move your bitcoin from wallet A to wallet B.

And OP explicitly mentioned he does not want to sweep his coins (which creates a transaction) but just wants to import the private key.
When importing a key, the coins are not moved. You'll just gain the possibility to move your coins with another software.

[DaveF]

How many addresses?
Can you get the private keys?

On the desktop, with bitcoincore you can import keys without sweeping.
On mobile Mycelium (at least the android version) allows you to import private keys too.

But, as others have said without more information of what you have / need it's tough to make a suggestion.

-Dave

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

OP is unclear on private key or address. Title and OP say about address.

Import an address will create a Watch-only wallet
Import a private key will create a wallet that can be used to spend bitcoin from it.

[Oshosondy]

OP is unclear on private key or address. Title and OP say about address.

You are right, normally private key can be sweeped, this often happens if someone wants to move his bitcoin from paper wallet to wallet like electrum because paper wallet generates only one private key. The op did not even know if it is one or two or more private keys.  And also private key can be sweeped but address can not. I will advice op to learn more about private key and wallets very well before making any move at all, he can ask more question here of anything he is not clear about.