Legacy Wallet on Android app?

[undefinedd]

Hi, I have some funds on an old wallet that only has legacy addresses. Unfortunately, Electrum does not accept legacy deposits.

I read that there is a way to create a legacy wallet on Electrum on the desktop.

How can I do this on the Android app?

[nc50lc]

What do you mean by "legacy deposits"?
Because the android version of Electrum like the PC version can always accept both non-SegWit and SegWit transactions.

[ranochigo]

You cannot create legacy addresses on Electrum, on Android anymore. The only way is through the console which is unfortunately not an option with Android.

You'll have to either use another wallet or on your computer.

[NeuroticFish]

Hi, I have some funds on an old wallet that only has legacy addresses. Unfortunately, Electrum does not accept legacy deposits.

I read that there is a way to create a legacy wallet on Electrum on the desktop.

How can I do this on the Android app?

Electrum allows whatever Bitcoin blockchain allows. Hence sending funds to legacy addresses is fully allowed. There must be a misunderstanding and you should explain much better what's your problem.
The only thing I remember that may not work is that certain 3rd party services cannot handle Bech32 or SegWit addresses. However, please explain better your problem so we don't have to guess.

Now, if you really-really want to create a legacy wallet in Electrum for Android, one way would be:
1. Run offline(*) https://iancoleman.io/bip39/ or, better, https://github.com/iancoleman/bip39
2. For a few addresses copy the private keys (you may need this especially for backup)
3. When create a wallet in Electrum for Android, use "Import Bitcoin addresses or private keys" path. Paste the private key(s) or scan the QR you can see if you hover the private key on Ian Coleman page.

(*) Your funds' safety depends on how you generate, use and store these private keys. If you just open a website, stop the internet for a few minutes to use it the start internet again, that's not considered safe. Storing/transferring private keys via mail, dropbox or such is also unsafe. So I wouldn't do this for really useful/bigger wallets.

[HCP]

Hi, I have some funds on an old wallet that only has legacy addresses. Unfortunately, Electrum does not accept legacy deposits.

I read that there is a way to create a legacy wallet on Electrum on the desktop.

How can I do this on the Android app?

While the Android app (like the desktop version) doesn't support creating legacy wallets by default... There is a way to force the desktop version to generate a "legacy" seed. You goto the console in the desktop app and use:

Code:

make_seed(seed_type="standard")

That'll give you something like this:

Code:

>>> make_seed(seed_type="standard")
"soap advice amused owner toast bacon sound giant submit must index glory"
>>>

and then you simply use the "I already have a seed" option when creating a "standard" wallet in the Android app and enter that seed. This will generate a legacy wallet full of "1-type" addresses


But, as others have noted, there is technically no reason that you can't send from ANY type of Bitcoin address to ANY other type of Bitcoin address... the limitations are generally just because the wallet devs haven't updated the wallet (be it web, desktop or mobile app etc) to support the bech32 (aka "bc1") addresses that Electrum defaults to.

[BlackHatCoiner]

Electrum does not accept legacy deposits.

It actually does; what it does not accept is legacy invoices. You can normally send BTC to a legacy address, what you can't do is generate one. May I ask why you want to generate one? You'll have to pay a greater fee for each transaction you make. The SegWit war didn't happen arbitrarily. 

But, to answer your question I think the Bitcoin Wallet, from play store, still allows you to generate those.

[Charles-Tim]

But, to answer your question I think the Bitcoin Wallet, from play store, still allows you to generate those.

I think using Iancoleman offline or best run the html file on airgapped device and select the BIP44 derivation path will be better. The seed phrase can be imported on Electrum while making sure the seedphrase correspond to the keys and addresses.

I have just downloaded Bitcoin wallet, I was unable to generate seed phrase, or is there anything I was getting wrong? I also press on the safety notes, this is what that popped up on the screen in the below image.



If truly this wallet do not generate seed phrase, I do not think it should be a good wallet to use. Although, I saw something like in-app backup.

@undefinedd, you can send to segwit address from legacy or any other bitcoin address type, if that is the reason you want to generate a legacy Bitcoin wallet on Electrum, then do not bother, just generate segwit, you will be able to send to the segwit from the legacy address and also use use low fee during segwit transactions, the fee will be reduced by 42% to around 52% depending on your transaction input and output if compared to legacy.

[ranochigo]

I think using Iancoleman offline or best run the html file on airgapped device and select the BIP44 derivation path will be better. The seed phrase can be imported on Electrum while making sure the seedphrase correspond to the keys and addresses.

I have just downloaded Bitcoin wallet, I was unable to generate seed phrase, or is there anything I was getting wrong? I also press on the safety notes, this is what that popped up on the screen in the below image.



If truly this wallet do not generate seed phrase, I do not think it should be a good wallet to use. Although, I saw something like in-app backup.

Nothing wrong with that wallet. Infact it is one of the earliest wallets for Android. They don't use BIP39 but the seed is contained within the backup in a different format. Just back it up like you would for a Bitcoin Core wallet.

I would strongly advise against generating seeds in browsers, moreso for browsers within mobile OSes. There is no guarantees whether the functions are executed correctly and Android hasn't historically been great with generating sufficient entropy either, fault lies more with the developers but still. It'll be far better to use the app that BlackHatCoiner mentioned, more well tested and straightforward to use.

If OP still prefers seeds, there are other wallets on Android which supports that. I'd rather choose a different wallet than going through so many hurdles to use legacy addresses on Electrum whilst exposing myself to so many attack vectors.

[HCP]

If truly this wallet do not generate seed phrase, I do not think it should be a good wallet to use. Although, I saw something like in-app backup.

The wallet does use a seed phrase... but it's not shown to the end user, and there is no way in the app to get it to display. However, it is possible to decrypt a wallet backup to get hold of the seed phrase.

If you create a wallet backup in the app, you can decrypt it using OpenSSL:

Code:

openssl enc -d -aes-256-cbc -a -md md5 -in bitcoin-wallet-backup-YYYY-MM-DD -out decrypted

This creates a decrypted copy of the binary wallet file named 'decrypted'... I believe it is a BitcoinJ compatible wallet file format. In any case, you'll be able to see the 12 word seed in plaintext shown at the top of the file like this:

Code:

head -5 decrypted

or use a text editor to view.


Alternatively, you can use something like this to extract the seed: https://github.com/gurnec/decrypt_bitcoinj_seed

[undefinedd]

Thanks everybody for the answers. I don't know how to multiquote on this forum.

Basically, I have my funds in a Copay wallet, but I don't want to use that wallet anymore since its outdated and not very secure.

I downloaded Electrum since is one of the recommended in bitcoin.org, but the problem is I can't recover my wallet from Copay to Electrum because the seed is in another language.

So I thought of sending the funds from my old wallet to a new one in Electrum. Problem is, Copay does not send to the "bc1" address that Electrum gives me. I googled and it appears that, "bc1" addresses are bech32 ones, and the ones that start with a "1" are legacy ones.

Electrum gives me only "bc1" address for deposit. So I think I have to somehow create a "legacy wallet" on Electrum, right?

Is there other way to transfer my funds from my old Copay wallet to Electrum?

Electrum does not accept legacy deposits.

It actually does; what it does not accept is legacy invoices. You can normally send BTC to a legacy address, what you can't do is generate one. May I ask why you want to generate one? You'll have to pay a greater fee for each transaction you make. The SegWit war didn't happen arbitrarily. 

But, to answer your question I think the Bitcoin Wallet, from play store, still allows you to generate those.

I want to send funds from an old Copay wallet that only supports legacy addresses. I tried the Bitcoin Wallet but it doesn't have a mnemonic phrase, only a file to save your wallet. I feel like the mnemonic phrase is easier to store.

[BlackHatCoiner]

Thanks everybody for the answers. I don't know how to multiquote on this forum.

You can't.  

Electrum gives me only "bc1" address for deposit. So I think I have to somehow create a "legacy wallet" on Electrum, right?

Yes, there is. If you're on PC click on View —> Show Console and then type on it:

Code:

make_seed(seed_type="standard")

Take the seed that it'll return you, click on File —> New/Restore —> Next —> Standard Wallet —> I already have a seed —> enter it —> Next and there you have it. A hierarchical deterministic wallet with only legacy addresses.

[o_e_l_e_o]

Creating a seed on the PC version of Electrum and restoring it to your mobile wallet as HCP and BlackHatCoiner have suggested is probably the easiest solution to get a legacy wallet on your phone. There is no way to directly create a legacy wallet on the latest versions of the Android app. What you could do, however, if you have no access to a desktop computer, is uninstall your Android app (make sure you have the seed phrase to any wallets you have created first!), and then install a version from before 4.1.0, which is when the option to create legacy wallets was removed. Once you have created your legacy wallet, you can then update again to the latest version and your legacy wallet will still be accessible.

You'll need to download the appropriate .apk file to your phone from here - https://download.electrum.org/4.0.9/. You'll want the arm64 file for a 64 bit OS and armeabi one for a 32 bit OS. You'll then need to go in to your phone settings and allow "installing from unknown sources", or something similar, before executing the file.

[undefinedd]

Thanks everybody for the answers. I don't know how to multiquote on this forum.

You can't.  

Electrum gives me only "bc1" address for deposit. So I think I have to somehow create a "legacy wallet" on Electrum, right?

Yes, there is. If you're on PC click on View —> Show Console and then type on it:

Code:

make_seed(seed_type="standard")

Take the seed that it'll return you, click on File —> New/Restore —> Next —> Standard Wallet —> I already have a seed —> enter it —> Next and there you have it. A hierarchical deterministic wallet with only legacy addresses.

Creating a seed on the PC version of Electrum and restoring it to your mobile wallet as HCP and BlackHatCoiner have suggested is probably the easiest solution to get a legacy wallet on your phone. There is no way to directly create a legacy wallet on the latest versions of the Android app. What you could do, however, if you have no access to a desktop computer, is uninstall your Android app (make sure you have the seed phrase to any wallets you have created first!), and then install a version from before 4.1.0, which is when the option to create legacy wallets was removed. Once you have created your legacy wallet, you can then update again to the latest version and your legacy wallet will still be accessible.

You'll need to download the appropriate .apk file to your phone from here - https://download.electrum.org/4.0.9/. You'll want the arm64 file for a 64 bit OS and armeabi one for a 32 bit OS. You'll then need to go in to your phone settings and allow "installing from unknown sources", or something similar, before executing the file.

Ok, thanks to both. I guess I will have to download the desktop app. Once I create the wallet and transfer the funds there. Will I be able to transfer the funds in the future, out of that new wallet, using bench32 addresses? Or are those funds stuck to legacy addresses?

I didn't want to create the seed on the PC because it is easier to catch a malware there than on a phone I think, but I don't do anything weird on the PC so I guess I will be fine.


Also, what would be the safest way to create a seed for "long storage" (don't plan to use the funds in the near future) beside a hardware wallet? I can format a PC, install Windows from Microsoft, download Electrum for desktop, create the seed, format the pc again. Would that be "enough"?

[BlackHatCoiner]

Ok, thanks to both. I guess I will have to download the desktop app.

Download from the official site only and verify the signature: https://electrum.org/

Once I create the wallet and transfer the funds there. Will I be able to transfer the funds in the future, out of that new wallet, using bench32 addresses? Or are those funds stuck to legacy addresses?

Once you create an electrum wallet, you'll be able to send wherever you want. Whether it's legacy, bech32 or segwit nested (starting with “3”).

I didn't want to create the seed on the PC because it is easier to catch a malware there than on a phone I think, but I don't do anything weird on the PC so I guess I will be fine.

If you believe that your computer is maliciously affected, then don't. Use a laptop you believe it's better or format it. If these coins are significant to your wealth, then you surely wouldn't want to lose them that way.

Also, what would be the safest way to create a seed for "long storage" (don't plan to use the funds in the near future) beside a hardware wallet? I can format a PC, install Windows from Microsoft, download Electrum for desktop, create the seed, format the pc again. Would that be "enough"?

In a way. There are some extra steps you've skipped, but more or less, that's the procedure yes.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

Nothing wrong with that wallet. Infact it is one of the earliest wallets for Android.

Yeah, I remember that was one of, if not the first, wallets I ever downloaded for my Android.  It's from the same makers as the basic dogecoin wallet for Android if I'm not mistaken, and there's something about how you shouldn't receive payments from faucets because they have so many outputs and it can basically break the wallet. 

I created an Electrum wallet for the desktop version, and it was non-segwit when I did so.  But when I opened it the other day, all the addresses had changed to segwit ones--I thought that was very strange.  Anyone know why that happened?  I know it doesn't answer OP's question, but it's kind of related.

[ranochigo]

I created an Electrum wallet for the desktop version, and it was non-segwit when I did so.  But when I opened it the other day, all the addresses had changed to segwit ones--I thought that was very strange.  Anyone know why that happened?  I know it doesn't answer OP's question, but it's kind of related.

That isn't supposed to happen. Electrum doesn't convert their user's wallet, that would be kind of dumb. Considering that they've tried so hard to differentiate different kinds of wallets using their seeds. You might've opened the wrong wallet or something.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

I created an Electrum wallet for the desktop version, and it was non-segwit when I did so.  But when I opened it the other day, all the addresses had changed to segwit ones--I thought that was very strange.  Anyone know why that happened?  I know it doesn't answer OP's question, but it's kind of related.

That isn't supposed to happen. Electrum doesn't convert their user's wallet, that would be kind of dumb. Considering that they've tried so hard to differentiate different kinds of wallets using their seeds. You might've opened the wrong wallet or something.

Huh.  I actually named the wallet "Non Segwit" and created it to be such, so I'm not sure what happened.  I'll take a second look and try restoring the wallet from the seed phrase, but I'm 99.9% sure it should be non-segwit.  Weird.

Edit:  Nope, I checked the seed phrase and it matches.  That wallet was created as a non-segwit one, and I also noticed that creating a new non-segwit wallet isn't even an option anymore.  Are you sure Electrum would not be able to do that?

As already stated by ranochigo, it's impossible that your addresses change.
When it comes to eletrum's seed phrase, there is no way to create a segwit wallet from a seed generated for a legacy wallet at all.

As there's no doubt the two of you know far more than I do, I have no choice but to believe you.  I could swear that I created that wallet as a non-segwit one and even saw the address list, and all of them started with a "1".  No big deal since I had no funds in it, but I don't know what happened. 

[hosseinimr93]

and I also noticed that creating a new non-segwit wallet isn't even an option anymore.  

In Electrum versions 4.1.0 and after that, you can't generate a legacy wallet using the GUI.
Of course, you can still import a legacy wallet (whether a BIP39 seed or a electrum's seed) into electrum. You can also generate a legacy seed phrase using console.

As already stated by ranochigo, it's impossible that your addresses change.
When it comes to eletrum's seed phrase, there is no way to create a segwit wallet from a seed generated for a legacy wallet at all.

[BlackHatCoiner]

Huh.  I actually named the wallet "Non Segwit" and created it to be such, so I'm not sure what happened.  I'll take a second look and try restoring the wallet from the seed phrase, but I'm 99.9% sure it should be non-segwit.  Weird.

What was your Electrum version? There were versions prior to the recent one, that allowed you to have legacy hierarchical deterministic wallets, but if you generated it as a legacy and then you restored it as a segwit, it does, indeed, sound weird. You're most probably the one who made a mistake. What I'm trying to think is what kind of mistake could that be...

Are you sure Electrum would not be able to do that?

I hope so, but you're swearing...  

What could have you done wrong, really? This would be a strong feedback to the electrum community; an achievement.  

[o_e_l_e_o]

I didn't want to create the seed on the PC because it is easier to catch a malware there than on a phone I think, but I don't do anything weird on the PC so I guess I will be fine.

Why not download and verify the desktop version, create a legacy wallet, send the funds there, then immediately send them out to a segwit mobile wallet, if that's where you want your coins to ultimately end up. Wait until the fees are lower to do this though if you are not in a hurry, to save yourself as much as possible on the two transactions.

Also, what would be the safest way to create a seed for "long storage" (don't plan to use the funds in the near future) beside a hardware wallet? I can format a PC, install Windows from Microsoft, download Electrum for desktop, create the seed, format the pc again. Would that be "enough"?

This all depends. What are you planning to do with the seed phrase once you have created it? Are you making a paper wallet? Do you want to import the seed phrase to a wallet you can access?
You are thinking along the right lines, but you have got some things incorrect. The OS you use should not be Windows, but rather an open source Linux distro. You shouldn't download anything to the computer after you have formatted it - it shouldn't even have an internet connection. You should remove any WiFi hardware and unplug any ethernet cables or similar before you start the process to ensure it is permanently disconnected from the internet. Any software, such as Electrum, should be downloaded and verified on a different device and then transferred to your airgapped device using a USB drive.