Bitcoin Wallet Download: How Do I Get Sending Address and Private Key?

[Bitfellow]

Hi,

I have downloaded Bitcoin Wallet on an Android device. The wallet generated a receiving address automatically as expected, but the "Sending address" tab (within the Label menu) remains greyed out - presumably, until there is Bitcoin in the wallet to send.

So, the question is this: how do I get a sending address and private key before backing up the wallet and receiving Bitcoins?

Your help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Lafu]

Hi,

I have downloaded Bitcoin Wallet on an Android device. The wallet generated a receiving address automatically as expected, but the "Sending address" tab (within the Label menu) remains greyed out - presumably, until there is Bitcoin in the wallet to send.

So, the question is this: how do I get a sending address and private key before backing up the wallet and receiving Bitcoins?

Your help would be appreciated.
Thanks

Welcome to the Forum !

You only will be getting a sending address from a other User that have also a wallet !
If you want to send coins to somebody you need the address from that User that the Wallet and the Network knows where to send it.
Lets say the sending address is somebodys receiving address .
For the private Key you should be normaly can export it or shown in the settings somewhere , depends what kind of wallet you are using also .

[hosseinimr93]

What wallet are you talking about?
Some wallets don't allow you to export the private keys directly. Instead, they give you a seed phrase (a series of words) that can be used to derive the private keys.

[Charles-Tim]

So, the question is this: how do I get a sending address and private key before backing up the wallet and receiving Bitcoins?

Best to use a seed phrase wallet, seed phrase consists of 12 to 24 words that the wallet can generate for you for backup. The seed phrase can generate the private keys to the wallet and can be imported on another wallet for keys and coin recovery.

Which wallet? Because some wallets are not recommendable while some do not have the standard (recommended) derivation paths.

[sheenshane]

What kind of Bitcoin wallet?
I advise you that it must an open-source wallet like Electrum, mobile phone is prone to hack this isn't recommended.

Usually, sending address is shown on the "receive" tab button, just click it and it must be there your sending address.
In Electrum, there are 3 dots in the right corner of your mobile app, just click the "addresses" tab and you will find out your different addresses.

A private key is upon creation, you must save it or write it down on a piece of paper.

[Charles-Tim]

A private key is upon creation, you must save it or write it down on a piece of paper.

Never mind this. If using a HD wallet in which seed phrase can be used to generate master private key, there shouldn't be any need to backup the master private key. Although, if the master private key is backup, it can be used for coin recovery, but I do not see any point of master private key backup when seed phrase can be used for backup instead which are just words and easy to write down and not characters that can be difficult for backup.

[BitMaxz]

All you need is already on the sticky thread here https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1631151.0

If you want to export the private key then choose a non-custodial wallet because most custodial wallets do not support exporting the private key like the old Coinbase wallet.
All non-custodial wallets always give you a seed phrase which is very important as a backup wallet if your wallet generates a seed phrase then you don't need to worry because you can able to restore it in the future or in another wallet.

What exact Bitcoin wallet did you install?

[Findingnemo]

What do you mean by the sending address? If you created the bitcoin wallet then it must be having bitcoin address(es), you can be able to send bitcoin only if you have Bitcoin in your wallet and the receiver will get the address of your and the address of your wallet remain same and you can have as many address you want. So actually they are not separate thing, its just depends either you receive or send Bitcoin from that address.

[khaled0111]

I believe OP is talking about this wallet: Bitcoin Wallet
And it seems that this notification message he got when clicking on "Sent payments" is what confused him:

No Bitcoins sent so far
Please back up your wallet before receiving any Bitcoins!

OP, clicking on the Sent payments button is supposed to display a list of your recent sent transactions and the message you got makes perfect sense since your wallet is new and you didn't make any transaction yet.
It reminds you to back up your wallet so you don't lose your coins.
To back up your wallet: - click on the menu button (three vertical dots on the upper right corner) -> choose Safety -> Back up wallet -> set av password -> then choose where to save the wallet file on your device.

To send a payment, click on the Send Coins button on the bottom right then you can enter the address you want to send to and the amount you want to send.

[Bitfellow]

Thanks for your replies.

I see. So, if "the sending address is somebodys receiving address", it follows that my receiving address is somebody's sending address - right?

As to the private key, the downloaded mobile wallet is "Bitcoin Wallet", but without 'settings' (the 3 vertical dots).

I can only see the Bitcoin standard 'label' and 'payments' (3 descending horixontal lines/dashes) icons/tools at the righthand corner; and the "REQUEST COINS" and "SEND COINS" with camera icon at the bottom, and footer "safety notes" link.

In other words, the wallet has the standard Bitcoin Wallet layout (see link below), but without the '3 dots' at the top right corner.
   https://bitcoin.org/en/wallets/mobile/android/bitcoinwallet/?step=5&platform=android&user=beginner  

[hosseinimr93]

I see. So, if "the sending address is somebodys receiving address", it follows that my receiving address is somebody's sending address - right?

You are complicating things so much.
The receiving address is owned by you. You use it for receiving bitcoin and give it to anyone who wants to send you bitcoin.

As to the private key, the downloaded mobile wallet is "Bitcoin Wallet", but without 'settings' (the 3 vertical dots).

Below is the button khaled0111 was talking about.



Tap on that button. After that, select "Safety" and then "Back up wallet".
In this way, you can get a file which can be used for recovering the wallet in future.
I don't know whether this file is compatible with any other wallet or not.

[Bitfellow]

You are complicating things so much.
The receiving address is owned by you. You use it for receiving bitcoin and give it to anyone who wants to send you bitcoin.

No, I am not complicating things at all; but please simply read my post in the context of the original post and following welcoming reply by Lafu. The issue raised was how to activate the greyed-out "Sending address" tab within the label tool.
My comment you refered to was just a confirmation of my understanding of Lafu's solution.

Below is the button khaled0111 was talking about.

https://i.imgur.com/T0nQ2mw.jpg

Tap on that button. After that, select "Safety" and then "Back up wallet".
In this way, you can get a file which can be used for recovering the wallet in future.
I don't know whether this file is compatible with any other wallet or not.

Please understand that the marked bottons are not shown in the downloaded wallet, as mentioned earlier - which is the crux of the issue raised.

I believe OP is talking about this wallet: Bitcoin Wallet
And it seems that this notification message he got when clicking on "Sent payments" is what confused him:

No Bitcoins sent so far
Please back up your wallet before receiving any Bitcoins!

Yes, that Bitcoin Wallet; but the downloaded wallet does not have the '3 dots' (settings button) at the top righthand corner, hence the issue raised.

No, I neither got the notification message as you suggested, nor was I confused . The notification message seemed to have been generated automatically. It came with the wallet and was there when the wallet was first opened.

OP, clicking on the Sent payments button is supposed to display a list of your recent sent transactions and the message you got makes perfect sense since your wallet is new and you didn't make any transaction yet.
It reminds you to back up your wallet so you don't lose your coins.
To back up your wallet: - click on the menu button (three vertical dots on the upper right corner) -> choose Safety -> Back up wallet -> set av password -> then choose where to save the wallet file on your device.

To send a payment, click on the Send Coins button on the bottom right then you can enter the address you want to send to and the amount you want to send.

Please note that the issue was not about 'sending payments', but the greyed-out "Sending addresses" tab within the 'label' button/tool. This part of the issue has now been solved and I understand that "Sending addresses" are the recipients' receiving addresses.

What do you mean by the sending address? If you created the bitcoin wallet then it must be having bitcoin address(es), you can be able to send bitcoin only if you have Bitcoin in your wallet and the receiver will get the address of your and the address of your wallet remain same and you can have as many address you want. So actually they are not separate thing, its just depends either you receive or send Bitcoin from that address.

I meant in relation to and the context of the greyed-out "Sending addresses" tab within the 'label' button of my downloaded Bitcoin Wallet. However, I now understand that sending addresses are the recipients' receiving addresses and that aspect of the issue has been solved.

So, the question is this: how do I get a sending address and private key before backing up the wallet and receiving Bitcoins?

Best to use a seed phrase wallet, seed phrase consists of 12 to 24 words that the wallet can generate for you for backup. The seed phrase can generate the private keys to the wallet and can be imported on another wallet for keys and coin recovery.

Which wallet? Because some wallets are not recommendable while some do not have the standard (recommended) derivation paths.

The downloaded mobile wallet is Bitcoin Wallet 7.69, like the one below link points to, but without the 3-dot settings button.

https://bitcoin.org/en/wallets/mobile/android/bitcoinwallet/

I expected the wallet to generate the seed phrase automatically, as you described; but that is not the case here. Any more ideas?



The current issues are listed below.

• Bitcoin Wallet 7.69 seems to be the highest version compatible with my Android device.
• Why the settings button (3 dots) is absent in the wallet and whether there is a way to recover it.
• How to get the wallet behave as expected and generate seed phrase,  etc.

Your continued support is well appreciated.

[Upgrade00]

• Bitcoin Wallet 7.69 seems to be the highest version compatible with my Android device.
• Why the settings button (3 dots) is absent in the wallet and whether there is a way to recover it.
• How to get the wallet behave as expected and generate seed phrase,  etc.

• This is possible. The compatibility depends on the device of the user and the wallet version, newer versions would not work on certain devices.

• This could be an issue with the version you're using. The feature should possibly still be there, not just with the same layout as now recent releases.

• Browse around the software and look for the option. Or rather than getting it to behave as expected, get a wallet that's already doing that.Multiple posts in a row is against forum rules.

[khaled0111]

Bitcoin Wallet 7.69 seems to be the highest version compatible with my Android device.

This is most likely the cause of the problem. Did you get the download link from bitcoin.org? Because Bitcoin Wallet latest version is v9.03 and it requires Android 7.0 or higher.
If the Android version on your device is older than 7.0 then you should upgrade it.
If this is not an option then you should look for another wallet which can work properly on your device. I recommend Electrum. It's safe, easy to use and works properly even on Android 5.0

[Bitfellow]

This is most likely the cause of the problem. Did you get the download link from bitcoin.org? Because Bitcoin Wallet latest version is v9.03 and it requires Android 7.0 or higher.
If the Android version on your device is older than 7.0 then you should upgrade it.
If this is not an option then you should look for another wallet which can work properly on your device. I recommend Electrum. It's safe, easy to use and works properly even on Android 5.0

I agree. No, I got the download link from elsewhere, as soon as I realise that my device was incompatible with the latest Bitcoin Wallet 9.03 from bitcoin.org.

I had tried to upgrade the same device, but the logistics were painfully complex. I may try upgrading my other device instead, or most likely use Electrum, as recommended - thanks for that.

[BitMaxz]

The downloaded mobile wallet is Bitcoin Wallet 7.69, like the one below link points to, but without the 3-dot settings button.

https://bitcoin.org/en/wallets/mobile/android/bitcoinwallet/

I expected the wallet to generate the seed phrase automatically, as you described; but that is not the case here. Any more ideas?

So you are using an old version of the Bitcoin wallet and this wallet actually does not generate seed phrases, unlike other wallets.

About the greyed out "Sending addresses" it's not greyed out you need to slide it to the left to be able to go on that tab.

Maybe the old version you are using does not have 3 dots but I installed the latest one and 3 dots are working fine where you can find the safety button.
There you can able to backup your wallet and it will generate an encrypted backup file without an extension.

I suggest you if you want to use that wallet always install the latest one you can download it on Playstore or build it directly from their GitHub.

Or switch to other wallets like Electrum as other suggested above.

[Bitfellow]

So you are using an old version of the Bitcoin wallet and this wallet actually does not generate seed phrases, unlike other wallets.

About the greyed out "Sending addresses" it's not greyed out you need to slide it to the left to be able to go on that tab.

Maybe the old version you are using does not have 3 dots but I installed the latest one and 3 dots are working fine where you can find the safety button.
There you can able to backup your wallet and it will generate an encrypted backup file without an extension.

I suggest you if you want to use that wallet always install the latest one you can download it on Playstore or build it directly from their GitHub.

Or switch to other wallets like Electrum as other suggested above.

Thanks for your reply. It is helpful to know your thoughts about the "Sending addresses" tab. It would probably be active and slideable, as you suggested when the tab becomes populated with sending addresses. Quite right, Electrum is the most likely  other side of the coin - so to say.

[Charles-Tim]

I had tried to upgrade the same device, but the logistics were painfully complex. I may try upgrading my other device instead, or most likely use Electrum, as recommended - thanks for that.

For Electrum, you can download it directly from Electrum official site, https://electrum.org, you can also verify its signature to make sure the site has not been compromised before you downloaded the wallet.

Electrum will generate you seed phrase, this is a 12 word backup which can be able to generate your keys and addresses anytime you import it on another Electrum wallet or wallet like Bluewallet. So, with the seed phrase, you can be able to access your coins and spend it or not.

Note: Electrum seed phrase is not BIP39 seed phrase. Although, you can import seed phrase from BIP39 wallet on Electrum but you can not import Electrum wallet seed phrase on BIP39 wallet except few like Bluewallet that I only know about.

[Bitfellow]

I understand that Electrum charges a flat rate fee.  If so, could you please help with these -

• Is the flat rate fee 0.2mBTC or 2mBTC, mBTC meaning milliBTC or one thousandth (1/1000) BTC - as if Bitcoin and cryptocurrency generally were not complicated enough.
• Accordingly, 0.2mBTC or  2mBTC means 0.0002BTC or 0.002BTC (~6USD or 60USD)?
• Are there any other additional fee?
• Does any Electrum fee apply to all transactions (i.e. receiving and sending Bitcoins)?
• Any other thing I need to know about Electrum mobile wallet?

For Electrum, you can download it directly from Electrum official site, https://electrum.org, you can also verify its signature to make sure the site has not been compromised before you are about to download the wallet.

Electrum will generate you seed phrase, this is a 12 word backup which can be able to generate your keys and addresses anytime you import it on another Electrum wallet or wallet like Bluewallet. So, with the seed phrase, you can be able to access your coins and spend it or not.

Note: Electrum seed phrase is not BIP39 seed phrase. Although, you can import seed phrase from BIP39 wallet on Electrum but you can not import Electrum wallet seed phrase on BIP39 wallet except few like Bluewallet that I only know about.

Thanks for your reply. Briefly, how do I verify Electrum mobile (Android) wallet signature specifically; and what is "BIP39 seed phrase"?

[hosseinimr93]

I understand that Electrum charges a flat rate fee.  .......

Electrum doesn't charge any fee and do everything freely.
All the fee you pay goes to miners.

Are there any other additional fee?

You pay extra fee only if you make transaction from a 2FA wallet.
In an electrum 2FA wallet, transactions must be signed by a third party called trusted coin and you have to pay extra fee for their service.
Again, in a normal wallet, you don't pay any extra fee.

Does any Electrum fee apply to all transactions (i.e. receiving and sending Bitcoins)?

You don't pay any fee for receiving transactions.
The miners fee is always paid by the one who makes the transaction.