What needs to be improved or added to your preferred BTC Wallet?

[Forsyth Jones]

I created this topic to leave our feedback, compliments, suggestions and dissatisfactions about the main BTC wallets (BTC Only or not), in order to exchange ideas on what needs to be added and/or improved in them.

For example, if you really like a wallet, but it is not open source, you can highlight this point here, or if you think that some function within your wallet does not make sense, you can mention that.

Another example: I think the XYZ wallet is very safe, but it does not have the option to set fees manually (sat/vbyte), instead, the fee options offered by the wallet are either too high or too low (bitcoin wallet for android).

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[Hatchy]

For example, if you really like a wallet, but it is not open source, you can highlight this point here, or if you think that some function within your wallet does not make sense, you can mention that.
Another example: I think the XYZ wallet is very safe, but it does not have the option to set fees manually (sat/vbyte), instead, the fee options offered by the wallet are either too high or too low (bitcoin wallet for android).

There are varieties of wallets out there. Some that suits what ever need we pursue. But what matters the most is to use only wallets that are safe and secured. This is more reasons it's adviced to use an open source wallet.  When it comes to the safety of our coins as a Bitcoiner, you should use only reputable wallets.
For me. Electrum still stands the best. That's because, when I had newly started my journey as a Bitcoiner, I used Mycelium wallet as my hot wallet which i taught was safe not until I started having so many issues. Most times, the wallet fails to update my balance for days then I'm forced to reimport my seed phrases. There fees were not adjustable and were always different compared to other wallets. So I just moved on to learning electrum and then began using it. Since Ive been using electrum, I haven't experienced any problem like I did before.

[BitMaxz]

I used Mycelium wallet as my hot wallet which i taught was safe not until I started having so many issues. Most times, the wallet fails to update my balance for days then I'm forced to reimport my seed phrases. There fees were not adjustable and were always different compared to other wallets. So I just moved on to learning electrum and then began using it. Since Ive been using electrum, I haven't experienced any problem like I did before.

Mycelium is safe based on my experience the only issue that I experienced on using Mycelium is a sync issue it keeps syncing preventing the balance from updating. Another issue with Mycelium it doesn't support bump fees or RBF transactions and has no open-source code. We did the same thing moving to the Electrum wallet Mycelium does not have many features the same as the Electrum wallet like bump fee even though the Mycelium has a bump fee the function is different in Mycelium it is CPFP but for Electrum it is RBF.

Another wallet that I like is Bitcoin Core the only problem is it doesn't have a lite version just like Electrum if you want Bitcoin Core to be used to its full function you need to download the whole blockchain to be able to use most of the commands/parameters available on the full node. The only downside of this is you need a big space or HDD but you can still able to use Bitcoin core and pruned node with limited function. Have you ever heard someone hacked with a Bitcoin core wallet? Electrum has faced phishing issues in the past.

[Z-tight]

For example, if you really like a wallet, but it is not open source, you can highlight this point here, or if you think that some function within your wallet does not make sense, you can mention that.

Another example: I think the XYZ wallet is very safe, but it does not have the option to set fees manually (sat/vbyte), instead, the fee options offered by the wallet are either too high or too low (bitcoin wallet for android).

There are wallets that have all the basic features for security and convenience, so instead of posting here that "i like and use this wallet, but it is not open source", switch to open source and recommended wallets. Electrum is a well reviewed and recommended wallet and has most of the features a bitcoiner needs, however, its Android version lacked some features previously, but now you can sign and verify BTC messages on Electrum Android and also use coin control, though you cannot customize tx fees yet fees on Android.

[Yamane_Keto]

Bitcoin wiki and bitcoinops compatibility have lists of some wallet comparisons that may be useful for those who want to see the basic features.

You did not specifically mention whether you mean Android wallets or all Bitcoin wallets, but the usage is what determines what you are looking for. If you want to use it for holding Bitcoin, wallet need to support the basics such as customizing fees, open source code, coincontrol, and if you want to use it for daily payments, then support the Lightning Network. is what you will be looking for.

Mobile wallets are usually for small, daily payments, and the option to use Bitcoin is limited due to transaction fees, so better support for the Lightning Network and sidenets should be the direction of developers.

Things I miss:
Better support for L2 and sidechains.
Better support for miniscripts.
Better privacy options.

[mk4]

BlueWallet is a great wallet that I recommend to newbies every single time.

While Blue Wallet has multi-wallet support, I wish they had better multi-wallet support for sort of power users. Their multi-wallet support is just bad UX-wise if you have dozens of hot wallets, but I understand because making the UX Electrum-like would add a lot of unnecessary bloat for a feature that only a small minority would use.

[pooya87]

The only option that I have always wanted to see and there is no wallet for that yet is the option to let the use easily take advantage of the Bitcoin smart contract system. That is the Bitcoin script language not the shittoken creation that unfortunately "smart contract" is usually translated into.

For example if you wanted to create a smart contract with a condition (OP_IF family), maybe even some nested conditions (OP_IF inside an OP_IF ), use a locktime (like OP_CLTV) and a couple of public keys and check sig ops you'll have to write such a script manually then bend over backwards to sign it and maybe get an address out of it and send some funds. That is only if you are lucky and haven't made a mistake and locked your coins forever!

An easy to use GUI that helps you create these smart contracts and verifies them behind the scene can be very helpful. Although writing something like that has its own complexities and requires a very good understanding of the Bitcoin script language that in certain places has "special" behavior!

[Yamane_Keto]

For example if you wanted to create a smart contract with a condition (OP_IF family), maybe even some nested conditions (OP_IF inside an OP_IF ), use a locktime (like OP_CLTV) and a couple of public keys and check sig ops you'll have to write such a script manually then bend over backwards to sign it and maybe get an address out of it and send some funds. That is only if you are lucky and haven't made a mistake and locked your coins forever!

Miniscript is receiving more attention and development is continuing, almost the most wallet that supports Miniscript https://github.com/AreaLayer/FireBolt you can try it. There is also https://min.sc
I see that some Lightning wallets have started exploiting Bitcoin's Taproot Upgrade to enhance privacy and user experience, but we need to wait about a year to see more use cases.

[Findingnemo]

Electrum android has limited features compared to the desktop versions, if we assume the Electrum android as hot wallet and meant to be used on a day-to-day basis then it should have more flexibility, the only two important things that miss out for now is to set the fees manually, like we can't enter our own desired fee rate on electrum android while its possible in desktop version.

Another thing is that still it doesn't have coin control feature to individually select UTXOs for our transactions.

[SFR10]

the function is different in Mycelium it is CPFP but for Electrum it is RBF.

Am I correct in assuming that you were referring to the Android version of Electrum ^{[the latter has both of these bump fee features on its desktop version]}?
^{- I find it strange that users don't get the same set of features on all of the platforms!}
@Forsyth Jones

• For Electrum, I'd add Taproot support ^{[for some reason, they hate it when someone asks them about it]}, custom entropy and spaced address displays.
• For Stack Wallet, I'd add PSBTs, RBF, CPFP, custom entropy, Taproot, and spaced addresses.
  ^{- I hope they'll improve its custom node implementation (last time I checked, it was quite buggy).}

[Z-tight]

Another thing is that still it doesn't have coin control feature to individually select UTXOs for our transactions.

Coin control feature has been added to Electrum on Android in version 4.5.0.

To use Coin control on Electrum Android, you simply go to the Addresses/coins tab and for each address you will see the list of utxo's under it, and you can freeze the utxo's you don't want to spend, and whichever utxo is left unfrozen will be used in the tx you want to make.

[Forsyth Jones]

@Forsyth Jones

• For Electrum, I'd add Taproot support ^{[for some reason, they hate it when someone asks them about it]}, custom entropy and spaced address displays.
• For Stack Wallet, I'd add PSBTs, RBF, CPFP, custom entropy, Taproot, and spaced addresses.
  ^{- I hope they'll improve its custom node implementation (last time I checked, it was quite buggy).}

I also noticed this on their github, but I think they may already be working on it, I heard that they also showed interest in adding support for descriptors.

What I'd add to Electrum (which I think is impossible to happen, as the devs have no interest in this at all) is support for address types all in the same wallet (just like in Bitcoin Core).

At electrum, if I want to create a p2sh-segwit, segwit, etc. wallet, I have to import the seed again to change the script/derivation path, which I think is unnecessary.

Another thing I'd add to Electrum is the function of importing private key directly into a standard wallet, so the imported key would be saved in the same electrum wallet file (not from the same seed!), just like in bitcoin core, I think There is no need to create a new import wallet file just for this.

[aylabadia05]

After the last update v6.5.8 three days ago, I think Bluewallet is almost perfect as an open source Bitcoin wallet. BlueWallet wallet developers continue to pay attention to several suggestions submitted by users.
Until now, I don't know what I need from the Bitcoin wallet I use because all the features available are quite impressive.

XYZ Wallet? I don't guarantee it is a safe wallet like you said because I haven't used it before. From what I searched for the wallet, I didn't get much information.

[Forsyth Jones]

After the last update v6.5.8 three days ago, I think Bluewallet is almost perfect as an open source Bitcoin wallet. BlueWallet wallet developers continue to pay attention to several suggestions submitted by users.
Until now, I don't know what I need from the Bitcoin wallet I use because all the features available are quite impressive.

XYZ Wallet? I don't guarantee it is a safe wallet like you said because I haven't used it before. From what I searched for the wallet, I didn't get much information.

XYZ Wallet is just an example name, it'd be any other wallet.

Bluewallet is an exceptional wallet, I've never seen a wallet as good for both Android and iOS as it is!

[PrivacyG]

I am writing for ALL Bitcoin Wallets I have ever tested out.

It would be very cool if there was a Bitcoin Wallet out there that had small '?' buttons next to almost EVERY thing Wallet related so for any thing the user does not understand there would be a brief explanation plus a much more detailed one.

For example.  When creating a Seed you are only typically told to write it down.  Many write it down on a piece of paper they would never take care of.  Others take a screen shot of it.  Some store it in their Mail account.  Or on Google Drive.  Or what ever else.

If there was a small '?' button to offer an explanation as to what actual safe storage of a Seed means.  Or maybe a drawn explanation to show you images of what good storage versus bad storage means.  Et cetera.

[BlackHatCoiner]

When creating a Seed you are only typically told to write it down.

Electrum warns you to never disclose it, or type it in a website, or store it electronically in general; it also tells you to save it on paper and with the correct order. That's the only wallet software I can think of that I'd recommend it to a newbie. I just checked Sparrow and it does not warn enough for a newbie, but I'd never suggest it in the first place. It contains a lot of complicated terminology like "script types", "policy types", "keystores" etc., that would confuse them. Bitcoin Core is another newbie unfriendly wallet, and it neither supports a seed phrase standard.

[Findingnemo]

Another thing is that still it doesn't have coin control feature to individually select UTXOs for our transactions.

Coin control feature has been added to Electrum on Android in version 4.5.0.

To use Coin control on Electrum Android, you simply go to the Addresses/coins tab and for each address you will see the list of utxo's under it, and you can freeze the utxo's you don't want to spend, and whichever utxo is left unfrozen will be used in the tx you want to make.

Are you sure that it is possible to freeze individual UTXOs of an address on Electrum Android?

I am using ver 4.5.3, and all I can see is the option to freeze the entire address not particular UTXOs as you said in it.

If possible please post a screenshot to see if I am not seeing the options.

[hosseinimr93]

Are you sure that it is possible to freeze individual UTXOs of an address on Electrum Android?

Z-tight is right.
Since version 4.5.0, you can freeze coins in the android version as well and that was mentioned in the release note.

- new: add coins/UTXOs to addresses list, add filters (cf91d2e)

As you can see in the following image, "Addresses" option has been changed to "Addresses/Coins".




And here is the drop-down menu in which you should select "Coins".

[SFR10]

What I'd add to Electrum (which I think is impossible to happen, as the devs have no interest in this at all) is support for address types all in the same wallet (just like in Bitcoin Core).

If you were referring to generating various types of addresses within a wallet, I agree, but it's worth mentioning that importing the private keys of these addresses while specifying their script types could also count as some kind of support for the above thing.

Another thing I'd add to Electrum is the function of importing private key directly into a standard wallet, so the imported key would be saved in the same electrum wallet file (not from the same seed!), just like in bitcoin core, I think There is no need to create a new import wallet file just for this.

You have a point, but perhaps the developers wanted to separate the less-secured ones from the rest.

Others take a screen shot of it.

Good thing that you mentioned this... I'm quite disappointed to see some Android wallets seem to have no protection against taking screenshots on their seed creation pages!

[Pmalek]

To use Coin control on Electrum Android, you simply go to the Addresses/coins tab and for each address you will see the list of utxo's under it, and you can freeze the utxo's you don't want to spend, and whichever utxo is left unfrozen will be used in the tx you want to make.

We can call that coin control but it's not the best version of it. Sure, you can control which UTXOs to spend by freezing those that you don't want to use. But if I have 100 UTXOs on the same address, I would have to freeze 99 to be left with the one I wish to use. This isn't the best solution. It reminds me of Ledger Live's bad coin control feature. In LL, the software highlights all UTXOs by default, and you have to go through the entire list to untick those you don't want to use.

Instead of having to freeze what you don't want to spend, they should have allowed users to click and select those they wish to include in their transactions.