Will I be easily hacked?

[Floxynice]

I have read about Bitcoin storage and it is said that cold storage is the safest because it cannot be hacked since it is not connected to the internet. As a beginner who is yet to buy bitcoin, I would like to own some portions of bitcoin before I will consider to buy a hardware wallet.

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

[Frankolala]

I have read about Bitcoin storage and it is said that cold storage is the safest because it cannot be hacked since it is not connected to the internet. As a beginner who is yet to buy bitcoin, I would like to own some portions of bitcoin before I will consider to buy a hardware wallet.

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

Yes you will be safe, your wallet security is in your hands. You can use the software wallet like electrum wallet and blue wallet. Make sure that you avoid malicious link because they might have malware, and also don't expose your seed phrase to third-party.

If you use it properly and you are security conscious of whatever you are doing with your phone, your coins will be safe in your software wallet.

If you have a old computer that you don't use at all, you can use it as electrum cold storage wallet. You only need to format it, and then generate your private keys without connecting it to the internet. You should never connect your computer to the internet again, after that you can create a watch only wallet to sign, monitor and broadcast transactions.

[Zaguru12]

Yes the safest form of storage is the cold storage, since you’re a newbie I will advice you go for an hardware wallet which is open source again. You need to have an online device where you can setup a watch online wallet that you can use to check your wallet transactions or use to create an unsigned transactions and broadcast them. You need to only use the hardware wallet to sign the transaction only.

If the cold wallet is set up properly and used properly then the risk of attack or hack is minimal but there still lies a risk which is how you store your seed phrase. The wallet seed phrase must be back up offline even if you use cold storage. So if you by mistake lose this seed phrase and someone gets access to them they can easily use it to get access to your wallet

[Amphenomenon]

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

While cold wallets are the best, it actually depends on how you use it though it will continue to be the best option especially when you have largely amount of Bitcoin.

Using your mobile device doesn't mean you will be easily hack rather it is how you use it that matters, that's you have to be cautious sites or platforms you visit and download from, what accessibility you give to some applications and other security practices because even if you're not using your device often bad practices will make it easier for hackers to get hold of your bitcoin

[Hatchy]

I have read about Bitcoin storage and it is said that cold storage is the safest because it cannot be hacked since it is not connected to the internet. As a beginner who is yet to buy bitcoin, I would like to own some portions of bitcoin before I will consider to buy a hardware wallet.

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

Depends on what kind of cold storage you choose to use. I'll recommend trezor and you have to also do your own research to avoid getting a hardware wallet that will be vulnerable to attacks. Like ledger you should avoid at all cost.  Just as others have said, you can download electrum for now since you are yet to get a hardware wallet. Electrum is safe and secured so long you don't expose your seeds online. You should store them offline and avoid importing them into just any wallet.

Getting a new device might help a bit so long you avoid connecting to malicious websites. But an airgapped device on a pc would be  better compared to that which you are trying to create on your mobile device.

[Bitcoin Smith]

I have read about Bitcoin storage and it is said that cold storage is the safest because it cannot be hacked since it is not connected to the internet. As a beginner who is yet to buy bitcoin, I would like to own some portions of bitcoin before I will consider to buy a hardware wallet.

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

You never know that your security is 100% intact even if the device is connected to internet once just for the few seconds. But for storing small amount of crypto this is more than enough, I used Electrum on my day to day mobile and never had any issues until now. But if you are buying decent chunk of Bitcoin then consider buying a hardware wallet too from the authorised seller not just from a random site that you find online.

[ranochigo]

Anything that is exposed to the internet can be vulnerable and that includes the few seconds that you are connecting to the internet on your phone. I find that air-gapped wallets on phones are not very userfriendly and could cause quite a few user errors. If you don't know what you're doing, I recommend going with a hardware wallet instead. Else, use an airgapped computer or LiveUSB.

[Z-tight]

Anything online is prone to hacking, however, your funds is only as safe as the device you store it in, so even if you set up an airgapped wallet, and you use it in an unsafe environment, your funds can be stolen. Since you are a newbie, i will recommend you use a hardware wallet, it is easier for newbies to set up and use in a safe environment than an airgapped wallet.

[shield132]

I have read about Bitcoin storage and it is said that cold storage is the safest because it cannot be hacked since it is not connected to the internet. As a beginner who is yet to buy bitcoin, I would like to own some portions of bitcoin before I will consider to buy a hardware wallet.

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

You'll be safe, don't download unknown malicious apps and don't click on every popup that you see online to help your device from getting infected, use your smartphone wisely, keep it secure and you'll be safe. I have owned a Bitcoin wallet since 2016 on my PC and Smartphone, both of them are connected to internet and I have had as much as 1 BTC on it for years and I have never been hacked. I don't give you a guarantee that you won't be hacked and you are 100% secure, I am saying that most likely you'll be safe and there is no need to worry. When you use hot wallet, usually, it's advised only to hold as much as you can afford to lose. Consider this and you'll be fine. When you buy an air-gapped hardware wallet, you can securely store more than you can afford to lose but you still have to be very careful with your wallet and how you'll save recovery seed phrases.

[Yamane_Keto]

If your phone connects to the Internet at any moment, it is no longer cold storage.
To be safe, you must ensure that your private key was generated with sufficient random entropy (more than 126 bits) and that the seed has not and will not connect to the Internet.
To ensure that entropy is sufficiently random, a well-reviewed wallet such as Electrum should be used
Instead of converting your old phone to cold storage, especially since you may not have technical knowledge, why not buy Passport hardware https://foundation.xyz/passport/

[Z-tight]

You'll be safe, don't download unknown malicious apps and don't click on every popup that you see online to help your device from getting infected, use your smartphone wisely, keep it secure and you'll be safe.

Op wants to set up an airgapped wallet, so since it would be permanently offline, there is no case of downloading apps or clicking popups. If op must create and use their airgapped wallet in a safe environment, then they must understand that even if it is connected to the internet for a second, it is no longer airgapped.

I have owned a Bitcoin wallet since 2016 on my PC and Smartphone, both of them are connected to internet and I have had as much as 1 BTC on it for years and I have never been hacked.

I would not even store a quarter of that in a hot or online wallet, but each to their own i guess. I recommend you move your funds into cold storage, yeah, you have not been hacked, but it does not mean your funds are safe in an online wallet.

[m2017]

I have read about Bitcoin storage and it is said that cold storage is the safest because it cannot be hacked since it is not connected to the internet. As a beginner who is yet to buy bitcoin, I would like to own some portions of bitcoin before I will consider to buy a hardware wallet.

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

Buying a hardware wallet will cost you less (60-100$) than a new phone, so why engage in dubious stupid activities, trying to assign to the device (phone) those functions that, in principle, are not capable of performing (cold storage)?

By turning your phone into cold storage, you will have to stop using this device to perform usual tasks as a smartphone (to minimize risks). In principle, you can use it for these purposes, but then it will no longer be cold storage (hot) and only for storing insignificant amounts (for current minor expenses).

P.S. It seems to me that the previous posts will only confuse the beginner even more. OP, buy a hardware wallet and don’t complicate your life (if you’re ready to buy bitcoin / crypto for more than a couple of bucks).

[Cricktor]

How likely is it that you'll want to take your phone with you (outside your home) and use it for calls or the usual internet shit everybody does nowadays? Then a phone is prone to be lost or stolen, simply not the best and safest platform for a crypto wallet. I wouldn't put more than pocket money in a mobile phone wallet.

If you want to buy Bitcoin and keep it in self-custody then why not start with a decent hardware wallet from the very beginning.

I'm not a fan of Ledger because their firmware is closed-source and the Ledger morons have already done stupid things with their products. There are other option, even DIY Jade clones or the Krux wallet with excellent features on a not so expensive hardware plattform. And buying the hardware for the Krux wallet doesn't leave a purchase trace pointing to crypto coin usage. Try to fly under the radar, better for privacy.

Basically any decent hardware wallet, if properly used, will give you way better security for your wallet's secrets than any online software wallet ever could. I'd rather start sooner with a hardware wallet than later.

[NotATether]

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

Phones can and will always be easily hacked, as long as they are the most popular kind of device in the world. You are advised to only store a small amount of Bitcoin on your phone. Because even with cellular, bluetooth, GPS, WiFi, and other kinds of connections your phone can make, someone could find a vulnerability and use it to ex-filtrate your Bitcoin wallet even if there are no other apps installed, for example using iMessage or something like that.

[satscraper]

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

Still, there are several ways to hack your brand new phone even if it is always offline.  I will share one of them namely  juice jacking that allows to compromise your phone in the course of charging via USB port in the public places (like hotels, airports, buses, trains,  etc.). Thus to prevent this threat always attach  the  USB data blocker (very small doodad, in fact) to your charging cable to block off its data lines ( if any).

[348Judah]

I have read about Bitcoin storage and it is said that cold storage is the safest because it cannot be hacked since it is not connected to the internet. As a beginner who is yet to buy bitcoin, I would like to own some portions of bitcoin before I will consider to buy a hardware wallet.

Cold storage is a safer means to use but you must not forget that in using the cold storage as well, there are precautions and safety measures in which you're expected to take, you must not leave your private keys open to the public, you must not allow others to have access to any of your device, also if you make use of your wallet on air gapped device, such will not have access to the internet for you to get hacked, you may also have to avoid every forms of malicious links or downloads as well.

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

No, as long as your private keys were not exposed to a third party as well.

[Floxynice]

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

Still, there are several ways to hack your brand new phone even if it is always offline.  I will share one of them namely  juice jacking that allows to compromise your phone in the course of charging via USB port in the public places (like hotels, airports, buses, trains,  etc.). Thus to prevent this threat always attach  the  USB data blocker (very small doodad, in fact) to your charging cable to block off its data lines ( if any).

Oh thank you for this information. I am just getting to know about juice jacking now and it has prompted me to research more about it so I can protect my device better. I used to think connecting my device to the Internet will put my coins at risk, it is obvious there is quite a lot I need to know about the security of my investment.

[seoincorporation]

I have a brand new phone, if I unbox it and use it to install only my bitcoin wallet without using it to frequent online or click links and neither will I download other apps. Will I still be easily hacked?

If you become a target then you can be hacked.

There is malware called Pegasus, and it's a nightmare for any smartphone, that software can get access to your device even if you don't click any link, they only have to make you a phone call and after that, they will be in.

If you want a secure way to hold your coin, a phone is not the best option. You should use a computer with a secure operative system like Linux to generate your address and private keys.

[Z-tight]

I used to think connecting my device to the Internet will put my coins at risk, it is obvious there is quite a lot I need to know about the security of my investment.

Yes, if you store your wallet in an online device, it is prone to hacking, however, this isn't the only way you can be hacked and that is what the post you quoted was about, i.e. even if your funds is stored in an offline wallet and yet you expose your seed phrase, your funds will be stolen.

Take note that as a newbie you cannot learn everything all at once and even if you try to do, you may make a mistake and lock yourself out of your funds, stick to the basics for now, and you will learn more with time.

[DifDrama]

Still, using a dedicated smartphone as a Bitcoin wallet does not make it as secure as a hardware wallet (which is designed to be entirely offline and immune to online threats).