Making a cold wallet on an Android device.

[Little Lily]

So I've done a whole lot of reading about wallet security and from my understanding so far wallets are safer without internet connection. However it can be difficult to set up a wallet without connecting to the internet as a newbie. I was able to gather enough information about airgapped devices, and cold wallet and how they work.

So I thought most times people make use of things like old PCs as their airgapped devices or they just make use of hardware wallets sometimes.

My question is how can someone make an airgapped wallet from an Android device if I have to connect to the internet to set up the device?
And is rooting or jailbreaking an option or will it just make the android device more vulnerable?
And lastly will it still be a valid airgapped wallet if I connect it to the internet just once for the set up?

[Charles-Tim]

Airgapped means the device is not connecting to the internet. WiFi and Bluetooth modules are removed. If this is possible on Android, that should make such Android phone to be an excellent airgapped wallet. But I do not think WiFi card and Bluetooth can easily be removed from mobile phones.

Although, if the phone is formatted and only used with Electrum in a way that its WiFi and Bluetooth are not used, and also set a strong password. Maybe it can be a good option but it is not yet an airgapped wallet, but better than the usual online wallets.

Once you connect airgaped device to the internet. Which can be after you put back the WiFi card or you added back the Bluetooth for file transferring or to connect online. That is no more an airgapped device.

[Saint-loup]

So I've done a whole lot of reading about wallet security and from my understanding so far wallets are safer without internet connection. However it can be difficult to set up a wallet without connecting to the internet as a newbie. I was able to gather enough information about airgapped devices, and cold wallet and how they work.

So I thought most times people make use of things like old PCs as their airgapped devices or they just make use of hardware wallets sometimes.

My question is how can someone make an airgapped wallet from an Android device if I have to connect to the internet to set up the device?
And is rooting or jailbreaking an option or will it just make the android device more vulnerable?
And lastly will it still be a valid airgapped wallet if I connect it to the internet just once for the set up?

You can only connect it to internet before transforming it into an airgapped cold wallet. Because if you connect your device after generating your seed onto it, you have no guarantee that a malware hasn't been able to send it somewhere during the connection time, so your seed and your wallet shouldn't be considered as cold anymore. And if you want to use an Android device, it's better to use a tablet than a smartphone, because smartphones are able to send signals on phone networks even without SIM cards (for emergency calls for example) so an IMSI-catcher could be able to steal your seed if a malware sends it over the phone network. Otherwise you need to physically remove the phone antenna. And ofc rooting your device makes it less safe.

[Stalker22]

~
My question is how can someone make an airgapped wallet from an Android device if I have to connect to the internet to set up the device?
And is rooting or jailbreaking an option or will it just make the android device more vulnerable?
And lastly will it still be a valid airgapped wallet if I connect it to the internet just once for the set up?

Turning an Android phone into a truly airgapped wallet is like trying to turn a fish into a bird. Its possible, but its a lot of work, and you are probably better off with something else. The reality is, phones are designed for connectivity, not isolation.

Hardware wallets make more sense if you really wanna lock it down tight.  They handle the security stuff so you dont have to be a tech wizard rewiring spaghetti every day.  I mean hey, if you got the chops and time, go for it.  But for us normal folk hw wallets just work better out the box and  easier to set up, less stressful long run.  Unless you wanna make securing crypto your day job, stick to whats tried and true.  Nowadays, you can get them very cheaply. Cheaper than any Android phone.

[Hatchy]

My question is how can someone make an airgapped wallet from an Android device if I have to connect to the internet to set up the device?
And is rooting or jailbreaking an option or will it just make the android device more vulnerable?
And lastly will it still be a valid airgapped wallet if I connect it to the internet just once for the set up?

I've come across similar thread before here on the forum.Though it's possible to turn a mobile device into an air gapped device creating a kind of cold storage, its still not as safe and secured like that which was created on a pc where all its means of connecting to the Internet has been removed totally. If you want to create a true air gapped device, use an old PC then install electrum on it. Mobile devices in one way or the other has to connect to a network for some setups to function well. They were built that way and unlike the PC which doesn't require any Internet for a setting up.

[Little Lily]

So from what I've gathered so far , connecting to the internet is not an option and also rooting won't be good according to Saint-loup  so how will I be able to bypass the first setup that comes up when I format the device because during the setup process I need to connect to the internet before I can continue using the phone and finish the set up process.

As for network parts how do I go about it since it's not like a laptop that I can remove the cards or components so is there a way of disabling them with something like developers option or it's impossible to use an Android device as an airgapped device?

[khaled0111]

You can only connect it to internet before transforming it into an airgapped cold wallet. Because if you connect your device after generating your seed onto it, you have no guarantee that a malware hasn't been able to send it somewhere during the connection time

A truly airgapped device is the one which has never been and will never be connected to the Internet or any other network. So, if your phone has been connected to the internet, even if it was for a brief time, then it can't be called an airgapped device.
Because of that and for the other reason you have mentioned, better use hardware wallets if you want maximum security. If buying a hw is not an option then better use a pc to setup your cold storage wallet instead of a smartphone.

[Stalker22]

~
As for network parts how do I go about it since it's not like a laptop that I can remove the cards or components so is there a way of disabling them with something like developers option or it's impossible to use an Android device as an airgapped device?

Thats exactly what we are trying to tell you. An Android phone just isnt built for airgapping.  It is probably possible to disable those hardware modules internally, but since you ask, it is almost certain that you cant do it yourself.  Dont fight an uphill battle - go with the tool that was built for the job.  A dedicated hardware wallet is a much better (and safer) option.

[Zaguru12]

So from what I've gathered so far , connecting to the internet is not an option and also rooting won't be good according to Saint-loup  so how will I be able to bypass the first setup that comes up when I format the device because during the setup process I need to connect to the internet before I can continue using the phone and finish the set up process.

As for network parts how do I go about it since it's not like a laptop that I can remove the cards or components so is there a way of disabling them with something like developers option or it's impossible to use an Android device as an airgapped device?

Convince wise, risks attached and others I will say it is definitely not worth it, the mobile phones aren’t as flexible as the laptop will be in switching it to an airgapped device. If it is the laptop you can have offline sharing means like to insert the wallet file into it and subsequently install it, but with a mobile phone the only way is through SD card which on its own can be risky due it contain malware or viruses. This is for a new device though because for an old one I will say no matter how yuh try to delete the things on the device it won’t completely erase some malicious things on it.

Just as said Above your best bet should be acquiring a good hardware wallet with the money meant for the mobile device, this to me is easier for you than taking this risk, because it seems you aren’t familiar with setting this up, a single mistake will just comprise everything

[SamReomo]

And lastly will it still be a valid airgapped wallet if I connect it to the internet just once for the set up?

No, when a device is connected to the internet then it isn't considered as an air gapped device. Even for once if a device gets connected to internet for creating the wallet will somehow make it non air gapped device. If you want your device to be air gapped then don't connect it to internet.

I'm not sure about the Android based Air gapped system but you can make an air gapped system on a pc with Electrum wallet. It's possible to create a wallet with Electrum without connecting to internet. You can make a cold wallet with it.

[Potato Chips]

So from what I've gathered so far , connecting to the internet is not an option and also rooting won't be good according to Saint-loup  so how will I be able to bypass the first setup that comes up when I format the device because during the setup process I need to connect to the internet before I can continue using the phone and finish the set up process.

What setup process? you mean generating your seed? iirc it can be done offline in electrum mobile app and you can also access your receiving addresses while there is no internet connection or import the master public key in another wallet.

BTW, there was a discussion about this topic at Old phone as cold storage? which many of our tech savvies replied on.

It's not gonna be the same as an airgapped pc but it's better than a hot wallet. Then again, hardware wallets ain't that expensive. It's gonna be cheaper at the upcoming black friday sale as well.

[BitMaxz]

As for network parts how do I go about it since it's not like a laptop that I can remove the cards or components so is there a way of disabling them with something like developers option or it's impossible to use an Android device as an airgapped device?

You can't just remove components from the phone that's pretty risky if you do it on hardware even on software there's no app that you can just disable wifi or the internet but you can turn off the wifi or data on the settings and never connect it online.
I've done this on an old Android phone it works just fine.

[PX-Z]

It could only possible if you won't connect it on the internet, disable the bluetooth and disable wifi function of the device, also uninstall unnecessary apps in the phone. Since there's no way to uninstall this features (bluetooth & wifi) you can just remove all wifi networks on wifi, the same in bluetooth. Be cautious when sending and receiving funds, and remain with good practice. It might not be the best way but it's feasible  IMO.

[SilverCryptoBullet]

You can use your Android phone or device as your cold wallet, new or old device but if you use an old device for this purpose, there is physical risk that device will be broken technically and can not operate well like battery death and other physical hardware issues.

Old phone as cold storage?
Using mobile phone as a full mobile wallet

If you seriously worry about risk of sudden deaths of your Android device, you can use washers alternatively.
Securing Your Seed Phrase with Washers
Metal Bitcoin storage reviews

[Publictalk792]

I think it very important to have safe wallet for storing cryptocurrencies. Using old Android phone as wallet is good idea but we need to be careful. Making changes to phone system can make it easier for hackers to get in and even connecting to internet once can be risky. If you want best security consider using special device or computer made just for this purpose. But if you still want to use Android phone follow steps carefully and be very cautious when setting it up but still their is risk. And it is important to know about potential risks and take steps to protect your money.

[serjent05]

My question is how can someone make an airgapped wallet from an Android device if I have to connect to the internet to set up the device?

This will not make your goal of making an air-gapped wallet possible.  Airgapped means being isolated.  Meaning it should be virtually and physically isolated from any connection.  So if you want to make your android phone an air-gapped wallet for cryptocurrency, forget the internet or network connection.

And lastly will it still be a valid airgapped wallet if I connect it to the internet just once for the set up?

This will not be full airgapped device because connecting your device even once in the internet compromises its security.  You can download the needed apk for the the wallet on the separate device and just transfer the downloaded file on the device you wanted to be an airgapped wallet and install it from there.  It is advised that if we want a 100% air-gapped wallet device, it should not be connected to any network ever.

[nc50lc]

Using mobile phone as a full mobile wallet

I'll just add a remark to the linked post (my post).

It's worth mentioning that the instructions are outdated, it's only applicable to the previous "Kivi" GUI of Android Electrum versions before v4.4.0.
The procedure for new Android version with "QML" GUI should be similar but the buttons might be different.

[Mia Chloe]

Air gapping is simply disconnecting your device permanently from the internet. And for an android device, most of them have to be connected to the internet to complete their first setup. Connecting a device you wish to air gap to the internet is wrong. This is because there could probably be a few things that went backdoor online during the set up process.  And unlike a pc you can't stick out the networking components that easy.

I personally suggest that you switch to making use of something like a normal computer that you can easily detach the network card and internet enabling components only then can you be certain that the computer has no access to the internet in any way. When setting up an air gapped device you need to be careful and if it's an old device you must format it and also switch to an open source OS.

[KiaKia]

I am against using a jailbreak android phone to store your crypto, I did have a rooted android phone and almost all crypto wallets that I installed on the phone are warning me about running the wallet on a rooted phone, lose of funds is very easy on a rooted phone unless you know what you are doing, if you are a newbie to rootingbits better not to try it.

I don't believe that you can create a airgapped crypto wallet on android phone, because there will come a time you will still connect it to the internet, the only thing that's safe to do on a android phone is creating a paper wallet style, write down the recovery seed and viola, I would rather run hot wallets on phones and get a hardware wallet for long term hold.

[hugeblack]

As for network parts how do I go about it since it's not like a laptop that I can remove the cards or components so is there a way of disabling them with something like developers option or it's impossible to use an Android device as an airgapped device?

Why not buy a used PC where you can easily access and remove the physical parts, it is much easier than doing it on your phone. Modern phones are designed to be connected to the internet and collect data about you so you may find it difficult to remove the physical parts and stopping them using software requires root permissions which may open more back doors and increase the possibility of losing your money.