Is Android safe for wallets?

[Rikafip]

BTW, Electrum Android has a fee-adjustable option like ETA, From mempool and static for years, then why did you download another wallet?

Probably becuse he only started using Electrum after he got rekt by downlaoading the fake wallet. That lesson wasn't cheap either considering he lost $400 worth of bitcoin when price was around $17k.

I learned my lesson with wallets as well, as I went on phishing website and lost almost all my bitcoin that way also in 2017.

[Scarlett_23]

I have been using a wallet on my Android phone for quite some time. I have also seen people close to me using wallets on their Android phones. But till date neither I nor they have been in such a bad situation. I think if the "seed phrase" is safe or can be kept safe then there will be no problem. And of course if the amount of money is small then it can be kept safely wherever it is. But if the amount of money is large then it is better to keep it offline without connecting online. And of course we have to keep our own Android phone safe so that it does not get stolen. I think as long as I have the "seed phrase", my money is safe.

[OrbitalX]

BTW, Electrum Android has a fee-adjustable option like ETA, From mempool and static for years, then why did you download another wallet?

Probably becuse he only started using Electrum after he got rekt by downlaoading the fake wallet. That lesson wasn't cheap either considering he lost $400 worth of bitcoin when price was around $17k.

I learned my lesson with wallets as well, as I went on phishing website and lost almost all my bitcoin that way also in 2017.

That’s to mean that, you don’t stand a chance of losing your coins because you use an Android device except in cases where your device has been compromised by a malware or you downloaded an app from the wrong source. That’s what I’m getting in this and it clearly makes sense that way.

Android is a company that is belt on trust as well, have policies that wouldn’t allow such to happen as that could easy lead to their downfall.

[Forsyth Jones]

I haven't been an Android user for years (I miss it), but it's a very friendly OS for open source projects, so it has better support for bitcoin wallets, btw would you rather be robbed to see if it's safe?

Or do you rather take basic security measures, such as keeping only what's essential for your daily use, installing trustworthy apps, as well as reviewing the permissions of some apps that you normally allow when installing apps?

The recommended thing for a mobile wallet is to use it as a pocket wallet, or better yet, keep only funds that you normally keep in your leather wallet or prepaid card. The majority of your funds, about 80%, you should keep in more secure and sophisticated environments, such as a hardware wallet (Trezor, Bitbox, Coldcard, Passport etc) or on an offline computer with airgap.

I've never been robbed when using wallets on both Android or iOS, you don't need to be a security expert to keep your funds safe, always make sure you use good wallets with a good track record, open source and that have been on the market for years and everything will be fine.

[Akbarkoe]

BTW, Electrum Android has a fee-adjustable option like ETA, From mempool and static for years, then why did you download another wallet?

Probably becuse he only started using Electrum after he got rekt by downlaoading the fake wallet. That lesson wasn't cheap either considering he lost $400 worth of bitcoin when price was around $17k.

I learned my lesson with wallets as well, as I went on phishing website and lost almost all my bitcoin that way also in 2017.

In essence, the device we use does not have a problem whether Android or iOS or others, the problem starts from downloading the wrong wallet that we have not verified its security or just being consumed by ads is a bad thing to be used as a place to store our assets.

However, everyone also makes mistakes, as long as you want to learn from your mistakes and be more careful, it is a very wise choice.

[Findingnemo]

...In essence, the device we use does not have a problem whether Android or iOS or others, the problem starts from downloading the wrong wallet

Nah, it's not as simple as you describe. Even if you download the actual official wallet and verify PGP signature and keep your mobile from installing multiple apps still you are exposed to internet, as long as the device is connected to internet you are prone to hacks in one or another way. Which is why the recommended way to store crypto assets, is cold storage it can be a device or hardware wallet but should be isolated from internet forever, the moment it connect to internet the security could be compromised.

[Kelward]

I have been using a wallet on my Android phone for quite some time. I have also seen people close to me using wallets on their Android phones. But till date neither I nor they have been in such a bad situation. I think if the "seed phrase" is safe or can be kept safe then there will be no problem. And of course if the amount of money is small then it can be kept safely wherever it is. But if the amount of money is large then it is better to keep it offline without connecting online. And of course we have to keep our own Android phone safe so that it does not get stolen. I think as long as I have the "seed phrase", my money is safe.

I use Android phone for my crypto wallet and I've never had a problem with it nor have I heard that an Android phone aided in hacking somebody's wallet. Hacks happen due to loopholes that android owners create for hackers to gain access to their wallets. If you use an Android to store your seed phrase online, you can't blame it if smart hackers gain access to it. It's not advisable to save any sensitive information online, no matter how secured they say that it is because hackers are always finding new means to crack any securities. To be on the safe side store your large cryptocurrency on a cold wallet, while you leave the ones for short term uses on a hot wallet.

[Ruttoshi]

...In essence, the device we use does not have a problem whether Android or iOS or others, the problem starts from downloading the wrong wallet

Nah, it's not as simple as you describe. Even if you download the actual official wallet and verify PGP signature and keep your mobile from installing multiple apps still you are exposed to internet, as long as the device is connected to internet you are prone to hacks in one or another way. Which is why the recommended way to store crypto assets, is cold storage it can be a device or hardware wallet but should be isolated from internet forever, the moment it connect to internet the security could be compromised.

Online wallets can also be used to store little amount of bitcoin that you would need to spend. I only have little amount of bitcoin that I do spend weekly or biweekly in my elecrtrum wallet for Android. I only store the bitcoin that I am hodling for future purpose in my cold storage because I know that I wouldn't need them anytime soon.

However, if one can't afford to buy a hardware wallet, and you have an old PC, you can use it to set up electrum cold storage. You generate your private keys offline and never connect your PC to the internet. Your wallet safety is in your own hands.

[MusaPk]

I have been using a wallet on my Android phone for quite some time. I have also seen people close to me using wallets on their Android phones. But till date neither I nor they have been in such a bad situation. I think if the "seed phrase" is safe or can be kept safe then there will be no problem. And of course if the amount of money is small then it can be kept safely wherever it is. But if the amount of money is large then it is better to keep it offline without connecting online. And of course we have to keep our own Android phone safe so that it does not get stolen. I think as long as I have the "seed phrase", my money is safe.

I am also one of many who is using electrum wallet on android smart phone and till date nothing strange happened to me. One extra care which we can add is that if we have any extra android phone then install Electrum or any other wallet over it and keep it offline. Whenever you want to use your Bitcoin wallet on android phone then just connect it with internet and you are clear to use. If nothing strange has happened till date then it doesn't mean everything will be fine in future too.

[rachael9385]

If anyone has experience managing wallets on Android, tell me if your funds have disappeared some time?

Has Android system spying for private keys?

I mean on a pure Android without any installed apps excepting crypto wallets + google play

For long time now, I have installed my Electrum Wallet on my android device and I haven't gotten any issues with that. However, there's nothing wrong to install your Electrum wallet on your android phone but you need keep it offline, and how to do that is having two phones. After installing your electrum wallet in your android device, the other things you should do is to keep your seed phrase out of reach from others.

[Stalker22]

For long time now, I have installed my Electrum Wallet on my android device and I haven't gotten any issues with that. However, there's nothing wrong to install your Electrum wallet on your android phone but you need keep it offline, and how to do that is having two phones. After installing your electrum wallet in your android device, the other things you should do is to keep your seed phrase out of reach from others.

Whats the point of having a wallet app on your mobile phone and keeping it offline all the time? Moreover, whats the point of having a smartphone at all if you are going to keep it offline all the time? I just dont see it.

If you need a device that will serve as cold storage, I think a hardware wallet is a much better (and cheaper) solution.

[khaled0111]

One extra care which we can add is that if we have any extra android phone then install Electrum or any other wallet over it and keep it offline. Whenever you want to use your Bitcoin wallet on android phone then just connect it with internet and you are clear to use.

Connecting your device to the internet only when you need to broadcast a transaction is not a bad idea as it reduces the risk of getting infected by malware but it doesn’t completely eliminate that risk.
Besides, this is not the proper way to set up Electrum as cold storage, which I believe you're suggesting here, since you mentioned the need to use two devices.
You need to have a watch-only wallet on a device connected to the Internet and your standard wallet on a completely offline device.

Check this guie for more details: https://electrum.readthedocs.io/en/latest/coldstorage.html

[sokani]

I am also one of many who is using electrum wallet on android smart phone and till date nothing strange happened to me. One extra care which we can add is that if we have any extra android phone then install Electrum or any other wallet over it and keep it offline. Whenever you want to use your Bitcoin wallet on android phone then just connect it with internet and you are clear to use. If nothing strange has happened till date then it doesn't mean everything will be fine in future too.

This is not a good suggestion. Instead of using a spare phone as a wallet to store funds, why not sell the phone and use the money to buy a hardware device? Hardware devices are not that costly. With $65 - $120 dollars, he can buy one for himself but if the money realized after selling the phone is still not enough, he can add extra money and get it.

[Akbarkoe]

...In essence, the device we use does not have a problem whether Android or iOS or others, the problem starts from downloading the wrong wallet

Nah, it's not as simple as you describe. Even if you download the actual official wallet and verify PGP signature and keep your mobile from installing multiple apps still you are exposed to internet, as long as the device is connected to internet you are prone to hacks in one or another way. Which is why the recommended way to store crypto assets, is cold storage it can be a device or hardware wallet but should be isolated from internet forever, the moment it connect to internet the security could be compromised.

I have two wallets that I use, namely cold wallet and Ht wallet to store the assets that I have, as long as we do not do strange activities with the internet or use wallets that store assets for other activities such as testnet or others in any transaction on web3 then I think it is better for us to use different wallets, I know some people use wallets as a place to store them but they are also actively transacting on web 3 that is the wrong action because there is a lot of fraud in various events on web3, it depends on us in treating the wallet. Likewise, Cold wallets or hardware are the same if you often use them without paying attention to the security of your own activities.

[osasshem]

If anyone has experience managing wallets on Android, tell me if your funds have disappeared some time?

Has Android system spying for private keys?

I mean on a pure Android without any installed apps excepting crypto wallets + google play

I have been using Android device for a very long time, and have also been using it in everything related to crypto currency. I have only been strict with the wallets I use, which is TrustWallet and no other, though, I have Coinbase, but I don't use it. Ever since I have been using Android device, I have not experienced any anomalies in my crypto wallets.

[Rustam Meraj]

I have been using a wallet on my Android phone for quite some time. I have also seen people close to me using wallets on their Android phones. But till date neither I nor they have been in such a bad situation. I think if the "seed phrase" is safe or can be kept safe then there will be no problem. And of course if the amount of money is small then it can be kept safely wherever it is. But if the amount of money is large then it is better to keep it offline without connecting online. And of course we have to keep our own Android phone safe so that it does not get stolen. I think as long as I have the "seed phrase", my money is safe.

It makes sense that if it has not a lot of money keeping it wherever is easy is fine. But if you have a lot of money it is probably safer to keep it offline so it is not connected to internet. And of course you need to make sure your phone does not get stolen.  If secret phrase is safe you will not lose your money even if something happens to your phone. A lot of people who use cryptocurrency think this is safest way for big amounts. If your money is not on internet it is much harder for hackers to get to it.
Overall it is good that anyone is careful and thinking about security. For some people using phone wallet for smaller amounts that are easy to use every day and knowing that they should keep larger amounts offline is good way to balance things.

[joniboini]

I have only been strict with the wallets I use, which is TrustWallet and no other, though, I have Coinbase, but I don't use it. Ever since I have been using Android device, I have not experienced any anomalies in my crypto wallets.

Do you know that Trust Wallet is a closed-source wallet, and isn't usually recommended by users in this forum? I'd recommend you look for alternatives, preferably open source ones if you care about security and privacy, like Electrum for Bitcoin. It's a good choice, especially if you want features like RBF that Trust Wallet doesn't support, CMIIW.

While it's great that you haven't been hacked yet, it's a good idea to research more about this because there's no guarantee you won't be the next target, especially if you connect your devices to the internet regularly.

[Cricktor]

I wouldn't use a hot mobile wallet for more than basically pocket money amounts. I've an Android phone and Electrum wallet installed but currently no funded hot wallet in it. Don't really need a funded hot on-chain wallet on my mobile phone.
I prefer to have only watch-only on-chain wallets on my mobile and I mostly use a hardware wallet to secure private keys.

I use a custodial Lightning Network (LN) wallet on my mobile which is Wallet of Satoshi. And I've also a non-custodial LN wallet which is Phoenix. No issues with both so far. I strictly limit the amount of value in these wallets to equivalents of maybe 100-300 dollars at max., usually less.


My main concerns with mobile phone wallets are:

• how secure is the locking of your device, how strong is the locking code or whatever unlocks your device
• people rarely have a separate mobile phone with very limited apps just for crypto
• people usually do all sorts of internet and (a)social media shit with their mobile phones
• many people have little to no clue about security and the permission system of their mobile phones
• too many people install all sort of apps or games on their phones, preferably the "free" ones (you pay with your data or get bombarded with ads or worse, the "free" app spies on you)
• a mobile phone is easy to loose or get stolen; are you sure your device is locked at those moments; how resistant is your device lock?
• for serious amounts of value use a hardware wallet to secure your private keys; always carefully inspect every transaction details before you sign and broadcast a transaction, no exception whatever!
• reconsider carefully if you really need to use a crypto wallet on your daily mobile phone (convenience is no excuse)
• is your keyboard app safe? Really??
• don't give app permissions blindly without knowing the consequences; deinstall overly greedy apps!
• how about bloatware on your mobile phone, can you trust it, can you remove it completely?
• does your Android still get security updates?

[Jay_9Proxy]

From my personal experiences, Android is decently safe platform. I haven't installed anything not from Google Play.

I'm also here for the comments. Everyone else has been so informative.

[Floxynice]

If anyone has experience managing wallets on Android, tell me if your funds have disappeared some time?

Has Android system spying for private keys?

I mean on a pure Android without any installed apps excepting crypto wallets + google play

I am currently using Trust Wallet on my Android, and I have not recorded any case of theft yet. Despite this claim, I am still not giving the assurance that installing your wallet on your Android phone is without its own risks. The wallet can be compromised at any time if you, as the holder of such a wallet, do not ensure its safety.

Here’s what I did to ensure the safety of my wallet:
I made sure I didn’t save my seed phrase online, in my device, or even screenshot it. I simply wrote it in a book and kept the book in a very safe location.

I also avoid downloading unnecessary apps or clicking on suspicious links. Those apps might be a threat to me, so I just avoid them.

I alone handle my Android phone. I don’t grant access to other people to handle my phone to avoid them getting access to my wallet or even stealing the phone.

These are just the few security tips that have kept me safe so far. For now, I do not have a lot of Bitcoins, but I will consider getting a cold wallet once the need arises.