Introducing Hive, a beautiful new wallet for Android

[jav]

We're pleased to announce, that Hive is now also available for Android in a beta version.

Hive Android is a standalone Bitcoin wallet. No external server or cloud service needed - the keys to your bitcoins are stored on your device.

      

Features

- Initiate transactions in various ways:
  * Scan a QR code
  * Click Bitcoin links
  * Touch-to-pay via NFC
- Support for payment protocol (BIP70) for increased security, reliability and speed in making payments
- Hive app store offers close integration with the rest of the Bitcoin ecosystem. Apps available for LocalBitcoins.com, Bitstamp, piiko and others.
- Works offline: Stores transactions for later sending or transmits them via Bluetooth
- Amounts displayed in BTC, mBTC or µBTC with exchange rate info alongside
- Add contacts based on your address book (information from your address book is solely used for the autocomplete feature - no address book data ever leaves your device)
- Notifications for incoming payments
- Encrypted backups

Technical details: Under the hood, this wallet is a fork of the "Bitcoin wallet for Android" by Andreas Schildbach. This means it's also a SPV wallet based on bitcoinj. The software is licensed as GPLv3 and the source code is available at https://github.com/hivewallet/hive-android/ .

This software is beta! That said, the beta tag applies mainly to the look and feel of the app, which will be overhauled before the first official release to better fit the overall Hive brand. We are building on top of a very mature codebase, so while bugs can never be ruled out, we feel that security-wise this app is in very good shape and will protect your coins adequately.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Is Hive Android open source?
A: Yes! The GPL-licensed code is available on GitHub.

Q: Is Hive Android available in languages other than English?
A: Not yet, but we are working on localization support. Translators will be able to help us via Transifex once that is ready. Your help in translating Hive is much appreciated!

Q: Is it really safe for novices to use, right now?
A: We think so, and we are using it on a day-to-day basis with real Bitcoin ourselves.

Q: How can I build an app for Hive?
A: Please see this forum post.

Q: Will you support Windows or Linux?
A: Not unless an exceptional developer steps up. Please contact us if you have the skills and would like to be involved!

Q: Will you support iOS?
A: Native iOS support is probably off the table due to Apple's general despotism. Try hive-js for an alternative.

Q: How do you make money?
A: Our plan is to take very small fees for transactions that happen within non-charity apps in the App Platform. At present this is not implemented.

Check it out on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hivewallet.androidclient.wallet !

[jav]

Things to try out:

1. Exchange Bitcoin addresses with a friend and add them as a contact. Click on the add contact button at the bottom of the screen and then either scan a QR code of your friend's Bitcoin address or import it from the clipboard.

2. Check out our app store (box icon in the upper right)! Give the Mobile Recharge app a try, if you have a prepaid phone that needs topping up and you are based in one of the supported countries.

3. Donate at http://bitgivefoundation.org/donate-now/ to see our support for payment protocol in action. Click the "Donate Now" button and scan the QR code or click the payment link, if you are visiting the website directly on your device. You should see Hive fetching the payment request and displaying additional details about the payee. If you do donate then, Hive will send a copy of the transaction directly to the payee, increasing both speed and reliability of your payment, compared to just broadcasting it on the Bitcoin network alone.

Let us know how you like Hive Android - we value your feedback!

[jav]

Review by CoinDesk: http://www.coindesk.com/hive-launches-android-bitcoin-wallet-built-app-store/

[Mike Hearn]

Congratulations on your launch! It looks really nice. I like how it looked up photos as I typed in names. Customising Andreas' app is definitely a good way to go.

[jav]

Congratulations on your launch! It looks really nice. I like how it looked up photos as I typed in names. Customising Andreas' app is definitely a good way to go.

Thanks!

The build instructions have been updated, in case anyone wants to jump in and help out with development. :-) See https://github.com/hivewallet/hive-android/blob/master/README.md .

[hivewallet]

Announcement about broader BIP70 support in OS X and Android here:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=628185;all

[jav]

Review by Coinbrief: http://coinbrief.net/hive-bitcoin-wallet/ .

Although the Hive Android wallet is still in beta phase, it already has a leg up on the competition with its innovative and possibly revolutionary app store. Add that on top of the streamlined interface, and Hive is already a major contender for the best wallet app on Android. [...] So, based on Hive’s simple interface and the huge potential of its built-in app store, I give this Android wallet a solid 5 out of 5 bits.

Thanks for the kind words! :-)

[m5j0r]

Is it planned to also create an iOS version of Hive?

Now that Apple accepts Bitcoin related apps, it should be possible to get in.

[hivewallet]

Is it planned to also create an iOS version of Hive?

Now that Apple accepts Bitcoin related apps, it should be possible to get in.

Once we see all the classic wallet apps return and stay there, we will consider it.

[hivewallet]

Sneak preview...

[m5j0r]

This looks amazing!

Got another question:
I've never really used any wallet besides the qt one, could you please explain or link me to an explanation of what kind of trust you need to put into 3rd party wallets?
There will be no blockchain on a mobile phone so what exactly is it that one trusts the wallet dev with? Privacy, security? (besides the obvious wallet.dat steal that's always possible)

[jav]

Got another question:
I've never really used any wallet besides the qt one, could you please explain or link me to an explanation of what kind of trust you need to put into 3rd party wallets?
There will be no blockchain on a mobile phone so what exactly is it that one trusts the wallet dev with? Privacy, security? (besides the obvious wallet.dat steal that's always possible)

Both Hive OS X and Hive Android are SPV clients (Simplified Payment Verification). That means, that they indeed do not download the full blockchain, but still download small parts of it, in an effort to verify as much as possible on there own, given the limited set of resources available on a mobile device. Some more technical background can be found here: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Thin_Client_Security#Simplified_Payment_Verification_.28SPV.29 and https://bitcoinj.github.io/security-model . Overall, you aren't that much worse off compared to a full node. An SPV client needs to ask for fairly specific details from the Bitcoin nodes around it, so there is some reduction of privacy in that respect.

[jav]

Hive Android just got a new feature to easily find Hive users nearby! It uses a combination of Bluetooth and GPS-assisted search to find other Hive users and then allows to either add them to the contact list or initiate a payment to them.

   

This CoinBrief article has more details: http://coinbrief.net/hive-bitcoin-wallet-adds-bluetooth/ .

[hivewallet]

Hive Web is Launched!



https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=663832

[Mike Hearn]

Nice!

It looks like the L release will finally support Bluetooth LE in all profiles. At that point Hive/Waggle could use that for better power savings.

[hivewallet]

This was updated recently to support the sweeping of private keys from paper wallets.

[hivewallet]

Hive now has a public chat room on Skype. Come by and talk with us!

http://is.gd/Vf0hcW (yes, that opens the room in Skype)

[TimS]

This wallet is pretty mediocre compared to the Web version (probably OS X too): this is just Andreas's app with add-ons added on.
Is it planned for this wallet to be deterministic/passphrase-based?

[jav]

Is it planned for this wallet to be deterministic/passphrase-based?

Yes, long-term that's where we will be moving towards.

[galbros]

I downloaded HIVE and started using it based on your simplified and logical permissions.  I don't like how my balance is truncated by the icons to the right.  It's a minor thing but I think in satoshi now and I'd like to see my entire balance even if displayed at BTC.

Also, is there a mistake on the wiki for android hive?  It says the transaction fee is set at .001 bitcoins, do you mean .0001?
https://github.com/hivewallet/hive-android/wiki/FAQ#how-much-do-you-charge-for-every-transaction

Thank you and I wish you the best of luck with Hive!