Bitcoin Wallet: keys, security, fees and reviews
In short
- Status
- Live: version 11.04 was tagged on GitLab on 28 April 2026 and the app is listed on F-Droid. Not available on Google Play as of 1 November 2026 (the listing returned HTTP 404 when checked); the project publishes no reason.
- Key control
- Private keys are kept in the wallet file in the app's private storage on the device.
- Fees
- Wallet: Open-source free software under GPLv3.
- Risks and caveats
- The developers say to use it at your own risk and only for pocket-sized amounts.
- Checked
- 1 November 2026
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Key facts
- Official site
- gitlab.com/bitcoin-wallet/bitcoin-wallet
- Status
- Live: version 11.04 was tagged on GitLab on 28 April 2026 and the app is listed on F-Droid. Not available on Google Play as of 1 November 2026 (the listing returned HTTP 404 when checked); the project publishes no reason.
Key facts checked on 1 November 2026 against official sources.
Status
Live: version 11.04 was tagged on GitLab on 28 April 2026 and the app is listed on F-Droid. Not available on Google Play as of 1 November 2026 (the listing returned HTTP 404 when checked); the project publishes no reason.
What is Bitcoin Wallet
Bitcoin Wallet is an open-source, self-custodial Bitcoin app for Android by the Bitcoin Wallet developers. It is a reference implementation of Simplified Payment Verification (SPV) and needs no registration, web service or cloud.
Who holds the keys
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Key control | Private keys are kept in the wallet file in the app's private storage on the device. |
| Account model | No registration, web service or cloud; the wallet works peer to peer. |
| Recovery | Manual backups to and restores from an Android storage share, likely Google Drive. |
| Seed phrase | Uses BIP-32 deterministic wallets; multiple accounts per wallet (BIP-44) are deliberately not supported. |
Features and supported networks
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Android 9.0 (Pie) or higher. |
| Supported networks | Bitcoin only, including Taproot, SegWit and bech32m addresses. |
| Privacy (CoinJoin, Tor) | Tor through the separate Orbot app. |
| Connectivity | Payments by NFC, QR codes or Bitcoin URLs; offline payments over Bluetooth. |
Security and audits
- Open source under the GPLv3 licence.
- Reproducible reference builds via buildah, Docker or Podman.
- The F-Droid build is signed by the original developer and matches the published source.
Security incidents
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 11 August 2013 | Key compromise: Bitcoin.org's security alert of 11 August 2013 said a component of Android responsible for generating secure random numbers contained critical weaknesses that rendered all Android wallets generated to date vulnerable to theft; it named Bitcoin Wallet update 3.15, with automatic key rotation. The wallet's own CHANGES file lists 'auto-rotate weak keys' for v3.15. Funds returned: not stated | bitcoin.org |
Fees
| Parameter | Details |
|---|---|
| Wallet | Open-source free software under GPLv3. |
History
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 11 March 2011 | The Bitcoin Wallet for Android project page on Google Code is online, with an Android Market install link and GPL v3 code licence. |
| 31 March 2012 | The GitHub repository bitcoin-wallet/bitcoin-wallet is created. |
| 28 April 2026 | Version 11.04 is tagged on GitLab. |
| 27 April 2026 | F-Droid adds version 11.03. |
Risks and caveats
- The developers say to use it at your own risk and only for pocket-sized amounts.
- A backup must be decrypted with the backup password; recovery off the device needs technical steps.
- Wallets are not shared with BIP-44 wallets on the same seed.
About the developer
- Developer
- Bitcoin Wallet developers; coding and graphics credited to Andreas Schildbach.
- Licence / registration
- GNU General Public License v3.0
Official links
- Source code: gitlab.com/bitcoin-wallet/bitcoin-wallet
- Download: f-droid.org/en/packages/de.schildbach.wallet
- Docs: gitlab.com/bitcoin-wallet/bitcoin-wallet/-/blob/main/wallet/README.md
- Support: gitlab.com/bitcoin-wallet/bitcoin-wallet/-/issues
Questions and answers
Is Bitcoin Wallet self-custodial?
Yes. Private keys are stored in the wallet file in the app's private storage, and no registration or cloud service is needed.
Is Bitcoin Wallet open source?
Yes. It is free software under GPLv3, with code on GitLab and reproducible builds.
Which coins does Bitcoin Wallet support?
Bitcoin only, including Taproot, SegWit and bech32m addresses.
Where can I download Bitcoin Wallet?
From F-Droid, which ships a build signed by the original developer, or by building from the GitLab source.
Sources
- Bitcoin Wallet - app description (GitLab)
- Bitcoin Wallet - README
- Bitcoin Wallet - wallet technical README
- Bitcoin Wallet - recovery guide
- Bitcoin Wallet - supported specifications
- Bitcoin Wallet - CHANGES
- Bitcoin Wallet - AUTHORS
- GitLab API - tags
- GitLab API - project
- GitHub API - repository
- F-Droid - Bitcoin Wallet
- Google Code project page, Wayback Machine 11 March 2011
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