Heads Up!
Large amounts of bitcoins should not be stored on your Android device! If you want the most secure Bitcoin wallet then you will need to use a hardware wallet like the Ledger Nano X or TREZOR T.
You should always do research before downloading or installing any Bitcoin wallet.
Samourai Get Samourai Read Review
Considered to be one of the most feature rich and private Bitcoin wallets on the market. Bitcoiners love the coinjoin features native to Samourai, however the Android wallet is currently in beta so may be unstable.
- Open Source
- Full Segwit suport
- Coinjoin functionality
- Tor and VPN connection available
- Connect to full node
- May be unstable since this is app is in beta
- Build not verifiable
Zengo Get Zengo
Zengo is a new kind of cryptowallet where your private key is encrypted and stored on Zengo's server and accessed via your Android's faciel recognition technology. This makes it easier to restore your wallet if it's ever lost, but you must trust Zengo to be honest and competent at protecting your keys.
- Easy for beginners
- Backups and restoring are simple
- No need to hide a seed phrase
- Beautiful UI
- Need to trust Zengo and Your device manufacturer
- New key management method untested on the market
- Closed source
Blockstream Green Get BS Green Read Review
Blockstream Green is one of the most unqique and secure Android Bitcoin wallets on the market. It uses a 2-of-2 style backup so if you ever lose your backup, you can use any two factor authentication to recover it. It's also super simple to set up and requires no registration other than an email address. You can even store your Liquid assets on Blockstream green now.
- Easy to set up
- Excellent fee estimation
- Two-Factor multi-sig
- Multilingual
- Great support
- Compatible with Ledger and Trezor Hardware Wallets
- Some features are advanced for beginners
- Using two-factor recovery can be confusing
Aqua Wallet
If the advanced features offered by Blockstream Green seem a little too complicated for you, Blockstream also just released a single-signature, non-custodial mobile wallet called Aqua. With Aqua, you can hold Bitcoin, Tether, and LBTC (Liquid BTC) just like Blockstream green. The main difference is there is no confusing multi-signature involved. Its just a simple, but well designed and easy to use mobile wallet for Bitcoiners.
- Buy Bitcoin from within app
- Non-custodial
- Less complicated
- Multilingual
- Great support
- No Multisig
- Lacks some of the advanced features of Green
- Not releasing until November for Android
Ledger Live Get Ledger Live Read Review
Ledger Live is a little bit different than all the other wallet apps on this list. That's because you actually need a Ledger hardware wallet for it to work. This makes it by far the most secure Android Wallet app on this list, but it also means that using it isn't exactly 'free'.
WARNING
The google play store has more than one Ledger Live app listed. A few appear to be frauds. We have linked to the one Ledger itself has linked to, but if you want to be certain, we recommend going to Ledger's page where they link to their google play app page.
- Most secure
- Great UI
- Easy to use
- All crypto in one dashboard
- Compatible with Ledger Hardware Wallets
- Must buy a Ledger hardware wallet to use
- Confirming transactions can be confusing for new users
BRD Wallet Get BRD Read Review
BRD is good for new bitcoin users who are just getting comfortable sending and receiving bitcoins. The UI is one of the best among Android Bitcoin and crypto wallets and you don't need to do any sort of sign up process to use it. However, some users report syncing issues and technical support is not known to be great.
- Beautiful user interface
- Utilizes industry-leading hardware encryption
- No signup required
- In app exchange built in
- Open Source
- Minimal technical support
- Syncing issues common
- BRD aware of how much crypto you have (even if they dont know who you are)
- Not compatible with any hardware wallets - less secure
Mycelium Get Mycelium Read Review
Mycelium is one of the oldest and most trusted mobile Bitcoin wallet apps on the market. It's packed with features and even shows tickers and stats for traditional stocks so if that interests you, it may help you delete some other apps on your phone as well.
- No Blockchain install
- Super nodes makes connection to blockchain fast
- One of the oldest and most trusted Bitcoin wallets
- Many advanced features
- Open Source
- Compatible with Ledger, Trezor and Keepkey devices.
- More advanced wallet not ideal for beginners
- Traditional stock dashboard may distract from crypto-only holders
Jaxx Liberty Get Jaxx
Jaxx Liberty is a very popular bitcoin wallet with support for tons of different coins, an in-app exchange and native block explorers. The news panel that lets users know of the latest news regarding their coins is a nice touch. Some, though, have run into issues with various altcoins on Jaxx Liberty.
- Easily manage multiple coins from a single interface
- Informative news panel
- Multi-chain block explorers native to app
- In-app exchange built in
- Supports over 80 coins
- Only 12 word backup phrase
- Many complaints of coding issues preventing sending coins
- May support more coins than they can keep up with
- Not compatible with any hardware wallets - less secure
Edge (AirBitz) Get Edge
Edge is a feature packed Bitcoin wallet for Android. It aims to make spending bitcoins a breeze, since it offers a Bitcoin merchant directory and the ability to buy gift cards from within the app! Also Edge takes advantage of your Android device by allowing you to use your fingerprint to unlock your wallet.
- Edge does not know your holdings
- Fingerprint unlock support
- No Address Re-use
- Open Source
- Built in exchange
- Purchases through in-app exchange slow
- Many reports of regular app crashing
- Not compatible with any hardware wallets - less secure
If after reading this you’re converting to iPhone, then check out the best bitcoin wallets for iPhone!
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Chapter 1
How to Add Funds to Your Android Wallet
Now that you have chosen a wallet, let's transfer some funds into it.
In this brief walkthrough, we will show you how to add funds to your Android wallet
For you to add funds to your Android Wallet, you will need to find an exchange to buy crypto from then transfer it to your Android Wallet. Many Android Wallets have exchanges native to them (as seen above), however, these exchanges generally charge very high fees for the convenience, so it’s generally better to use a dedicated exchange, like Kraken or Coinbase.
You’ll need to choose an exchange that services your country and/or state. You can find a full list of exchanges sorted by country and preffered payment method on our exchange finder or you can see the most popular exchanges below:
- Popular Exchanges
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Coinbase- High liquidity and buying limits
- Easy way for newcomers to get bitcoins
- "Instant Buy" option available with debit card
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Coinmama- Works in almost all countries
- Highest limits for buying bitcoins with a credit card
- Reliable and trusted broker
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Kraken- Great liquidity and low fees
- Supports most countries
- Trusted exchange, started in 2011
After you have bought your crypto, you’ll need to send it to your wallet. To do that, do the following:
1. Open your wallet and find an option to “receive”
2. Copy the address given
3. On your exchange where you bought your coins, select the “send” option.
4. There should be a field to input your wallet address copied in step 2. Paste it there.
5. Confirm you want to send your coins.
After that, you should receive a confirmation with a transaction ID of some kind. Here is what that might look like.
Chapter 2
Hardware Wallets: A Great Addition to Android Wallets
Android Wallets have the advantage of being free and easy to use. However, using an Android Wallet also poses many dangers to your coins.
Making sure your coins are not stolen through malware or ransomware is difficult to avoid on an Android Wallet.
Hardware wallets are a great choice because they never connect to the internet. They store your private keys and sign transactions you send to them. You verify the transaction on the screen of the hardware wallet, and give the signed transaction to the Android device.
If you plan on storing large amounts of coins, we either recommend a hardware wallet exclusively or choosing an Android Wallet that allows you to hold your private keys on a hardware wallet.
Hardware wallets are a great way, then, to keep your coins safe if you want to use an Android Wallet. Instead of housing the private keys on your phone or tablet, you store them on your hardware wallet and the desktop just acts as a user interaface to the send and receive coins.
Unfortunately, Only Blockstream Green, Ledger Live, and Mycelium support hardware wallets, so options are limited if you are serious about taking your security seriously and using an Android Wallet.
COMPARISON
Chapter 3
Security Tips for Android Wallets
Now that we've got our Android wallet set up with a hardware wallet, let's explore a few additional points on security.
PINs, VPNs, and Steel wallets are great additions to our security stack.
Always set up a PIN to protect your funds
Make sure your Android wallet is protected by a 4 to 6 digit PIN number. Much your like bank account, most wallets have a PIN password that is the absolutel minimum when it comes to protecting funds you keep on your wallet. This prevents someone who has your phone from accessing the coins and sending them to another wallet that they own.
A PIN is not very strong security, but its good enough to prevent most people who have temporary access to your unlocked phone from taking your money.
Store your recovery phrase on something that is water and fire proof
All the Android wallets on this list support BIP39 seed words, otherwise known as ‘recovery phrases’. If your phone is lost, destroyed, or stolen, you can use this phrase to recover your funds to a new device.
However, most people write down these words on a piece of paper. When their home catches fire or is flooded, they lose the device and the backup to the elements. You should therefore consider a steel backup device like the Billfodl or Cryptosteel.
DO NOT store a lot of coins on your Android wallet
We’ve mentioned this before, but its worth repeating: you should treat your Android wallet the same way you treat your real world wallet or billfold. You wouldnt carry every dollar you own in your pocket. You should also not hold all your coins on your Android wallet. You need to store them on a hardware wallet.
Use a VPN when transacting on an Android wallet
When making Bitcoin transactions on your Android wallet, it is a good practice to use a VPN. This prevents your ISP or hackers listening in on your connection from tying your IP address (and therefore your personal identity) to your Bitcoin transactions. It’s a good privacy practice that is cheap and easy to implement.
- VPN
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NordVPN- Special support for Malaysia, Nigeria, Singapore, South Africa
- SEPA & credit card supported
- Trusted exchange
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Surfshark- Users claim fast speed from wide range of servers all around the world
- Compatible with nearly any OS
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ExpressVPN- Allows for Netflix
- Users claim fast speed
- Has apps for nearly any platform
Chapter 4
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of our most asked questions by readers.
If you're wondering about a topic on this page, odds are we have the answer here.
Is Blockstream’s Aqua Available on Android?
For now, Blockstream’s simple single-sig wallet called Auqa is not available on Android. It is coming though. For now, you will need to use Blockstream green.
What is Aqua?
Aqua is a single signature mobile only wallet, meaning anyone with access to your phone (either physcially or remotely) could steal your coins. In exchange for the increased risk, the wallet is easier to use.
Aqua is new, and if you have an iOS device, it can be a great addition to Blockstream Green Desktop. Take a closer look at it its features and look in the video below:
