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For you to add funds to your Android Wallet, you will need to find a cryptocurrency exchange to buy crypto and then transfer it to your hardware wallet using an android app as the interface. Many Android hardware wallets have crypto exchanges native to them (as seen above), however, these exchanges generally charge very high transaction fees for the convenience, so it’s generally better to use a dedicated crypto 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 preferred payment method on our exchange finder.

After you have bought your cryptocurrency, such as bitcoin(BTC), ethereum(ETH), or other coins, you’ll need to send it to your wallet by following these steps:

1. Open your wallet and find an option to “receive”

In this example, we are using a Ledger Nano X with Ledger Live.

2. Connect Your Hardware Wallet

3. Copy the address given or scan the QR code and confirm on the device.

4. On your exchange where you bought your coins, select the “send” option.

5. There should be a field to input your wallet address copied in step 3. Paste it there.

6. 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.

What a transaction ID looks like (the number starting with "804")

Always set up a PIN to protect your funds

Make sure your Android device and hardware wallet is protected by a 4 to 8 digit PIN number. Much like your bank account, most wallets have a PIN password that is the absolutely minimum when it comes to protecting funds you keep on your wallet. This prevents someone who has your mobile device from accessing the coins and sending them to another wallet that they own.

Setting up a PIN is a minimal requirement when it comes to wallet security.

Store your recovery phrase on something that is water and fire proof

All the Android hardware wallets on this list support BIP39 seed words, otherwise known as ‘recovery phrases’. If your hardware wallet 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 PrivacyPros Billfodl.

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 wouldn’t 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 hardware 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.

Is Blockstream’s Aqua Available on Android?

For now, Blockstream’s simple single-sig wallet called Aqua 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 physically 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 security features and look in the video below:

What is Guarda Wallet?

Guarda wallet is a software wallet that was launched in 2017 for supporting for Ethereum (ETH). It is available on Android. We do not recommend it as it does not support hardware wallets.

Is Electrum supported on Android?

Electrum wallet is one of the most trusted crypto wallets which stores only Bitcoin. With Electrum release 4.2.1, Android (5.0 and higher) is supported. Note: While Electrum is available on Google Play, make sure to verify the installion of the distributed files using GPG signatures explained on their website. This insures that the files have not been compromised.

Is Bitpay supported on Android?

Yes, Bitpay is available on the Google Play Store. We do not recommend it as it does not support hardware wallets and is totally custodial, meaning you do not hold your coins. Bitpay does.

Which wallet is best for investors?

Investors should use a hardware wallet, not an Android wallet alone. Android wallets on their own are not very secure, so anyone holding large sums of money in crypto are advised not to use Android wallets without a hardware wallet connected.

What is Exodus wallet?

Exodus is a wallet that supports over a hundred cryptocurrencies. In the beginning, Exodus was originally available only on desktop (Windows, Mac, or Linux), but is now also available for iOS and Android mobile platforms as well. You can also connect it to the Trezor Model T or Trezor One hardware wallets.