How to set up a BitBox02 Bitcoin-only
The BitBox02 is one of the simplest hardware wallets to set up, and the few checks in this guide make sure the simple path is also the safe one.
Download the BitBoxApp from BitBox and verify its signature before you install it. Plug in the BitBox02, let the app check that the device is genuine and install the firmware, then confirm the pairing code and set a device password on the device. Make the microSD backup, write the 24-word seed phrase onto metal, and test both. After that you can pair it with Sparrow or another coordinator over USB.
Disclosure: I work at Blockstream, the company that makes the Jade wallets mentioned here. I joined after many years as a satisfied user. There are no affiliate links on this site.
Which BitBox02 this guide covers
This guide is for the BitBox02 Bitcoin-only edition, the version I review and rate. BitBox also sells a Multi edition. The two share the same hardware, and the Bitcoin-only firmware leaves out every other coin, so there is less code that could hold a bug. Check the box before you open it, because the bootloader blocks any switch between editions on the original and on the Nova.
Plan around your phone. The original BitBox02 connects by USB-C only, and BitBox says the original BitBox02 is not supported by the BitBoxApp on iPhone or iPad. The BitBox02 Nova works on iPhone and iPad over Bluetooth. Android works with both models if the phone supports USB OTG. See my iPhone hardware wallet picks.
I have not used a BitBox02 day to day. This guide is built from BitBox's support docs, its GitHub releases, and the incident record on this site. The firmware and the BitBoxApp are both open source under the Apache 2.0 license.
Step 1: download and verify the BitBoxApp
The BitBoxApp runs on Windows 10, macOS 12, several x86-64 Linux distributions, Android 9, and iOS 16 or later. The current release is 4.52.0, from September 15, 2026. BitBox's list of known scams includes malicious downloads, so follow BitBox's signature guide for the current commands.
- 1Download the installer for your system from BitBox's own site or the GitHub release page, plus the matching .asc signature file.
- 2Import the Shift Crypto security key and check that its fingerprint is DD09 E413 0975 0EBF AE0D EF63 5092 49B0 68D2 15AE.
- 3Verify the signature. You want a good signature for that exact file from that key. A checksum match on its own does not prove who published the value, which is why the signature check comes first.
- 4Install the app. On an iPhone with a Nova, install from the official App Store listing and check that the developer is Shift Crypto AG.
Step 2: check the device and install the firmware
Before you plug it in, check the sealed bag. If it looks cut, opened, or resealed, stop and contact BitBox. A new BitBox02 should arrive empty: it ships without firmware, and BitBox says that if a new BitBox02 already has firmware installed before setup, do not use it.
When you connect it, the BitBoxApp runs an automatic authenticity check and then installs the firmware. The bootloader accepts only firmware signed by Shift Crypto and refuses downgrades. The app currently bundles firmware 9.27.1, released August 31, 2026. For the click-by-click flow, follow BitBox's setup guide.
- 1Connect the BitBox02 and stop if the app shows an authenticity warning.
- 2Let the app install the firmware, and keep the cable in until it finishes.
- 3Compare the pairing code on the device with the one in the app, and confirm only if they match. This sets up the encrypted channel between the app and the device, so a code that differs means something sits between them.
- 4Optional: turn on the startup firmware hash and compare it with the value in the GitHub release notes for your model and edition. A match proves the installed firmware is the published build.
Step 3: set the device password
You type the password on the BitBox02 itself, never on the computer. It does not need to be long: after 10 wrong attempts the device resets to factory settings, which makes guessing pointless. The device password is separate from the optional passphrase, and it does not encrypt the microSD backup.
Step 4: make both backups and test them
BitBox offers two backups. Make both, and keep them in different places.
| Backup | What it is | How to test it |
|---|---|---|
| microSD card | A file the BitBox02 writes during setup. BitBox says anyone who obtains the card could restore the wallet, because it is not encrypted. | Check it from the app without resetting the device |
| Seed phrase | The standard 24 words, shown only on the device screen. BitBox calls them recovery words. | The device quizzes you on every word against your written copy |
Insert the card only into the BitBox02, never into a computer, phone, or other device. Once setup finishes, remove it and store it away from the device. Then have the BitBox02 show your seed phrase, copy it onto steel, and finish the word quiz. The card is convenient, but BitBox notes that a written copy of the words gives you more flexibility when recovering with another compatible hardware wallet, and steel survives a fire that a card may not. My seed phrase backup guide covers paper vs metal and where to store it, and my seed storage rankings list the plates worth buying.
If you add an optional passphrase, back it up on its own. BitBox says the passphrase is not included in your wallet backup, and a successful microSD check does not test it. Read my passphrase guide before you turn it on.
Step 5: use it with Sparrow or another coordinator
For coin control or multisig, pair the BitBox02 with a desktop coordinator. Do the pairing in the BitBoxApp first: Sparrow and other HWI-based apps cannot start the pairing themselves.
- 1Quit the BitBoxApp completely. BitBox says an open BitBoxApp will prevent Sparrow from connecting.
- 2On Linux, install Sparrow's udev rules first, since the device may not be detected without them.
- 3In Sparrow, create a new wallet, connect the hardware wallet over USB, unlock the BitBox02, and import the first keystore.
- 4Keep single signature and Native Segwit (P2WPKH), which BitBox recommends for a standard wallet. Set a Sparrow wallet password if you want the file encrypted on your computer.
- 5Show a receive address on the BitBox02 and check that it matches Sparrow before you send anything to it.
Keep the BitBoxApp installed for firmware updates. My Sparrow setup guide covers the download check and node connection, and my Sparrow review covers the app.
BitBox lists other Bitcoin coordinators too: Electrum, Specter Desktop, Sparrow, Nunchuk, and Bitcoin Safe for single-sig and multisig, and Wasabi for single-sig. If you plan a 2-of-3, my multisig hardware wallet picks help you mix makers.
Step 6: connect your own node
Your own node keeps your balance lookups away from public Electrum server operators. The BitBoxApp reaches it through an Electrum-compatible server, not Bitcoin Core directly. Adding your server keeps the public ones as fallbacks; to use only your own, remove the others and restart the app. BitBox notes that node packages such as Start9 and Umbrel can provide that server, and my guide on how to run a Bitcoin node starts from zero.
Keep the firmware current
BitBox shipped a run of firmware updates in summer 2026. Firmware 9.26.2 updated the bootloader, 9.26.3 fixed a potential out-of-bounds write, and 9.26.5 added further security improvements. My security incident tracker lists each flaw with BitBox's own write-up.
Update only from inside the BitBoxApp. BitBox's update guide says not to use a firmware download or update link sent by email, message, letter, or QR code. That advice matters, because in September 2026 attackers got into BitBox's newsletter provider and sent two phishing campaigns from the BitBox account, pointing people to a site that asked for their seed phrase. No legitimate update ever asks for it.
BitBoxApp 4.52.0 also added a mobile-only beta Lightning hot wallet. Its keys sit on the phone, not the BitBox02, so keep savings in the hardware wallet account.
Next steps
Send a small test amount first, confirm it arrives, then move the rest. My guide to moving bitcoin from an exchange to a hardware wallet covers Coinbase, Cash App, and Robinhood. To see how the BitBox02 stacks up, read my BitBox02 review, the BitBox02 vs Jade Plus comparison, or the full hardware wallet rankings.
Frequently asked questions
Is the BitBox02 microSD backup encrypted?
No. BitBox says the backup file is not encrypted with your device password, so anyone with the card can restore the wallet. Store it privately, away from the device, and insert it only into the BitBox02.
Does the BitBox02 work with an iPhone?
The original BitBox02 does not; the BitBoxApp on iPhone and iPad supports only the BitBox02 Nova, which connects over Bluetooth on iOS 16 or later. The original works with Android phones that support USB OTG, and with computers.
Can I switch a BitBox02 Multi to Bitcoin-only?
No. The bootloader blocks switching editions on every BitBox02, the Nova included. Buy the Bitcoin-only edition and restore your existing backup onto it if you want to move over.
Do I still need the BitBoxApp if I use Sparrow?
Yes, for pairing and firmware updates. Pair the device in the BitBoxApp first, then quit the app before you open Sparrow.