BlueWallet review: the free phone wallet for QR hardware wallets
BlueWallet is the phone app I point people to when they want a simple Bitcoin wallet that can also watch and spend from a hardware wallet.
BlueWallet is a free, open-source Bitcoin wallet for iPhone, Android, and Mac that pairs over QR codes with Jade, SeedSigner, Krux, and Passport, and builds multisig vaults. It suits most people who want one phone app for a hardware wallet and a small spending balance. The trade-off is Lightning: in version 8.0.2 a new Lightning wallet still means connecting your own LNDhub server, and the Arkade-based option stays hidden.
I have not used BlueWallet day to day. This review is built from BlueWallet's own site and docs, the 8.0.2 source code on GitHub, its release notes, and my incident tracker.
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.
What BlueWallet is and who makes it
BlueWallet is a self-custodial Bitcoin wallet. Its footer says it was forged in the ashes of the 2017 fork wars to bring the community a Bitcoin-only wallet, and the App Store lists the developer as Bluewallet Services, S. R. L. The code is MIT-licensed on GitHub, and the latest release is v8.0.2, published October 6, 2026.
It runs on iPhone and Android, and the download page says BlueWallet desktop is macOS only, with no official Windows or Linux build. Android users can also sideload the APK from GitHub, which ships with a signature file. The same page lists BlueWallet Portfolio, a watch-only Chrome extension.
The everyday features are the ones a phone wallet should have. The App Store listing covers watch-only wallets, hardware wallet signing, multisig vaults, coin control, and Replace-By-Fee, plus BIP47 payment codes and a decoy storage for plausible deniability. Version 7.2.2 added Taproot wallets, and 8.0.2 added BIP329 label import and export, so your coin labels can move to other wallets that support that standard.
How Lightning works in BlueWallet today
BlueWallet used to run a hosted Lightning service for everyone. It shut that service down in 2023, and said you can always connect to your own LndHub instead. BlueWallet's Lightning page still describes exactly that: Lightning connects to a node you run, through LNDhub.
Version 7.2.2 added a second kind of Lightning wallet, a Lightning wallet powered by Ark. In the 8.0.2 source it is labeled "Lightning Arkade", talks to the operator at arkade.computer, and reaches Lightning through Boltz swaps. Arkade's own docs say its security rests on one guarantee: a user can claim their funds onchain without the operator, while the operator cosigns transactions in normal use.
Most people will never see that option. In 8.0.2 the Add Wallet screen shows the Arkade button only after you tap the Bitcoin button 20 times, and choosing Lightning from the wallet-type menu leaves the Create button disabled until you enter your own LNDhub address. The App Store description no longer mentions Lightning at all. If spending over Lightning is the main job, use a dedicated app from my Lightning wallet rankings, such as Phoenix.
Who BlueWallet is for
BlueWallet fits someone who owns a QR hardware wallet, or plans to, and wants a phone app to watch the balance, build transactions, and broadcast them. It also fits a small hot wallet for spending, protected by the phone lock and, if you switch it on, BlueWallet's own password.
Pick something else if you want Lightning that works out of the box, a Windows or Linux desktop app, or a USB-only hardware wallet. On a computer I recommend Sparrow. Nunchuk is the better choice if you want a paid inheritance plan, and Passport Prime owners get Bluetooth pairing with Foundation's own Envoy.
Setting up BlueWallet with a hardware wallet
BlueWallet's download page says to install only from that page, the App Store, Google Play, the Chrome Web Store, and github.com/BlueWallet. Check the developer name before you install, since fake wallet apps are a common scam. For the taps and screens, follow BlueWallet's guide to signing with a hardware wallet.
- 1Set up the hardware wallet first, with its own seed phrase and PIN. The seed phrase never goes into BlueWallet.
- 2Export the extended public key from the device as a QR code and import it into BlueWallet. With no private key in the import, BlueWallet treats it as watch-only: it can see the balance and make addresses, and it cannot spend.
- 3To receive, check that the address BlueWallet shows matches the one on the hardware wallet's screen.
- 4To send, BlueWallet builds an unsigned transaction (a PSBT) and shows it as an animated QR code. Scan it with the device, check the address and amount on the device screen, sign, and scan the signed transaction back into BlueWallet to broadcast.
Back up the seed phrase on paper or steel, away from the phone. My guide to moving bitcoin onto a hardware wallet covers the first transfer, and the seed storage rankings cover the backup.
Hardware wallet support
BlueWallet passes transactions to a hardware wallet over QR codes or files. These are the Bitcoin-only devices I review that the device makers list as working with it.
| Device | How it connects | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Jade and Jade Plus | QR code | Blockstream's companion app table |
| SeedSigner | QR code | SeedSigner README |
| Krux | QR code, single-sig or vault | Krux coordinator docs |
| Passport Prime | QR code or file | Foundation's Prime connect list |
| Passport Core | QR code | Foundation's Passport Core connect guide |
Multisig vaults default to 2 of 3, and BlueWallet suggests putting each key on a hardware wallet from a different brand, kept in a different place. My multisig guide explains why the vault backup file matters as much as the seeds.
Privacy: which servers BlueWallet talks to
Out of the box, BlueWallet looks up your balance on public Electrum servers. The 8.0.2 source lists BlueWallet's own server plus servers run by Foundation, Luke Childs, and ACINQ. Whoever runs the server you use can see your addresses and your IP address.
The fix is your own node. The App Store listing says you can connect to your Bitcoin full node through Electrum, and setting a preferred server stops BlueWallet from picking one at random. Onion addresses work through the Orbot app, according to BlueWallet's own error messages. If you need a node, read how to run a Bitcoin node and my node rankings.
Push notifications are the other leak. Version 8.0.1 added a setting that lets you hide payment details from Apple and Google's push notification servers. Turn it on if you use notifications.
Fees and costs
BlueWallet is free on every platform and has no paid tier. You pay only Bitcoin network fees, and the App Store listing says you set the fee yourself and can speed up or cancel a pending payment with Replace-By-Fee.
Security record
BlueWallet's GitHub repository lists no published security advisories, and my security incident tracker has no entry for it. Version 8.0.2 added reproducible builds, which let outsiders check that the published app matches the public code.
The bigger risk is the phone itself. BlueWallet's own threat model page says malware that reaches a phone wallet can reach its keys, and that hardware signing keeps keys off the everyday phone. Keep savings on a hardware wallet and treat any keys inside BlueWallet as spending money.
How BlueWallet compares
| BlueWallet | Nunchuk | Envoy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iPhone, Android, Mac | iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux | iPhone, Android |
| Price | Free | Free, with paid plans | Free |
| Hardware wallets | QR or file | QR, USB on desktop, Bluetooth for some | Passport only |
| Multisig | Yes, vaults | Yes, plus assisted plans | No |
| Lightning | Your own LNDhub; Arkade hidden | No | No |
Against Nunchuk, BlueWallet is simpler and has no account or subscription, while Nunchuk adds desktop apps and an inheritance key. Against the Blockstream app, made by my employer, BlueWallet signs with SeedSigner, Krux, and Passport as well as the Jade, while the Blockstream app adds Liquid and connects to the Jade over Bluetooth. My full list is on the software wallets page.
Verdict
I rate BlueWallet 9.2. It does the job most people need from a phone wallet: watch a hardware wallet, build the transaction, let the device sign, and broadcast. The Lightning side is the weak spot, so pair BlueWallet with a dedicated Lightning app if you spend that way, and keep your savings on a Bitcoin-only hardware wallet.
Frequently asked questions
Is BlueWallet safe?
It is open source under the MIT license and has no published security advisories. Keys kept in the app are only as safe as your phone, so use BlueWallet as a watch-only wallet for a hardware wallet when you hold savings.
Does BlueWallet still support Lightning?
Only partly. In version 8.0.2 a new Lightning wallet connects to an LNDhub server you run, and the Arkade-based Lightning wallet added in 7.2.2 appears only after tapping the Bitcoin button 20 times. For everyday Lightning, use a dedicated app such as Phoenix.
Does BlueWallet work with a hardware wallet?
Yes, over QR codes or files. Blockstream, SeedSigner, Krux, and Foundation all list BlueWallet as working with their devices, and Blockstream's table lists QR, not USB, for the Jade.
Is there a BlueWallet desktop app?
Only for Mac. BlueWallet's download page says there is no official Windows or Linux build.
Can I connect BlueWallet to my own node?
Yes. Set your own Electrum server as the preferred server in the network settings. For an onion address, run the Orbot app alongside it.