BSV Browser - Support & User Guide

What is BSV Browser?

A free, open source web browser for iOS and Android that does everything your current browser does — plus three things it can't: hold a wallet, prove who you are, and pay fractions of a cent for anything.

A regular browser, with superpowers

At its core, BSV Browser is a full-featured web browser. You can visit any website, manage bookmarks, keep browsing history, and open multiple tabs. What sets it apart is the optional Web3 layer: when you enable it, websites that support the BRC-100 standard can interact with your wallet for payments, identity verification, encryption, and more — all with your explicit permission.

The browser ships with two modes:

Web2 Mode — a standard browser with no blockchain features active. This is the default until you choose to create or import a wallet.
Web3 Mode — enables the full suite of wallet, identity, and payment capabilities for compatible applications.

BSV Browser home page showing bookmarks, history, and search engine selector

Getting Started

Two steps: open your wallet and save your recovery phrase. After that, you have a fully working wallet and identity on your phone.

Step 1: Open your wallet

Tap the menu button (the three dots at the bottom-right of the screen) and select Wallet. The wallet opens right away, with nothing created yet — you can look around first. It is created the moment you actually use it:

Pay or Get paid — creates a wallet for you. A Secure Your Wallet notice explains why Face ID or Touch ID is needed before the prompt appears; approving it generates a fresh 12-word recovery phrase and unlocks blockchain features.
Import from backup, at the bottom of the wallet screen — paste a BIP-39 recovery phrase you already have, or scan backup shares from a printed recovery sheet.

Not ready? Go back to browsing. Nothing has been created, and no keys exist on the device until you choose one of the two above.

Wallet screen with Pay, Get paid and Vault, before any wallet exists

Step 2: Secure your recovery phrase

A new wallet reminds you to back it up, and you can reopen the same screen at any time from Wallet > Settings > Backup Wallet Keys. It shows your 12-word recovery phrase — the only way to recover your wallet if you lose your device or reinstall the app.

Save — exports your phrase as a text file via the system share sheet, so you can save it to cloud storage, AirDrop it, or print it.
Copy — copies the phrase so you can paste it somewhere safe.
Print Recovery Shares — splits the key across three printed pages, any two of which restore the wallet.
Once the words are written down, tap Confirm to record the backup. The button appears after a short pause, so there is time to actually write them.

Important: Your keys and transaction data are stored on your device only. BSV Browser is self-custodial — nobody else holds your keys. If you lose your recovery phrase, your wallet cannot be recovered.

Recovery phrase screen with Save and Copy options

Browsing the Web

Tabs, bookmarks, history, search — it works exactly like the browser you already use. Here's a quick tour of the interface.

Address bar and search

The address bar sits at the bottom of the screen. Tap it to enter a URL or search query. As you type, the browser shows autocomplete suggestions drawn from your bookmarks and browsing history.

If you type a term that does not look like a URL, the browser searches using your chosen search engine. You can pick from Startpage (the default), Brave, Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo in the browser home page settings.

Tip: Look for the lock icon next to the URL — it indicates the site is served over HTTPS.

Address bar with autocomplete suggestions

Moving the address bar

By default the address bar sits at the bottom of the screen. If it ever covers a button or element at the bottom of a website, you can move it to the top. A swipe upward will move it to the top. A swipe downward will move it back again.

Tip: Some websites pin navigation or chat buttons to the bottom of the page. Moving the address bar to the top keeps those elements accessible.

Address bar moved to the top of the screen

Tabs

Open the menu and tap Tabs to see all your open tabs in a card-style overview. You can:

Swipe a tab card left or right to close it.
Tap + to open a new tab.
Tap Clear All Tabs to start fresh.

Your open tabs are automatically saved between sessions, so you pick up right where you left off.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks appear as a scrollable row at the top of the browser home page. Tap any bookmark to open it. To manage all your bookmarks, tap See All > next to the Bookmarks heading to open a full-page list where you can:

Swipe left on any bookmark to delete it.
Tap Clear All to remove all bookmarks at once.
Tap any bookmark to navigate to it.

To add a bookmark, open the menu on any page and tap Add Bookmark.

Full bookmarks list with swipe to delete

History

The browser home page shows your recent browsing history. Tap See All > next to the History heading to open the full history list. From there you can:

Swipe left on any entry to delete it individually.
Tap Clear All to wipe your entire browsing history.
Tap any entry to revisit that page.

Search engine and homepage

On the browser home page you can customise two key settings:

Search Engine — tap the dropdown to switch between Startpage, Brave, Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo. Your choice is remembered across sessions.
Homepage — tap the pencil icon next to the current homepage URL to change it. New tabs always open to your homepage.

Search engine dropdown and homepage editor on the browser home page

The menu

Tap the three-dot button at the bottom right to open the menu popover. From here you can:

Share the current page.
Add Bookmark for the page you are on.
Open the Browser page (bookmarks, history, homepage, search engine).
Submit a Bug Report (links directly to the GitHub issues page).
Open your Wallet — with a Connections shortcut beside it once you have one.
View and manage Tabs.

Wallet & Payments

Your wallet lives on your device — only you hold the keys. Check your balance, send and receive BSV, and authorize micropayments to Web3 apps.

Wallet overview

Open the menu and tap Wallet to see your wallet. The main screen shows:

Your current balance in satoshis or fiat. Tap it to refresh.
Buttons for Pay, Get paid, and the Vault, with your recent Activity listed below them.
Your Identity Key with a copy button.
A Settings row that opens the full wallet configuration screen.

Wallet overview showing balance, activity links, and settings

Wallet configuration

Tap Settings from the wallet overview to access all wallet configuration options:

BSV Network — switch between Mainnet, Testnet, and Teratest. Changing the network rebuilds the wallet on the selected chain.
Trust Network — manage your trusted identity certifiers.
Recovery Phrase — tap to copy your mnemonic to the clipboard.
Print Recovery Shares — generate printable backup sheets (see Backup & Recovery below).
Export Wallet Data — export your wallet database as a .db backup file via the system share sheet (see Exporting & Importing).
Import Wallet Data — restore a previously exported .db backup via the system document picker (see Exporting & Importing).
Logout — clear all wallet data and return to Web2 mode.

Wallet configuration screen with network, recovery, and export options

Micropayments in Web3 apps

When you visit a Web3-enabled website, it can request a payment from your wallet. A permission sheet slides up from the bottom of the screen showing:

The requesting website's domain.
A description of what you are paying for.
The exact amount in satoshis (and fiat equivalent).

You can tap Authorize to approve or Reject to decline. No payment is ever made without your explicit approval.

Tip: Micropayments on BSV are typically fractions of a cent, making it practical to pay for individual actions like saving a note, posting a message, or accessing premium content.

Micropayment authorization prompt from a Web3 app

Peer-to-peer identity payments

The Payments screen lets you send BSV directly to another person using their identity rather than a raw blockchain address. Search for the recipient by name across the BSV identity network, enter an amount, and send.

Incoming payments appear in a list. You can accept them individually, or tap Accept All to batch-accept every pending payment at once. A result banner confirms how many were accepted.

Payments screen showing incoming payments with Accept All button

Get paid to an address

For compatibility with traditional BSV wallets and services, BSV Browser can receive standard address-based payments. Open Wallet > Pay, choose Get paid, then tap To an address.

A unique address and QR code are generated for each day. Share them with anyone who wants to send you BSV. Incoming funds are automatically detected and imported into your wallet — no manual action needed.
Tap Copy to put the address on your clipboard, or let the sender scan the QR code.
Tap Reach an earlier day if you need to check a previous day's receive address.

The To an address receive screen, showing a QR code, the address, and a Copy button

Paying to an address

To send in the other direction, open Wallet > Pay, stay on Pay, and tap To an address. Enter the recipient's BSV address — typing it, pasting it, or tapping the QR icon to scan it — and the amount you want to send.

Tap Pay to broadcast the transaction.
Tap Send Max to send your full available balance.
The screen reminds you that a payment sent this way is not announced to the recipient — they will simply see the funds arrive.

A success or error banner appears after the transaction is submitted.

The To an address send form, with recipient address, amount, Send Max and a Pay button

Activity

Your transaction history is on the wallet screen itself, under Activity, below the balance and the three buttons — so checking whether a payment went through costs no extra navigation. Entries are grouped by day, and each row reads left to right: an arrow showing the direction, what the payment was, then its status and the amount. Money coming in is shown in green.

Each row carries a short status:

Confirmed or Seen — settled, and shown quietly, because nothing is needed from you.
Broadcasting, or Offline · queued when you have no connection — still on its way.
Not Sent, Unsigned or Non-final — highlighted, because they may want your attention.
Failed — the transaction did not go through.

Tap a row to expand it. You can View on block explorer, Copy transaction ID, Copy BEEF as hex, Refresh status, and Cancel transaction for one that has not gone out yet. Export CSV, at the top of the list, saves the whole history.

The wallet screen with the Activity list below the balance, showing payments grouped by day

The Vault

The vault is a safe inside your wallet. Funds you move into it can only be moved out again with a hardware security key in your hand — so someone who picks up your unlocked phone can spend your everyday balance, but cannot touch what is in the vault. Both putting funds in and taking them out require the key, its PIN, and a physical touch.

What you need, and where to find it

Open the browser menu and tap Wallet, then tap Vault. Your vault balance is shown separately from your everyday balance — the two never overlap, so money in the vault is money that cannot be spent by tapping Pay.

The vault needs a YubiKey 5C-class security key. On iPhone the key is read over NFC: hold it against the top of the phone. On Android you normally plug it in over USB-C; on Android phones with NFC a tap works too, though you must keep the key held against the phone until the unlock finishes, and the prompts will still say "insert" and "touch the gold contact". If the app cannot use a security key on your device, the Vault screen tells you so instead of offering setup.

Tip: The vault is optional. If you never set one up, nothing about the rest of the wallet changes.

Wallet screen showing the Pay, Get paid and Vault buttons beneath the balance

Setting up the vault

Tap Set up vault on the Vault screen. The wizard asks for three things, in this order:

A backup first. The vault protects your funds from someone who has your phone; it cannot protect them from losing it. So before anything can be locked away, you must either write down your recovery phrase and confirm you have done so, or print your recovery shares. Either one is enough.
A vault passphrase. Five or more unrelated random words. The wizard can generate six for you, and shows a strength meter if you type your own. This is your second way back into the vault, so store it alongside your recovery phrase — not with your security key.
Your security key. Enter the key's PIN, then hold it to your phone (or plug it in) and touch its gold contact. The vault key is written to the security key, and setup is complete.

There are exactly two ways to open the vault afterwards: your security key plus its PIN, or your wallet recovery phrase plus your vault passphrase. Both routes have to survive. If you lose the key and cannot produce the phrase and the passphrase together, there is no third route, no backup key, and no reset — not by us, not by anyone — and the funds stay where they are permanently.

Important: The vault passphrase cannot be reset or recovered. If you lose both your security key and your passphrase, the funds in the vault cannot be moved by anybody, ever. A mistyped passphrase during setup silently creates a different, empty vault — which is why the wizard makes you type it twice.

Wallet settings showing Recovery Key and Print Recovery Shares, which satisfy the vault's backup requirement

Putting funds into the vault

From the Vault screen, tap Deposit. Type the amount you want to move out of your everyday balance — in satoshis, or in your chosen display currency if you have set one — and tap Deposit again.

The app then walks you through a single unlock:

On iPhone you are asked for your PIN first, then to hold your YubiKey to the top of your phone and keep it there. On Android you insert the key first, then enter the PIN, then touch the gold contact.
The screen shows Unlocking your funds, then Sending to the network. Keep the app open while it does.
When it finishes you see Moved to vault, the vault balance updates, and the key locks itself again.

A deposit takes one touch, no matter the amount, and there is no minimum deposit — you can move as little as a single satoshi. You do need enough in your everyday balance to cover the amount plus the network fee, and you need to be online: the app will not accept a vault transfer while you are offline and hold it to send later.

Tip: Cancelling at any point before the key unlocks moves no money at all. If you change your mind while the app is waiting for your key, just tap Cancel.

Taking funds out of the vault

From the Vault screen, tap Withdraw. Either type an amount, or tap Send Max to move Entire vault balance. Tap Withdraw and unlock with your key exactly as you did for the deposit — PIN, then hold or touch. The funds arrive back in your everyday balance, and you see Withdrawn from vault. Once a withdrawal is unlocked it is signed and sent in the background, so the app finishes the job even if your connection wobbles at that last moment.

Each deposit you have made is stored as a separate piece of the vault, and one withdrawal can move up to 32 of them. If your vault is made up of more pieces than that, the withdrawal takes what it can and tells you: Moved part of your vault. N more deposits remain — withdraw again to move them. Simply withdraw again to move the rest.

If you ask for a specific amount that cannot be assembled from 32 pieces, the app says Withdraw a smaller amount first rather than failing part-way. Each withdrawal also tidies the vault up, so the next one can move more.
Withdrawing part of your vault returns the rest to the vault automatically, in the same step and with no second touch. If what would be left behind is a tiny amount — under 10,000 satoshis — it goes to your everyday balance along with your withdrawal instead of back into the vault, so a little extra can arrive with it. Either way the network fee comes out of what arrives, so the final figure is never exactly the number you typed.

You cannot switch the vault off while it still holds funds. Disable vault asks you to withdraw everything first, because a disabled vault has nothing left to sign with.

If you lose your security key

This is what the vault passphrase is for. On the Vault screen, under Manage, tap Recover with phrase. Your wallet recovery phrase is already on the device, so you only need to supply the vault passphrase you chose during setup. Tap Recover funds.

Everything in the vault is moved to your everyday balance and the vault is cleared — no security key is involved at any point. If the vault holds more pieces than one transaction can carry, recovery keeps going until it is empty. Afterwards the vault is switched off; set it up again with a new key whenever you are ready.

A wrong passphrase is rejected before anything moves: That passphrase does not match this vault. Nothing has been moved. The same route also gets you back in if you lock your security key's PIN by entering it incorrectly too many times.

Important: Recovery shares printed by this app split your recovery phrase itself, so a wallet restored from them gets its phrase back — it can set up a vault, and a vault set up earlier on that same phrase can still be recovered with the vault passphrase. Older share sheets, which split a key rather than the phrase, behave differently: a wallet restored from those has no recovery phrase, and because the vault key comes from that phrase, it can neither set up a vault nor recover one.

Backup & Recovery

You hold the keys, so you control the backups. BSV Browser gives you two ways to save the key itself — a 12-word phrase and printable recovery shares — so you can pick the approach that fits your life. Alongside them, an encrypted copy of your wallet's records is kept on our server by default, so that a replacement device can rebuild what your phrase alone cannot.

Recovery phrase

When you create a wallet, a 12-word recovery phrase is generated. This phrase can restore your wallet on any compatible device. You can access it at any time from Wallet > Settings > Backup Wallet Keys.

From that screen you can save it two ways:

Save Recovery Phrase — exports a .txt file via the system share sheet (AirDrop, Files, email, etc.).
Copy to Clipboard — copies the words so you can paste them into a secure note or password manager.

Important: Anyone with your recovery phrase can access your wallet. Store it somewhere safe and never share it.

Recovery phrase screen with Save as file and Copy to clipboard options

Print recovery shares

For extra security, BSV Browser can split your wallet key into three printed shares using Shamir's Secret Sharing. Any two of the three shares are enough to recover your wallet, but a single share alone reveals nothing.

To generate shares:

Go to Wallet > Settings > Backup Wallet Keys and tap Print Recovery Shares.
The app generates three pages, each containing a QR code and the share text.
The system print dialog opens so you can print them to paper or save as PDF.

Store each share in a separate, secure location. For example: one at home, one at work, one with a trusted family member.

Printed recovery share page with QR code and share text

Recover from backup shares

If you have printed recovery shares, you can restore your wallet by scanning any two of the three sheets:

On the wallet screen, tap Import from backup at the bottom, then tap Scan Backup Shares.
The camera opens with a QR scanner. Point it at your first share.
Progress dots at the bottom show how many shares you have scanned and how many are still needed.
After scanning the second share, the wallet is automatically recovered and you are taken to the browser.

The scanner validates each share as you scan it. Duplicate or incompatible shares are rejected with an error message so you always know what is happening.

Camera QR scanner with progress dots showing one of two shares scanned

Private backup to our server

Your recovery phrase saves your key, but it cannot rebuild your wallet on its own. Records such as change outputs and received payments carry information that exists only in your wallet's own database, so a phrase restored onto a new phone can leave funds it cannot spend. To close that gap, BSV Browser keeps an encrypted copy of your wallet database on a BSV Association server. This is on by default.

The copy is encrypted on your device before it is sent, with a key that only your own wallet can derive — the key your recovery phrase, or your printed shares, restores. We store ciphertext and have no way to decrypt it, so we cannot read your transactions, your balances, or anything else in the backup — and we cannot restore it for you either. It is also stored under a key derived purely for backup, which cannot be linked to your wallet identity by anyone who does not already hold your wallet's private key.

You are in control of it from Wallet > Settings > Private backup:

Back up to server — turn uploading off at any time. Nothing further is read from your wallet or sent. What has already been uploaded is left alone.
Delete backup from server — permanently removes everything this wallet has uploaded, on every network and including what other devices uploaded, and switches backing up off on this device. If the deletion fails you are told rather than wrongly reassured. Your coins, keys, and recovery phrase are untouched. Note that any other device still set up with this wallet keeps backing up until you switch it off there too, and will upload a fresh copy.

Your browsing history and bookmarks are never included, and your recovery phrase, private keys, and vault passphrase are never sent in any form. Full detail is in the Privacy Policy.

Important: The private backup is not a substitute for your recovery phrase — it is unreadable without the wallet key that your phrase, or your printed shares, restores. Keep one of them regardless. Equally, if you turn the backup off, be aware that your phrase alone may not be able to recover all of your funds on a new device.

Exporting & Importing Wallet Data

BSV Browser lets you export your full wallet database as a backup file and import it again on the same or a different device. This is distinct from the recovery phrase: exporting the database preserves your complete transaction history, UTXOs, and certificate data, not just the root key.

Exporting wallet data

Go to Wallet > Settings > Export Wallet Data. The app bundles your active wallet database into a single .db file and opens the system share sheet so you can send it to wherever you keep your backups — iCloud Drive, Google Drive, AirDrop, email, and so on.

The exported filename follows the pattern:

wallet-<key-suffix>-<network>net-<timestamp>.db

For example: wallet-a1b2c3d4-mainnet-1741305600.db. The timestamp tells the app which copy is the most recent when multiple backups exist, so it is worth exporting regularly.

Tip: Export after any significant activity — a batch of payments or a new certificate — so your backup reflects the latest state of your wallet.

Wallet configuration screen with Export Wallet Data highlighted

Importing wallet data

Go to Wallet > Settings > Import Wallet Data. The system document picker opens so you can locate the .db backup file you previously exported. The app validates the filename before doing anything else.

What happens next depends on whether a matching database already exists:

No existing database — the file is imported immediately and the wallet restarts on the imported data.
Existing database is newer — you will see a warning that your current data is more recent than the file you are importing. You can cancel to keep your current data, or proceed to overwrite it with the backup.
Imported file is newer — the app asks you to confirm before replacing the existing database with the newer backup.

After a successful import, the wallet restarts automatically on the new data.

Important: Only import .db files that were exported by BSV Browser. Files must be named in the wallet-<key-suffix>-<network>net[-<timestamp>].db format. Any other file will be rejected.

Wallet configuration screen with Import Wallet Data highlighted

Export vs. recovery phrase: what to use when

These backup methods serve different purposes. Use more than one for the most complete protection.

Recovery phrase / backup shares — restores your root key only. On its own it cannot rebuild your transaction history, UTXOs, or certificates, because there is no chain-scanning or derivation-path recovery process. Use this as your offline safeguard against losing access to your keys entirely. Everything else depends on it.
Exported database — a complete snapshot of your wallet at a point in time, including transaction history, UTXOs, and certificate data. A file you hold yourself and can restore offline. Best suited for moving to a new device or recovering from accidental app data deletion.
Private backup to our server — the same wallet records, encrypted on your device and kept current automatically, so there is nothing for you to remember to do. On by default, and unreadable without the wallet key that your recovery phrase or printed shares restores. See Private backup to our server.

Tip: For the most resilient setup, keep your recovery phrase stored securely offline and keep a regularly-updated exported database in cloud storage. The phrase protects you if you lose your keys; the database protects you if you lose your wallet data.

Recovery phrase screen alongside wallet settings

Identity & Trust

No usernames. No passwords. No sign-up forms. Your identity is a cryptographic key derived from your wallet, and you decide exactly what to share with each app.

Your identity key

When you create or import a wallet, a unique identity key is generated. This key represents you across all Web3 applications. It is shown on the wallet overview screen — tap the copy button next to it.

Web3 applications use this key to identify you without needing email addresses, phone numbers, or any other personal information. Mutual authentication means both you and the app prove who you are.

Wallet overview with identity key and copy button

Trust network

The Trust Network screen lets you manage which identity certifiers you trust. Certifiers are entities that vouch for identity attributes (like a real name or organisation membership).

View your list of trusted certifiers, ordered by priority.
Reorder certifiers to set preference priority.
Add new providers by entering their domain (the app fetches their trust manifest) or manually by entering their details.
Remove certifiers you no longer trust.

When a Web3 app asks to verify an identity certificate, it checks against your trusted certifiers.

Trust network screen showing list of trusted certifiers

Certificates and selective revelation

BSV Browser supports identity certificates that allow you to prove specific attributes about yourself without revealing everything. For example, you could prove you are over 18 without revealing your exact date of birth, or prove your organisation membership without revealing your name.

When a Web3 application requests certificate information, a permission sheet appears showing exactly which fields are being requested. You always have the choice to approve or reject.

Permission sheet showing certificate field request from a Web3 app

Permissions & Privacy

Nothing happens without your say-so. Every wallet action requires explicit approval, and BSV Browser never collects or transmits your browsing data.

Wallet permissions

When a Web3 application requests an action from your wallet, a detailed permission sheet appears. Depending on the request type, you may see:

Spending requests — the domain, amount, and description of the payment.
Protocol access — requests to use cryptographic operations (signing, encryption).
Certificate access — requests to read specific identity certificate fields.
Basket access — requests to manage transaction output groups.

Every request shows the originating domain. Tap Authorize to approve or Reject to decline.

Device permissions

Websites may also request standard device permissions such as camera, microphone, or location access. These are handled per-domain:

A clear modal explains what permission is being requested and by which website.
You can choose to Allow or Deny.
Your decision is remembered for that domain.

Device permission modal for camera access

Your privacy

BSV Browser does not collect your browsing history, cookies, or tracking data. Browsing history and bookmarks are stored only on your device and are never transmitted to BSV Association or any third party.

For full details, read the Privacy Policy and Usage Policy.

Settings page highlighting the Logout button

Tips & Settings

Get the most out of BSV Browser with these tips.

Set BSV Browser as your default browser

On first launch, BSV Browser will offer to become your default browser. On iOS, go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Browser app. This way, all links you tap in other apps open in BSV Browser.

Choose your search engine

Open the browser home page (tap the menu, then Browser) and use the Search Engine dropdown to pick your preferred engine. Startpage is selected by default for its privacy focus, but you can switch to Brave, Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo at any time.

Switch between networks

In Wallet > Settings, tap BSV Network to switch between Mainnet (real BSV), Testnet (test coins for development), and Teratest. Switching networks rebuilds the wallet on the selected chain. Use Testnet to experiment without risking real funds.

Print backup shares for peace of mind

Go to Wallet > Settings > Print Recovery Shares to generate three printed pages containing your wallet key split into shares. Store each page in a different location. Any two of the three are enough to recover your wallet, but one alone is useless to an attacker. This is the most resilient backup option the app offers.

Export and import wallet data

In Wallet > Settings, tap Export Wallet Data to save a full snapshot of your wallet database (transaction history, UTXOs, certificates) as a .db file. The system share sheet lets you send it to cloud storage, email, or any other location. To restore, tap Import Wallet Data in the same settings screen and pick the file from the document picker. See the Exporting & Importing section for full details.

View amounts in your local currency

BSV Browser supports displaying amounts in satoshis or fiat currencies (USD, EUR, GBP). Tap the balance display to cycle through formats. Exchange rates are updated automatically every five minutes.

Supported languages

The app automatically detects your device language. It is localised into English, Chinese (Simplified), Hindi, Spanish, French, Arabic, Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, and Indonesian.

Downloads

BSV Browser handles file downloads natively. When a website offers a file (PDF, ZIP, images, etc.), the browser intercepts the download and saves it using your device's native download mechanism.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a wallet to use BSV Browser?

No. BSV Browser works as a fully functional web browser in Web2 mode without any wallet setup. You can enable Web3 features at any time by creating or importing a wallet.

Can I lose my funds?

BSV Browser is self-custodial. Your keys are stored only on your device. If you lose your device and have not saved your recovery phrase (or printed backup shares), your wallet cannot be recovered. Always back up using at least one of the methods described in the Backup & Recovery section.

What is the difference between exporting wallet data and saving a recovery phrase?

They protect different things. Your recovery phrase (or backup shares) restores your root key only — there is no chain-scanning or gap-limit derivation process that can reconstruct your transaction history or UTXOs from the blockchain. An exported wallet database is a full snapshot including all transaction history, UTXOs, and certificates. The app's private backup keeps an encrypted copy of those same records on our server automatically, which is what restores them on a new device by default. For the strongest protection, keep a recovery phrase stored safely offline as well as a database export you hold yourself.

What is the difference between a recovery phrase and backup shares?

A recovery phrase is a single set of 12 words that can fully restore your wallet. Backup shares split your key into three pieces using Shamir's Secret Sharing — you need any two of the three to recover. Shares are useful when you want to distribute backups across multiple locations so that no single compromised location exposes your wallet.

Can websites take money from my wallet without permission?

No. Every spending request triggers a permission sheet that shows the exact amount and the requesting domain. You must explicitly tap Authorize before any funds leave your wallet.

Does BSV Association have access to my keys or browsing data?

No. Your keys never leave your device, and your browsing history is never collected or transmitted to anyone. There is one thing that does leave: by default the app uploads an encrypted copy of your wallet database to a BSV Association server so a new device can be restored. It is encrypted with a key only your own wallet can derive, which we never receive, so we cannot read it — and you can switch it off or delete it from Wallet > Settings > Private backup. See Backup & Recovery and the Privacy Policy for details.

What is a recovery phrase?

A recovery phrase (also called a seed phrase or mnemonic) is a set of 12 words generated when you create your wallet. These words can be used to restore your wallet on any compatible device. Keep them secret and stored safely offline.

What is the BRC-100 standard?

BRC-100 is the BSV Wallet Interface standard. It defines how web applications communicate with wallets. BSV Browser implements all 28 methods of the standard, enabling any compliant web application to request payments, signatures, encryption, certificates, and more — always with your consent.

Is BSV Browser available on desktop?

Yes. A desktop version is available at desktop.bsvb.tech.

Do I need a hardware key to use the vault, and is there a minimum amount?

A YubiKey 5C-class security key is required — that is the whole point of the vault, since neither a deposit nor a withdrawal can be made without it. There is no minimum deposit; you can move any amount into the vault, down to a single satoshi. The vault is entirely optional, and if you never set one up nothing else about the wallet changes. See The Vault.

What happens to my vault if I lose my YubiKey?

You use the vault passphrase you chose when you set the vault up. On the Vault screen, tap Manage > Recover with phrase, enter the passphrase, and everything in the vault is moved back to your everyday balance without any security key. If you lose both your security key and your vault passphrase, the funds cannot be moved by anyone — not even by us. Store the passphrase with your recovery phrase, and never with the key itself.

Can BSV Association read my private backup?

No. The backup is encrypted on your device with a key only your own wallet can derive, which we never receive, so what we hold is ciphertext we have no means of decrypting. It is also stored under a key derived solely for backup that cannot be linked to your wallet identity. The consequence cuts both ways: we cannot read your backup, and we cannot restore it for you either — only the wallet key your recovery phrase or printed shares restores can unlock it. You can switch it off or delete it entirely from Wallet > Settings > Private backup.

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