AirWallet First launch
The first screen AirWallet shows, the choice between Everyday wallet and Offline signer, what each mode does, how to switch later, and locking the app.
Choose how this device is used
The first time you open AirWallet, it asks one question: How will you use AirWallet on this phone? (or on this computer?). There are two answers:
- Everyday wallet: "Online: balances, receive, send, swap. It can also prepare payments for an offline device to sign."
- Offline signer: "For a spare phone or laptop that never goes online again: it keeps the keys and signs by QR code. AirWallet makes no connection in this mode."
Not sure? Choose Everyday wallet. You can switch later in Settings.
You only see this question in the AirWallet app on a computer or an Android phone. AirWallet Offline is always an offline signer, and the Chrome extensions are fixed too: AirWallet for Chrome is an everyday wallet, AirWallet Offline for Chrome is a signer.
What each mode does
| Everyday wallet | Offline signer | |
|---|---|---|
| Internet | Connects to public servers for balances and sending (your own servers, if you set them in Settings) | Never connects |
| Keys | Holds the keys of wallets you create or import on it | Holds the keys: this is where they live |
| Sending | Sends from its own wallets, and prepares payments for the offline device to sign | Signs what you scanned and checked, and shows it back as a QR code |
| Balances | Live, from the networks | As your everyday device's codes report them |
Pick Offline signer only on a device you'll keep offline for good. Put the device in airplane mode, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth off, before you create your wallets on it.
After you choose
The next screen offers:
- Create a wallet: a new recovery phrase, or a single key. See Create or import a wallet.
- Import a recovery phrase or key: a wallet you already have, from AirWallet or another app.
- Watch my offline wallet (everyday wallet only): if your keys are on an offline device, don't make a wallet here. Watch it instead, and send through it. See Set up an offline signer.
On an older phone, AirWallet may tell you once that Monero or Zcash can't run in this phone's web engine yet, and how to update it. Every other coin works meanwhile.
Switching modes later
- Open Settings and tap This phone: everyday wallet… (or This computer: offline signer…: the line names your device and its mode).
- On the page that opens, tap Use this phone as the offline signer… (or …as the everyday wallet…).
- Tap Use it as offline signer (or Use it as everyday wallet).
Both modes use the same wallets, so nothing is lost or copied. On a computer, AirWallet may ask you to close it and open it again; it then starts in the new mode.
If an offline signer holds keys and you switch it to an everyday wallet, AirWallet warns you first: once the device goes online, those keys are no longer air-gapped, and anything that gets into an online device could reach them. The button reads Go online anyway. To keep the keys offline, leave this device as the signer and use AirWallet on another device as your everyday wallet.
The same Settings line also shows how this device connects. On an everyday wallet, it checks each network and shows which servers answer. On an offline signer, it explains why the device can't connect and has a Try to connect button, so you can watch the attempt being refused.
Lock the app
The app lock is off until you turn it on, and it's worth doing on both devices, especially the offline one:
- Open Settings and tap App lock: off…
- Choose a PIN (6 to 12 digits) or a Password (8 characters or more), and type it twice.
- Choose how long AirWallet can sit unused before it locks itself.
- Tap Turn on.
On Android 11 and newer, you can also unlock with your fingerprint. With the lock on, the wallet is encrypted with your PIN or password, so whoever picks up the device can't open it. Duress PINs and disguises: App lock, duress PINs and disguises.
If you forget the PIN or password, this copy of AirWallet can't be opened. Your recovery phrases (or a backup) are the way back, so write them down before you rely on the lock.
The Chrome extension has its own password instead. On its first start it asks you to Set a password; you can also choose Use without a password, after a warning. You can change it later in Settings → Password.
Next: Create or import a wallet.