How to Set Up and Use BitBox02
BitBox02 is a wallet from Switzerland with open-source hardware and firmware. It plugs straight into a computer like a flash drive, and you control it by tapping and sliding your finger on its touch strips. The biggest difference from other brands is that by default it backs up the wallet to the microSD card included in the box, instead of having you write words on paper. You can still choose to write down the words if you prefer. This guide covers both paths in separate tabs.
Before you start: what you need
- A BitBox02 or BitBox02 Nova
- The microSD card from the box, needed only for the card backup path
- A Windows, macOS or Linux computer, or an Android phone
- The latest BitBoxApp, downloaded only from BitBox's official website
- About 20 minutes somewhere no one can see your screen
Before you set it up Check that the box and packaging show no signs of being opened. A new device must always take you to the create wallet screen. If you open it and find a wallet already set up, or recovery words written down for you in the box, stop at once, do not send any assets to it, and contact SIAMBC.
Which backup should you choose: microSD card or written words?
BitBox02 differs from other brands in that its default backup goes to the microSD card included in the box, rather than having you write words on paper. Both paths work and both can recover your wallet. Choose mainly based on how you like to store things.
- microSD card: fast, with no chance of writing a word wrong or missing one. But it is an electronic item that can fail, and the file on the card is not encrypted, so anyone who gets the card can recover the wallet.
- Written words on paper: nothing to fail, it lasts for decades, and it is the same standard other brands use. But every word must be written correctly, and paper does not survive water or fire. For serious long-term storage, use a metal plate instead of paper.
You can pick one to start with, because you can change it or add the other method later from the settings menu in the app. Only one thing cannot be changed later: the number of recovery words.
Back up to a microSD card
This is the BitBox02 default. You do not write anything on paper, but you must look after that card as carefully as you look after money.
1. Open BitBoxApp on your computer
Install BitBoxApp before plugging in the device. The app includes the latest firmware. When you open it, you will see a screen waiting for the device to connect.
2. Insert the card and plug in the device
Hold the device with its screen facing you, and insert the microSD card with the printed side also facing you. Push it all the way in until it clicks, then plug the device into the computer. The device turns on and asks for the screen orientation. Choose the direction that is easiest to read and confirm.
A new device has no firmware yet, and that is normal BitBox02 leaves the factory without firmware installed. The app installs it for you during first-time setup. This is by design, to make sure the device you receive has never been set up by anyone before. If you see a message asking you to install firmware, there is no need to worry.
3. Compare the pairing code
The Verify pairing code screen shows a code in the app, and the device shows its own code. Check that every character matches on both sides before you confirm on both.
The pairing code must match exactly If the code on the app screen does not match the code on the device, do not confirm and do not continue. Close the app, check that you downloaded it from the official source, then plug the device in again and compare the codes once more.
4. Tap Create wallet
The Set up your wallet screen has two sides. The Create side creates a new wallet, and the Restore side recovers an existing one from a card or from recovery words. For your first device, tap Create wallet.
5. Name the device
On the Choose BitBox device name screen, type the name you want to call this device. The same name is also used as the name of the backup file on the card. If you have several devices or wallets, giving them distinct names makes them much easier to find.
6. Confirm the name on the device
The device shows Confirm name on BitBox with the name you typed. Check that it matches, then confirm on the device.
7. Set a password on the device
BitBox02 uses a password, not a numbers-only PIN, and you enter it on the device's own touch strips, not on your keyboard. Because you enter it on the device, malware on your computer cannot read it. When you have set it, enter it again to confirm.
8. Start creating the backup file
The Create backup screen explains how to store your backup. Read it all, tick both acknowledgment boxes, then continue.
9. Confirm the date on the device
The device shows Confirm today's date on your BitBox. Confirm today's date. This date is used to label the backup file, so you can tell when each card was created. Once you confirm, the device writes the file to the card.
10. Done. Remove the card and store it
When the app shows You are ready to go!, the wallet is ready and the backup file has been created. Remove the card from the device and store it somewhere hidden. You do not need to keep the card inserted for everyday use.
The backup file on the microSD card is NOT encrypted Anyone who gets this card can recover your wallet immediately, without knowing the device password. The card is worth as much as the money itself. Store it as carefully as you would a sheet of written recovery words, and keep it apart from the device.
Back up by writing down the words
This path does not use the card at all. Instead, you write the recovery words on paper, like most other wallets. The first steps are exactly the same. The difference comes when you choose the backup method.
1. Open the app, plug in the device and compare the pairing code
Open BitBoxApp, plug in the BitBox02 and choose the screen orientation. Then, on the Verify pairing code screen, check that the code in the app matches the one on the device before you confirm on both. You do not need to insert a microSD card for this path.
The pairing code must match exactly If the code on the app screen does not match the code on the device, do not confirm and do not continue. Close the app, check that you downloaded it from the official source, then plug the device in again and compare the codes once more.
2. Tap Advanced options
On the Setup your wallet screen, do not tap Create wallet yet. Look at the bottom left of the Create box, where there is a small Advanced options link. Tap that link.
3. Switch on the option to skip the card backup
The Advanced backup options screen has two switches. Switch on the top one, which says Skip microSD card backup and write down recovery words instead. The bottom one changes the recovery words to 12 words instead of 24. Leave it alone unless you have a specific reason. Then tap Create wallet.
The number of words cannot be changed later The default is 24 words. The Advanced screen has a switch to change it to 12 words. Both are equally secure in practice, but once chosen it cannot be changed, except by wiping the device and creating a new wallet. Unless you have a specific reason, leave it at 24 words.
4. Name the device and set a password
On the Choose BitBox device name screen, type the device name, then confirm the name on the device. Next, set a password on the device's touch strips and enter it again to confirm. These steps are exactly the same as on the card path.
5. Read the warning before the device shows the words
The Create backup screen tells you that you are about to write down the recovery words. Read it all, tick every acknowledgment box, and have paper and a pen ready before you continue.
The recovery words are shown only on the device's screen Never photograph them, never type them into a phone or computer, and never read them aloud to anyone. SIAMBC never knows your recovery words and cannot recover them for you. No one can. Whoever gets these words gets all of your assets.
6. Write down the words, then answer the confirmation questions
The device shows the words one at a time on its own screen. Tap to move forward and back. Write them all down in order. When you are done, the device asks about each word in turn, and you choose the right word from 5 options. If you choose wrong, the device warns you. Check against your paper, not your memory.
7. Done
When every word is confirmed, the app shows You are ready to go! with a reminder to keep your paper somewhere safe. From now on you can receive and send.
What to do after setup
- Remove the microSD card from the device after setup. You do not need to keep it inserted for everyday use.
- Keep the paper with your recovery words apart from the device, in a different place, and do not let anyone photograph it.
- Keep the backup and the device in different places. If you keep them together and lose both at once, there is no way to recover.
- Receive a small amount first and check that the balance shows correctly before sending a larger amount.
Frequently asked questions
Which backup should I choose?
If you want speed and no risk of writing a word wrong, use the microSD card. If you want something with nothing to fail that lasts for decades, write down the words. Both paths can recover your wallet, and you can add the other one later from the settings menu.
What if I lose the microSD card?
If you still have the device and remember the password, create a new backup on a new card straight away from the settings menu. But if the device is lost too and you have no other backup, the wallet cannot be recovered.
Why is the file on the card not encrypted?
It is a trade-off between security and being able to actually recover. An encrypted file could never be recovered if you forgot the password. The result is that the card is worth as much as the money itself, and must be kept as hidden as a sheet of written recovery words.
Can I plug the card into a computer to make an extra copy of the file?
You should not. Use it only with the BitBox02. Plugging it into a computer or phone puts the backup file on an internet-connected device, which is exactly what offline storage is meant to avoid in the first place.
How different are 12 and 24 words?
In practice both are equally secure. 24 words is the default, and 12 words is easier to write down. What you need to watch is that once chosen, it cannot be changed, except by wiping the device and creating a new wallet.
What if I forget the device password?
The BitBox02 password cannot be recovered. You need to wipe the device and restore the wallet from your backup, either the microSD card or the recovery words you wrote down. Your assets are all still there, but without both the card and the words, you can never access that wallet again.
Will SIAMBC or BitBox ask for my recovery words?
Neither of them will, ever, for any reason, and no one has any reason to know your recovery words. Anyone who asks is a scammer, no exceptions, whether they claim to be from the SIAMBC team, use the BitBox name, or say it is for a warranty claim or account recovery.
Summary
There are three things you must not miss with BitBox02: check that the pairing code matches before you confirm every time, always enter your password on the device and never on the keyboard, and whether you back up to a card or on paper, keep the backup apart from the device.
If you get stuck or the device has a problem, contact SIAMBC directly for help with using it, warranty and exchanges in Thailand. There is no need to open a case overseas yourself.
See the product at BitBox02 or compare it with other brands in the Hardware Wallet comparison table
Last checked: 29 August 2026. On-screen text may change with new versions of the firmware and BitBoxApp.
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