For most BitBox02 and BitBox02 Nova users, the included microSD card is the simplest starting point: the device creates the backup without asking you to copy recovery words by hand. A written copy of those words gives you more flexibility when recovering with another compatible hardware wallet, while steel offers greater resistance to physical damage than paper.
These options can work together. You can keep a microSD backup and also record the same wallet's recovery words on paper, a backup card, or steel. The choice is how to balance ease of recovery, physical durability, cost, and the responsibility of protecting every copy.
Every complete backup is a wallet secret
A microSD backup or the complete recovery words can restore your wallet without the original BitBox02 or its device password. If you use an optional passphrase, the exact same passphrase is also required to access the wallet it protects; neither backup contains it. Keep every backup private and offline. BitBox Support will never ask you to share your backup or recovery words.
Compare microSD, paper, and steel backups
A microSD backup is a file the BitBox02 writes directly to the card. Recovery words, also called a seed phrase, are a human-readable form of the same underlying recovery information. Paper, a dedicated backup card, and steel are different materials for storing those words. They do not create different wallets.
Use the comparison below to choose a backup that fits your recovery plan and storage conditions.
| Backup | Best fit | Main advantage | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| microSD | Straightforward setup and recovery with a BitBox02 or BitBox02 Nova | Automatic creation avoids copying words by hand | Normal recovery uses a BitBox02; the card can fail or suffer physical damage |
| Recovery words on paper or a backup card | A low-cost, readable copy for recovery with compatible hardware wallets | Does not rely on electronic storage or a BitBox-specific backup file | Words must be copied accurately; the material and writing can deteriorate or be damaged |
| Recovery words in steel | Long-term storage where environmental damage is a concern | Greater resistance to heat, water, and physical wear | Higher cost and careful manual recording; protection varies by product and conditions |
No medium prevents someone who finds or copies the backup from using its recovery information. Choose the material and the storage location together: durability and protection from unwanted access solve different problems.
microSD: simple BitBox setup and recovery
The standard setup creates a backup on the included microSD card. If your device is lost, damaged, or reset, you can use the card to restore the wallet on a new or reset BitBox02, including BitBox02 Nova. You do not need to have written down the recovery words first.
The backup file is unencrypted, and your device password does not protect it. Remove the card after use and store it privately, separately from the device. During normal use and verification, insert the backup card only into your BitBox02, never into a computer, phone, or camera.
To start with this option, follow the microSD setup guide for computers and Android, or the BitBox02 Nova setup guide for iPhone and iPad.
Can another hardware wallet restore the microSD backup?
Other hardware wallets cannot normally import the BitBox microSD backup file directly. Written recovery words avoid that dependency, provided the receiving wallet supports the relevant recovery standard, networks, account types, and derivation paths—the rules used to locate accounts. BIP39 support alone does not guarantee that every account will appear automatically.
If normal recovery with a BitBox02 is no longer possible and you have no written recovery words, BitBox provides an emergency guide for extracting recovery words from a microSD backup. This is a last resort, performed offline: it exposes the words to a computer, so they must be treated as permanently compromised and all funds moved to a new wallet with a new backup. Follow the dedicated guide's prerequisites and sequence rather than using extraction to check a backup.
Recovery words: choose paper, a backup card, or steel
Choose a physical copy of your recovery words if you want a readable backup that you can use with compatible hardware wallets without first restoring a microSD file on a BitBox02. Copy every word accurately and preserve its numbered position. For normal recovery, enter the words directly on a trusted compatible hardware wallet. Software wallets may support the same words, but entering them into software exposes the wallet secret to that computer or phone.
Paper or a backup card is inexpensive and easy to prepare. Paper can be damaged by fire, water, fading, or wear. The BitBox Backup Card provides an organized layout and protective laminate, but it still needs a location protected from theft and environmental damage.
Steel is a better fit when resistance to environmental damage matters more than cost and setup effort. Its protection depends on the material, construction, recording method, and conditions; it is not a guarantee against every disaster. Compare the capacity and recording instructions of products such as Steelwallet, Steelwallet Pro, and Seedor. Check the completed backup carefully before relying on it, especially where markings are permanent.
Standard BitBox02 and BitBox02 Nova setup uses 24 English recovery words; an advanced setup option allows 12. Choose storage with enough capacity for your complete phrase. The word count is fixed when the wallet is created: advanced backup options explains this separate choice.
If you prefer to start without a microSD backup, follow how to set up a BitBox02 using manual recovery words. If your wallet is already set up, you can add a physical copy as described below.
Add another backup or change how you store it
If you can unlock the BitBox02 containing your wallet, you can add a microSD backup or record its recovery words without creating a new wallet or moving funds. An additional complete copy in a separate secure location can reduce the risk of losing every backup in one incident. Each extra copy also creates another opportunity for someone to find or copy it, so choose only as many as you can protect reliably.
- To add a microSD backup: follow how to create a microSD backup, then use the BitBox02 backup-check function to confirm that the card's backup is readable. This check uses the card in the BitBox02; it does not require a reset.
- To add a paper or steel copy: follow how to view and verify recovery words on the BitBox02. The words appear on the hardware device, never in the BitBoxApp. Check every word and its position against your completed physical copy and complete the device's word-verification process.
Keep your existing usable backup until you have successfully verified the new copy. If verification fails or the words do not match, keep the working wallet on the device and resolve the problem using the relevant guide above. Adding a copy does not invalidate any older copy of the same wallet, and you do not need to reset the device to change storage methods.
Complete your storage plan
Store each backup offline, privately, and separately from the hardware wallet. Do not photograph, scan, print, email, or save recovery words digitally, including in a cloud service, password manager, or AI tool. For choosing locations and planning access to additional copies, follow how to store recovery words securely.
If you use an optional passphrase, keep a separate, reliable offline recovery record for it. A successful backup check does not verify that passphrase. Losing it can permanently prevent access to the wallet it protects, even when the microSD or recovery-word backup is correct. Read how an optional passphrase works and the recovery risks it introduces before choosing this additional protection.