A watch-only wallet in Sparrow lets you view your BitBox Bitcoin balance, transactions and receiving addresses without connecting your BitBox02 each time. It contains public account information and cannot sign transactions; spending still requires the wallet or device that holds the private keys.
The recommended setup is to copy a complete wallet descriptor from the BitBoxApp and import it into Sparrow. A descriptor tells Sparrow which public keys and address type to use. If your account uses more than one address type, you will need a separate import for each type you want to monitor.
Before you begin
Your BitBox02 must already be set up, and you need access to the intended Bitcoin account in the BitBoxApp. Use an up-to-date BitBoxApp and download Sparrow from the official Sparrow download page, following its download-verification instructions.
If Remember Wallet is already enabled for this wallet, you can view its account information without connecting the device. Otherwise, connect and unlock your BitBox02 in the BitBoxApp before continuing.
Protect your financial privacy
A public descriptor or extended public key cannot authorize spending, but it can reveal the balance, transaction history and future addresses for the account's selected address type. Copy it only into the intended wallet software and use a computer you trust. This procedure does not require recovery words, private keys or a wallet backup. Stop if you are asked to import any of them.
Prepare the account and a new Sparrow wallet
Start in the BitBoxApp, then create a Sparrow wallet for the selected account and address type. The screenshots show an example account: use your own account information throughout.
Step 1: Open the Bitcoin account you want to monitor
In the BitBoxApp, select the intended Bitcoin account in the sidebar. Check that it belongs to the correct wallet and shows the activity you expect. Importing one account does not also import your other Bitcoin accounts.
At the top of the account, click Account info, then select View account details. The Account details screen shows the account name, Keypath, Script type and Descriptor.
Step 2: Select the address type and copy its descriptor
Check the address type currently displayed. If the screen shows more than one public-key configuration, use the type-switching link near the top, such as View Taproot or View Native Segwit, to select the type you want to monitor.
Click the copy icon, shown as two overlapping squares on the right of the Descriptor field, to copy the entire descriptor, including any final checksum. Selecting only the public key inside it leaves out configuration information.
The descriptor covers the selected address type. For example, a Native Segwit import does not also show the account's Taproot transactions. Keep the account details open so you can compare the imported configuration later.
Step 3: Create a new wallet in Sparrow
Open Sparrow and select File → New Wallet. On the start screen, you can also click New Wallet in the centre of the window. The Wallet Name dialog opens.
Enter a name that identifies the account and address type, such as BitBox Bitcoin – Native Segwit. If the dialog offers Has existing transactions and the account has previous activity, select it and choose a date earlier than the first transaction using the date picker that appears beside it.
Click Create Wallet to open the wallet's Settings screen. Continue with the recommended descriptor import below. If you are using an extended public key instead, follow the alternative public-key import.
Import the complete descriptor (recommended)
The descriptor supplies the account's script type and public-key configuration, so you do not need to enter them separately.
Step 4: Paste the descriptor into Sparrow
In the new wallet's Settings, find Script Policy and click Edit... to the right of Descriptor. The Edit wallet output descriptor dialog opens.
Replace the editor's contents with the complete descriptor you copied from your account in the BitBoxApp, then click OK. Sparrow fills the script type and public-key configuration from it. If an error appears, copy the complete descriptor again rather than editing its contents manually.
Step 5: Check the imported account configuration
In Sparrow's Settings, check that the keystore's Type is Watch Only Wallet. Compare Script Type with the selected script type in the BitBoxApp, and compare Derivation with that configuration's exact Keypath. The values must describe the same account and address type; do not substitute the example values in the screenshot.
If the configuration does not match, recheck the source account and copy its descriptor again before proceeding.
Save and check the imported wallet
Both import methods finish with these steps. Saving the Sparrow file creates a local view of the existing account; it does not move your bitcoin.
Step 6: Save and protect the wallet file
Click Apply in the lower-right corner of Sparrow's Settings. The Wallet Password dialog opens. Enter a password in the first field and repeat it in Password Confirmation to protect this Sparrow wallet file, then click Set Password.
If you choose to save without a password, leave both fields empty and select No Password. Someone who can open the unprotected file can view its public account information. The file password protects this local view; it does not give the watch-only wallet signing capability.
Step 7: Load the history and confirm the account matches
Sparrow loads the account history through its configured server. A public server can learn which addresses you query. For connection choices and their privacy implications, see Sparrow's server setup guide. Once a server is configured, connect Sparrow if it is offline using the connection switch in the lower-right corner, then wait for the transaction history to load.
Open Transactions and Addresses in Sparrow's left sidebar. Compare a known transaction and address with the same account and address type in the BitBoxApp. An unused account may correctly have no transactions; compare its addresses instead.
The screenshot shows an example of loaded history. Your balance and transactions will differ, and a Finished loading message alone does not confirm that you imported the intended account. The import is complete when the expected addresses and activity match.
You can now monitor that address type without the BitBox02 connected. If you have also used another address type in the same account, repeat the descriptor procedure in a separate Sparrow wallet for that type. Compare the combined activity of those imports with the BitBoxApp's combined account view.
Before using any receiving address to receive bitcoin, verify the complete address on your BitBox02 screen. Viewing an address in a watch-only wallet is not device verification. If you want to connect the device to Sparrow for address verification or signing, follow the separate BitBox02 connection guide.
Alternative: import an extended public key
Use these alternative Steps 4 and 5 if you are working with an extended public key instead of a descriptor. Complete Steps 1 and 3 first, keeping the intended account's Account details open in the BitBoxApp. For Taproot, use the descriptor method; the BitBoxApp does not display a separate extended-public-key field for that configuration.
Step 4: Choose the matching script type and watch-only keystore
In the BitBoxApp's Account details, select the intended address type. Copy the complete Extended public key using the copy icon on the right of that field, and keep its Keypath and Script type visible.
In the new Sparrow wallet's Settings, leave Policy Type set to Single Signature HD. Choose Native Segwit (P2WPKH) under Script Type for the BitBoxApp's Native Segwit configuration, or Legacy (P2PKH) for a legacy P2PKH configuration. Use the displayed script type, not just the key's prefix: an xpub can also be used with other address types.
Under Keystores, select Watch Only Wallet, the option with an eye icon. Older Sparrow versions may label it xPub / Watch Only Wallet. The public-key configuration fields appear.
Step 5: Enter the public key and exact account keypath
Paste the copied public key into the public-key field, labelled xpub or xpub / zpub for Native Segwit. Replace the default Derivation with the exact Keypath shown for that configuration in the BitBoxApp. Do not assume the default belongs to your account, and do not copy the example key or keypath from the screenshot.
Leave the default Master fingerprint for this watch-only setup. Check that Type shows Watch Only Wallet and that the script type and derivation match the BitBoxApp, then return to Step 6 to save and check the wallet.
If the balance or transaction history does not match
An empty or partial Sparrow view does not by itself mean bitcoin is missing. Check the import before using its addresses:
- No history has loaded: confirm that Sparrow is online and connected to its configured server, and allow the history to load. If you supplied a transaction start date that was later than the account's first transaction, repeat the import in a new Sparrow wallet using an earlier date.
- Only part of the balance appears: check whether the BitBoxApp account has activity under another address type. Import that type's descriptor into a separate Sparrow wallet.
- Addresses or known transactions differ: recheck the source wallet, account and selected address type. For a public-key import, also compare the script type and Derivation with the BitBoxApp's exact Keypath. Use a fresh descriptor import if the manual settings are uncertain.
If the account still does not match, do not use the unverified receiving addresses. Contact BitBox Support with your BitBoxApp and Sparrow versions, the selected script type and any exact error message. Do not include descriptors, public keys, recovery words, wallet backups or other wallet secrets.