We recommend recovering your wallet on a new, compatible BitBox hardware wallet. If your original device is lost or broken, you can restore its microSD backup on the replacement BitBox without exposing the recovery words to a computer.

The Bitcoin workflow below explains the separation between an offline signing wallet and an online watching-only wallet. It does not cover recovery of Ethereum, tokens, or other assets. If your backup controls other assets, arrange their recovery before exposing the backup. Contact BitBox Support if you are unsure. Do not use extraction just to inspect or verify a backup.

Before you begin

Plan the complete recovery and transfer process before opening the backup. You need:

• Original backup: the microSD backup for the wallet you need to recover. Preserve the original file and card; do not edit or overwrite them.
• Optional passphrase: the exact original passphrase, if that wallet used one. Extraction is not a way to recover a forgotten passphrase. Keep it private.
• New destination wallet: a separate wallet generated with new recovery words, with its own secure backup. Restoring the old backup on another device creates the same wallet, not a new destination.
• Two environments: a clean, dedicated offline recovery environment with verified wallet software prepared in advance, plus a separate online computer for a watching-only wallet and broadcasting. The recovery tool recommends a computer that is ideally permanently disconnected from the internet.
• Recovery plan: cover every affected asset and account, including the correct wallet import settings and a controlled method for transferring public wallet information and transaction files between computers. Never use the backup card to shuttle those files to the online computer.

If any prerequisite is missing, stop before opening the backup and contact Support from a separate device. Do not send the backup or any wallet secrets.

Offline means more than switching off Wi-Fi

The recovery tool displays the words inside a browser page. Browser extensions with sufficient permissions may be able to read that page. Malware or an extension could retain the words and disclose them later, even if the computer has no network connection during extraction. An everyday browser profile with Wi-Fi disabled is not an adequate substitute for a clean recovery environment.

A correctly prepared offline live system, such as Tails, is one possible approach; it is not an automatic guarantee of safety or wallet compatibility. Do not use your normal browser profile, install browser extensions, or enable networking in the recovery environment. Prepare and verify the required software before handling the backup. If you cannot establish a trustworthy environment, stop and use replacement hardware.

For this procedure, keep the offline and online roles on separate computers. Simply rebooting the recovery computer into its normal operating system does not establish the same isolation. Keep recovery words, the original backup, and any wallet file containing private keys out of the online environment.

1. Prepare the recovery tool

Prepare the tool before inserting the backup card. Use an online computer to download it, then transfer the complete tool folder to the offline recovery computer.

1. Open the official BitBox backup recovery repository. Check that the repository belongs to BitBoxSwiss and is named bitbox02-backup-recovery.
2. Select Code, then Download ZIP.

3. Extract the ZIP and keep its files and subfolders together.

4. Transfer the extracted folder to the recovery computer using the method agreed in your recovery plan. Do not copy the wallet backup to the online computer.
5. On the recovery computer, unplug network cables and disable Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and any other network connection. Keep it offline throughout extraction and the subsequent recovery process.

2. Extract the recovery words offline

The following steps take place on the offline recovery computer. Keep other people, cameras, and screen-sharing software away from the recovery process.

1. Open backup.html from the downloaded tool folder. It opens in a browser as a local file, with an address beginning with file://. Do not use an online recovery website.

2. Insert the microSD card containing the backup. In the local tool, select Choose file, then select the wallet backup file on that card.

3. The tool displays the recovery words and available backup information. Read any warning before continuing. A displayed phrase is not proof that the backup is undamaged or belongs to the intended wallet.
4. If the tool displays words without a warning, write them down by hand in their exact order and check your record carefully. Do not photograph, screenshot, copy to the clipboard, upload, or store the words digitally. Keep the handwritten record private.

If the file cannot be opened or no words appear, preserve the original backup and contact Support. Do not upload it to another recovery service.

3. Restore the Bitcoin signing wallet offline

On the offline computer, use verified, compatible wallet software to restore the existing Bitcoin wallet from the extracted words. Do not generate a different wallet for this step. Use the original optional passphrase if applicable, and the account path and address type that match the account you are recovering. These settings determine which addresses the software finds; an accepted phrase alone does not confirm the intended wallet.

Use the guides below for wallet-specific background. Their default new-wallet settings do not necessarily match your BitBox backup.

• Electrum: offline wallet, watching-only wallet, signing and broadcasting. Official instructions for the full transaction cycle. Adapt the initial setup to restore your existing BIP-39 backup, with its original passphrase and account settings.
• Sparrow: software-wallet setup and offline capabilities. Official introduction to BIP-39 software wallets, watching-only wallets and offline signing; not a complete emergency-recovery walkthrough.
• BTCPay Server: signing a transaction file with Sparrow. A transaction-file example using Sparrow with a hardware wallet. It does not cover offline software-wallet recovery; its hardware-connection steps do not apply here.

Keep the signing wallet offline. Export only the public account information needed by a watching-only wallet. Public account information cannot sign a payment, but it can reveal account addresses and transaction history; keep it private and transfer it only to the intended software. Do not export recovery words, private keys, or a private-key wallet file to the online computer.

4. Prepare online, sign offline, then broadcast online

1. Online: open the matching watching-only account. Import the public account information, connect to the Bitcoin network through the wallet's configured server, and wait for synchronization. Check the expected addresses and history. If they do not match, stop and recheck the backup, optional passphrase and account settings offline.
2. Online: prepare the transfer. Use a receiving address from the independently generated destination wallet and verify that address on its hardware display. Review the selected inputs, amount and fee, then export the unsigned transaction file. In Sparrow this can be a PSBT, a file carrying the information needed to sign a Bitcoin transaction.
3. Offline: review and sign. Transfer the unsigned file to the offline computer and open it in the signing wallet. Verify the full destination address, amount, fee and every output, including any change returning to the old wallet. Reject unexpected details. Sign only after the checks pass, then export the signed transaction file.
4. Online: load the signed file and broadcast. Transfer the signed transaction back to the online computer and load it in the watching-only wallet. Check the transaction again, then use its broadcast function to send it to the Bitcoin network. It does not need private keys for this step: the file already contains the signatures authorizing that particular transaction. Do not transfer the signing wallet itself.

Keep using the same wallet application and compatible transaction-file formats on both sides. Follow the linked wallet documentation for the exact controls. Do not reconnect the offline computer to obtain balances or broadcast; those tasks belong to the online watching-only wallet.

5. Confirm receipt and retire the exposed wallet

Check receipt in the independently generated destination wallet and wait for the required Bitcoin confirmations. Broadcasting alone does not establish confirmation. Handle every affected Bitcoin account, including any remaining change. Stop using the exposed wallet for new deposits and update any saved receiving details.

The signed transaction file does not reveal your recovery words or private keys. Changing its destination or amount would invalidate the signatures. An untrusted online environment can still supply an incorrect transaction before signing, so verify the details offline before authorizing it.

If the expected wallet does not appear, a transaction cannot be signed or broadcast, or you are unsure about the offline setup, stop and contact Support from a separate device. Include the wallet software and version, operating system, step where you are stuck and non-sensitive error text. Never send recovery words, optional passphrases, passwords, backup files, private keys or screenshots showing them. Support cannot recover a forgotten secret or move funds for you.