The Lightning wallet in the mobile BitBoxApp is a hot wallet for quick, low-cost bitcoin payments. It is designed for a small spending balance. Keep larger amounts and long-term savings in your on-chain wallet, where spending remains protected by your BitBox.
Lightning was introduced as a public beta in BitBoxApp 4.52.0 with BitBox firmware 9.27.1 as part of the BitBox 09.2026 Meggen update. Earlier app and firmware versions do not support this feature. Use the latest supported BitBoxApp and install the firmware offered through it rather than looking for these launch versions specifically.
Lightning is available in the mobile BitBoxApp, not the desktop app. On Android, you can use an original BitBox02 or a BitBox02 Nova. On iPhone and iPad, you need a BitBox02 Nova. Bitcoin-only and Multi editions work the same way. See Supported devices and operating systems for the BitBoxApp for current requirements.
Keep only a small spending balance
The Lightning wallet's spending keys are stored on your phone, not inside your BitBox. The feature is also in beta and may contain bugs, become unreliable, or stop working. Do not add more bitcoin than you are willing to lose, and do not use this wallet for long-term savings.
Security model at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where are the spending keys? | In the BitBoxApp on your phone. The Lightning wallet is a hot wallet. |
| Do ordinary Lightning payments require the BitBox? | No. You authorize them on the phone. |
| What does the BitBox do? | It approves creation of the Lightning wallet, derives its recovery secret, and confirms on-chain top-ups from a BitBox account. |
| Do you receive another backup? | No. The same BitBox wallet and its existing backup can recreate the Lightning keys. |
| Is recovery independent of Spark? | No. The BitBox can recreate the keys, but the current app still needs Spark to retrieve wallet data and exit the wallet. |
What you can do with the Lightning wallet
- top it up from a BitBox Bitcoin account;
- receive sats from another Lightning wallet without first making an on-chain top-up;
- send BOLT 11, Lightning-address, LNURL-Pay, and LNURL-Withdraw payments;
- receive through a single-payment invoice or a reusable Lightning address; and
- withdraw funds to an on-chain Bitcoin account.
For an introduction focused on everyday use, read Introducing Lightning in the BitBoxApp.
How Lightning, Spark, and the Breez SDK fit together
Lightning is a second layer for Bitcoin that allows payments without recording every individual payment as a separate Bitcoin blockchain transaction. The BitBoxApp uses the Breez SDK together with Spark so you do not need to run a Lightning node or manage payment channels and liquidity yourself.
- Lightning is the payment network and payment format you use.
- Spark is the off-chain system used by this BitBoxApp integration.
- Breez SDK is the software layer through which the BitBoxApp integrates Spark and Lightning.
What your BitBox and backup can restore
When you approve setup, the BitBox uses BIP-85 to derive a separate secret for the Lightning wallet from the BitBox wallet currently open on the device. The BitBoxApp uses that secret to create the Lightning wallet's seed and private keys. Your original BitBox wallet seed and recovery words are not sent to the app.
The process is deterministic and one-way. The same BitBox wallet can derive the same Lightning keys again, but knowing the derived Lightning secret does not reveal the seed or private keys of your on-chain wallet. For the technical details, read How the BitBox02 securely derives the seed for the Lightning wallet.
If the BitBox is lost, restore its existing wallet backup on a replacement BitBox first. If the original wallet used an optional passphrase, you also need that exact passphrase. The standard wallet and every exact passphrase open different BitBox wallets and can therefore derive different Lightning wallets.
A passphrase does not protect active Lightning spending
An optional passphrase determines which Lightning wallet is derived and which BitBox wallet is required for recovery. It does not move the Lightning spending keys into the BitBox. They remain on the phone.
Why recovery and exit still depend on Spark
The wallet is non-custodial because the private keys needed to move the funds are controlled by your BitBoxApp rather than held by a custodian. That does not make it independent of external services.
Your BitBox backup can recreate the Lightning keys, but it does not contain all current Spark wallet data. The BitBoxApp currently needs Spark to load the wallet's balance and transaction data and to move funds out. The app does not support a unilateral exit, so you cannot independently force an exit with only the recovered keys if Spark is unavailable or uncooperative.
Fees and timing
| Action | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Receive over Lightning | In the documented flow, the recipient pays no fee. The sender pays the Lightning payment fee. |
| Send over Lightning | The fee depends on the amount and available route. The app shows the fee and total deduction before you send. |
| Top up from Bitcoin | This is an on-chain Bitcoin transaction with a network fee and blockchain confirmations. |
| Withdraw to Bitcoin | This returns funds on-chain and involves a fee and Bitcoin confirmation time. |
Lightning payments are generally quick and inexpensive, but a specific fee or completion time cannot be guaranteed.
Is the Lightning wallet right for you?
- For everyday payments: it may be appropriate for a small spending balance if you accept the beta and Spark risks.
- For long-term savings or large amounts: keep the funds in the on-chain wallet protected by your BitBox.
- If every payment must be confirmed on hardware: do not use the Lightning wallet for that purpose.
- If you require an independent exit during a service outage: the current integration does not provide one.