The BitBox02 supports two types of backups:
- Automatic wallet backup on microSD card (default).
- Manual wallet backup by writing down your 24 recovery words.
The information stored on the microSD card and the backup encoded in the 24 recovery words is identical.
In both cases you have a complete wallet backup that you can use to restore your wallet.
If you are using an optional passphrase with your wallet, you will also need this passphrase when you want to restore your wallet, no matter which wallet backup type you are using.
Both wallet backup options have advantages and disadvantages.
MicroSD card:
- Advantage: Easy & quick backup and recovery on BitBox02.
- Disadvantage: If you want to import the wallet in a third-party wallet you need to use the backup recovery tool.
24 recovery words:
- Advantage: Common standard which is accepted by all major wallets, which makes it easy to import the wallet.
- Disadvantage: Manually writing down and checking the recovery words can be uncomfortable, slow and error-prone.
At the end of the day, it's a personal decision which option you go with or you may just use both options for extra measure.