The BitBoxApp connects to online services to load balances and transaction history, send transactions, and retrieve software updates and exchange rates. These connections share information needed for those functions, such as wallet-related queries and network metadata. They do not send your BitBox wallet’s private keys or recovery words to BitBox servers.
Which service receives a request depends on the account, feature, and connection settings you use. Some requests go to BitBox (Shift Crypto AG), while others involve external providers. Information processed to answer a request is not necessarily retained in logs.
What information do online services receive?
A backend is a server the app contacts to obtain blockchain information or send a transaction. The main connections work as follows:
| Activity | Service receiving the request | Information used |
|---|---|---|
| Loading Bitcoin or Litecoin balances and transaction history | BitBox’s default Electrum servers, or the compatible server you configure for that coin | Queries used to look up activity for the receiving and change addresses in your account. |
| Sending a Bitcoin or Litecoin transaction | The configured backend for that coin | The signed transaction to broadcast to the network. |
| Using Ethereum and ERC20 accounts | Etherscan-backed services | The account address and queries needed to retrieve balances and transaction history, or a signed transaction when you send funds. |
| Checking for updates and retrieving exchange rates | BitBox’s update and exchange-rate services | Requests for software-release information and currency prices. |
Connections also expose network information to the service they reach, such as the connection time and source IP address. An IP address identifies an internet connection; it is separate from a wallet address. For connections routed through Tor, the destination sees a Tor IP address instead.
Can a server learn about my balance or transactions?
A server handling wallet-related queries can use them to look up balances and transaction history on the blockchain. It may also be able to associate queries for several addresses with the same connection.
Keeping your private keys secret does not prevent a server from processing these queries. Whether the operator retains that information is a separate question, which depends on its logging and data-handling practices.
Which wallet information is not sent to BitBox servers?
When you use the BitBoxApp with your BitBox hardware wallet, your recovery words, optional passphrase, device password, and private keys are not sent to BitBox servers. Your on-chain wallet’s private keys remain protected by the BitBox, which signs transactions without disclosing those keys.
How does BitBox handle connection data?
BitBox limits operational logging to what is needed for service stability. According to the BitBox Privacy Policy, its servers either do not log IP addresses or anonymize them before writing them to logs. The BitBoxApp does not embed third-party trackers or analytics.
These statements about BitBox’s logging and the app’s embedded tools do not describe every external service you may use. For Ethereum and ERC20 account information, the app uses Etherscan. See Etherscan’s Privacy Policy for its data-handling practices.
What changes when I use an optional service?
Optional partner services, such as buying or swapping cryptocurrency, involve separate providers. Personal data is not transmitted to a partner service until you initiate an interaction and consent through the in-app disclaimer. Each provider is responsible for its own data processing. Section 7 of the BitBox Privacy Policy lists the partners and their privacy policies; review the relevant policy before continuing.
Opening an address or transaction in an external block explorer also shares that address or transaction ID with the website you visit.
The mobile Lightning wallet uses separate services and stores its spending keys on your phone. Do not assume that a custom Bitcoin backend or the desktop Tor setting covers Lightning. See How Lightning works in the BitBoxApp for those service and key-storage boundaries.
Is QR code scanning private?
QR codes are scanned locally when you initiate scanning. What happens to the decoded information depends on what you do next: scanning a code and using its contents to request information or make a payment are separate operations.
How can I reduce data exposure?
For Bitcoin, choose the privacy control that addresses your concern:
- Use infrastructure you control. Connect the BitBoxApp to your own Bitcoin full node through an Electrum-compatible server. Follow that guide’s instructions for using only your own node so public servers do not remain configured as alternatives.
- Reduce IP-address exposure. On desktop, configure the BitBoxApp to use Tor. For connections routed through Tor, the destination sees a Tor IP address instead of your normal public IP address. It still receives the queries needed to provide the service.
Using another public Electrum server changes which operator you trust; it does not provide the same control as running your own. Your own Bitcoin node and Tor address different privacy concerns and can be combined. Neither removes information already visible on a public blockchain or information you choose to share with an external provider.