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Guides · Self-custody

Nunchuk wallet guide

Short answer: Nunchuk is a Bitcoin-only wallet for phone and computer. You can hold bitcoin with one key, or with several keys so one lost or stolen device cannot empty the wallet. Free if you keep every key yourself. Paid plans start at $120/year and add a key Nunchuk holds with you — they cannot spend alone — plus optional inheritance for heirs. You must back up your seed words and a . Good if you want shared keys or a clear path for heirs.

Beginner · About 45 minutes · 12 steps · Free

Printed from few.guide.

What you need4 items
  • A phone or computeriPhone (iOS 15 or newer), Android, or desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux). Step 05 has the links.
  • Hardware keys (optional at first)Needed for stronger setups and for paid plans. Step 04 lists what works.
  • Pen and paperFor seed words and for the wallet config file backup.
  • A little bitcoin to testA small first amount. Prove you can receive and send before you move more.
Step 1 of 12
Step 01/ 12

What Nunchuk is

Nunchuk is a Bitcoin-only app. It runs on iPhone, Android and desktop. It is built for holding your own keys — alone, or with others.

Why several keys? With one key, that key is the whole wallet. Lose it and the money is gone. Steal it and the money can leave. With , sending needs more than one key. Example: 2-of-3 means any two of three keys must agree. Lose one key and you can still move funds. A thief with only one key gets nothing.

  • Free plan: you hold every key. Single key or several keys you set up yourself.
  • Paid plans: Nunchuk holds one that co-signs with you. They say they never have enough keys to move funds alone.
  • No ID check (no KYC) on any plan, including inheritance.
  • Open standards. You can export a wallet config file and recover in other software such as Sparrow if Nunchuk is gone.
Step 02/ 12

What it costs

Prices as shown on nunchuk.io/individuals (checked 16 Oct 2026). Hardware is separate. Amounts are USD on their site.

Free $0

Do-it-yourself single key or several keys. Community support. You hold all keys.

Iron Hand $120/year

One assisted 2-of-3 wallet (you hold two hardware keys; Nunchuk holds one). Cloud backups, key health checks, emergency lockdown, email and in-app support.

Honey Badger $480/year

Two assisted 2-of-4 wallets, inheritance planning (on-chain or off-chain timelock), a dedicated inheritance key, spending limits, scheduled transactions, plus Iron Hand features.

Honey Badger Premier $2100/year

Three assisted 3-of-5 wallets, two inheritance keys, multi-person wallet, roles, private group chat, plus Honey Badger features.

Nunchuk also offers Finney wallets for families and groups on nunchuk.io/finney. This guide covers individual plans.

Is this normal? Paid plans say you can try on testnet for free before you subscribe.

Step 03/ 12

One key, several keys, or assisted

Free — you hold all keys

  • One key: simplest. You can create a key on the phone on the free plan (that key lives on the phone — higher risk if the phone is lost or hacked).
  • Several keys you make yourself: often on hardware devices. Nunchuk does not hold a Platform Key. You own the backups.

Paid — assisted

  • Iron Hand: 2-of-3. Nunchuk’s Platform Key is one of the three; you hold the other two on hardware.
  • Honey Badger: day-to-day 2-of-4, with an inheritance key.
  • Honey Badger Premier: day-to-day 3-of-5, with two inheritance keys.
  • On assisted personal wallets, Nunchuk says there are no spending keys on your phone. The phone watches the wallet; your hardware keys sign.

Nunchuk cannot spend alone. On assisted plans their Platform Key only co-signs. Their FAQ states they never have enough keys to move funds by themselves.

Lost your phone on an assisted plan? Install the app, sign in, and keep using your hardware keys.

Step 04/ 12

Hardware that works

Nunchuk works with many hardware keys. How you connect depends on the device: USB, Bluetooth, NFC, QR codes or a microSD card.

  • Commonly listed for Iron Hand (and as day-to-day keys on flexible Honey Badger): Ledger, Trezor, Jade, BitBox02, Foundation Passport, Keystone, Krux, SeedSigner, TwentyTwo Portal, Tapsigner, Coldcard.
  • Inheritance key (Honey Badger): not every device is allowed. SeedSigner is not listed as an inheritance key. On-chain (autonomous) Honey Badger also needs devices that support advanced on-chain scripts; SeedSigner is not on that list either.
  • Desktop USB: BitBox, Coldcard, Jade, Ledger and Trezor can be added from the desktop app.

Buy hardware from the maker when you can. Nunchuk lists subscriber discounts (15% off Jade and Portal on their site). few.guide has no Nunchuk affiliate link here.

Step 05/ 12

Download the app

  1. Start from nunchuk.io only.
  2. iPhone: App Store — Nunchuk Bitcoin Wallet (seller: Nunchuk Inc). Needs iOS 15 or newer.
  3. Android: Google Play.
  4. Desktop: GitHub releases for Windows, macOS and Linux. Check the SHA256SUMS file when you can.
  5. Confirm the publisher before you install.

Official links only. Fake wallet apps exist. Do not install from an ad or a message. Type the address yourself.

Assisted setup often starts on the phone; USB hardware is usually added later from desktop.

Step 06/ 12

Set up a free wallet

Outline for the free plan. Button names can change between app versions.

  1. Install from an official link (step 05).
  2. Open the app. You can browse without an account. Registering asks for an email only — no name or ID for these plans.
  3. Create a software key, or add a hardware key.
  4. For several keys: add each key, choose how many must sign (for example 2 of 3), then create the wallet.
  5. Write every seed offline. Export and save the .
  6. Receive a tiny test amount. Confirm the address on the hardware screen when the app offers it.
  7. Send a tiny test amount out with enough signatures. Prove you can leave.

Why this matters. A wallet you cannot leave is a trap. Test while the amount is small.

Moving a wallet from Sparrow? Export its descriptor or config file and recover it in Nunchuk. Addresses match if the keys and paths match. See few.guide’s Sparrow ↔ Nunchuk answer.

Step 07/ 12

Inheritance on paid plans

Honey Badger and Premier add inheritance. You choose one method at setup. Switching later means a new assisted wallet and moving the coins (network fees apply).

On-chain (works if Nunchuk is gone)

  • The waiting period is enforced by the Bitcoin network itself.
  • Nunchuk calls this the Failsafe: heirs can claim even if the company disappears.
  • Harder to change later — you usually move funds to a new wallet to update the plan.
  • You keep the inheritance key’s seed words. Nunchuk stores wallet config data (including a Magic Phrase), not that seed.

Off-chain (easier to adjust)

  • The waiting period is enforced by Nunchuk’s platform.
  • Easier to change the date and details without moving funds.
  • An encrypted backup of the inheritance key can sit on their servers; only your Backup Password opens it. They say they never know that password.
  • Guided claims need their platform. If Nunchuk shut down for good, claims that need their key could not finish that way — but your own keys can still spend day to day without them.
  • What heirs need: the Magic Phrase and the inheritance key (the device, its seed words, or the Backup Password).
  • Fees to claim: guided help is free while the subscription is active. After it expires, guided help costs 0.3% of the wallet balance. On-chain autonomous recovery has no Nunchuk fee (network fees still apply).
  • What Nunchuk can do: co-sign with their Platform Key; store config or encrypted backups as above; guide heirs in the app.
  • What they cannot do: move funds alone; read your seed words; open an encrypted inheritance backup without the Backup Password.

Iron Hand is assisted multisig without the Honey Badger inheritance package. Nunchuk’s FAQ steers life savings toward Honey Badger — that is their advice, not a rule.

Step 08/ 12

Privacy

  • No KYC: plans do not require government ID, including for inheritance.
  • Email: they say they collect no personal data beyond email. You can delete account data under Account Settings → Delete Account. You may use the apps anonymously without registering.
  • Extra privacy tools they list: end-to-end encrypted chat, and Primary Key accounts.
  • Your own node: the app can use an Electrum server or Bitcoin Core. Their docs also mention Tor. A public server can see which addresses you look up; your own node keeps that private.
Step 09/ 12

Is it open source?

  • Core library, desktop and Android: published under GPL-3.0 on GitHub (nunchuk-io).
  • iOS: available on the App Store. A public iOS app repo was not listed under their GitHub org when this was checked — treat iOS source as unconfirmed.

Open source lets people read the Android and desktop code. Still verify downloads with checksums when you can.

Step 10/ 12

What to back up

With several keys, seed words alone are not enough.

  1. Back up every seed (and any passphrase) offline — paper or steel, not photos or cloud notes.
  2. Export the wallet config: View wallet config → More → Export wallet configuration → BSMS. Keep that file safe offline.
  3. On inheritance plans, also keep the Magic Phrase and inheritance materials for your heirs.
  4. To recover in another app: import the config file into Sparrow (File → Import Wallet → BSMS), then attach each key. Guide: Recover a Nunchuk wallet with Sparrow.

Seeds without the config file. You might rebuild from seeds alone, but the config file makes recovery reliable. Keep both.

Paid cloud backup helps if you lose a phone. It does not replace your own seed and config backups.

Step 11/ 12

Honest review

Nunchuk is a strong choice for several keys and for inheritance without ID. It is still an app — and on paid plans, a company key. Know the catch.

Why people like it

  • Clear paths: free DIY, or assisted with support.
  • No KYC inheritance, including an on-chain option that can outlive the company.
  • Works with common hardware (USB, NFC, QR, microSD).
  • Standard backups you can open in Sparrow or Bitcoin Core.
  • Android and desktop code published under GPL-3.0.
  • Own-node and Tor options for better network privacy.

The catch

  • Paid plans depend on Nunchuk for their Platform Key and for guided heir claims. On-chain inheritance is the path that does not need them after the wait.
  • More to back up: seeds, config file, and on inheritance plans a Magic Phrase or Backup Password.
  • Hardware cost on top of the yearly fee.
  • iOS source not confirmed public.
  • Off-chain inheritance trusts their platform for the timer and for claims that need their key.

Who it fits

  • Good for: people who want several keys without building everything alone; families who want to share control; anyone who wants inheritance without handing an exchange an ID.
  • Not for: anyone who will not back up a config file; anyone who wants zero email and zero company involvement on a paid assisted plan; heirs who must never depend on a company unless you chose on-chain autonomous inheritance.
  • How much to put here? Some people use free DIY to learn. Some use assisted plans for larger amounts. That’s your call. Know the trade-offs first.
Step 12/ 12

Living with Nunchuk

  1. Keep the app updated from the same official store.
  2. On paid plans, follow key health check reminders.
  3. Practice recovery once while amounts are small: restore the config file in Sparrow, or walk through a testnet claim if you use inheritance.
  4. If you use a public server, move to your own node when you can.
  5. New phone on assisted: install, sign in, keep your hardware keys.
Sources15
  1. Nunchuk: home (Bitcoin-only, air-gapped signing, inheritance)
  2. Nunchuk: individual pricing and hardware lists
  3. Nunchuk FAQ: KYC, Platform Key, hot keys, inheritance, BSMS recovery, privacy, hardware
  4. Nunchuk Privacy Policy: email, anonymous visit
  5. Nunchuk: Finney group wallets
  6. Nunchuk blog: recover with Sparrow via BSMS
  7. Nunchuk blog: personal server, Tor, coin control
  8. Nunchuk blog 0.9.7: Electrum or Bitcoin Core backend
  9. App Store: Nunchuk Bitcoin Wallet, iOS 15+, Nunchuk Inc
  10. Google Play: io.nunchuk.android
  11. GitHub: desktop releases
  12. GitHub: libnunchuk GPL-3.0
  13. GitHub: nunchuk-desktop GPL-3.0
  14. GitHub: nunchuk-android GPL-3.0
  15. few.guide: Sparrow ↔ Nunchuk

Checked against nunchuk.io pricing, FAQ, privacy policy, recovery blog and GitHub/App Store/Play links on 16 October 2026. Button names can change between app versions.

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