Wallet
BitBox Wallet Recovery Service
Locked out of your BitBox? We help with a forgotten passphrase, incomplete recovery words, a reset or damaged device, an unreadable microSD backup and BitBox01 backups. Free assessment; no recovery, no fee.
Request an assessment+31 85 109 1211
- Since 2019Recovery specialist
- KvK 75927276Registered in the Netherlands
- AmsterdamPhysical office
- Non-custodialYou move the coins
Quick answers
What is the BitBox backup?
BitBox02 can be backed up on a microSD card or as BIP-39 recovery words (12 or 24 words). If an optional passphrase was used, it is also needed and must be kept separately. The older BitBox01 has no word sentence at all: its backup is a microSD file that is not encrypted, and the backup recovery password is what derives your wallet from it.
What happens after ten failed device password attempts?
The device wipes itself, deliberately. On BitBox02, restore from the microSD backup or the BIP-39 recovery words, together with the optional passphrase if one was used. BitBox01 requires its microSD backup and backup recovery password. Without a usable backup, a wipe means permanent loss. Verify your backup before resetting; after restoring, set a new device password.
Does the microSD backup replace the sentence?
On BitBox02, the microSD backup and the recovery words are alternative ways to restore the same wallet. An optional passphrase, if used, is also required and is not included in either backup. The microSD backup is not encrypted, so anyone who obtains it can restore the wallet without the device password; a passphrase-protected wallet still requires that passphrase. Store the card securely and separately from the device.
Our BitBox recovery services
Forgotten BitBox02 passphrase
The optional passphrase opens a separate wallet on top of your backup, and neither the microSD backup nor the recovery words contain it. A wrong or missing passphrase opens a different wallet without any error, and BitBox cannot recover a forgotten one. Remembered fragments, such as its length, its structure or the characters you tend to use, can focus a search; every forgotten passphrase needs a case-specific assessment. Forgotten passphrase
Missing or invalid recovery words
Words of the recovery sentence are missing, unreadable or in the wrong order. The BIP-39 word list and checksum narrow the search, and we reconstruct the sentence systematically rather than by guessing, testing candidates against an address you know. We work with phrases that have up to four missing words; how far a search can go depends on which positions are known. Recover missing seed words
Forgotten BitBox device password
The device password only unlocks the BitBox; it is not part of the backup. After ten wrong entries a BitBox02 or BitBox02 Nova resets itself to factory settings, which erases the keys from the device while the coins stay on the blockchain. Only a valid microSD backup or the recovery words, plus any passphrase, then bring the wallet back, and you set a new device password. Without a usable backup, the reset is final. BitBox recovery guide
Lost or broken BitBox02 with a microSD backup
The microSD backup restores the same wallet on a new BitBox02 or BitBox02 Nova, without the old device or its password. If no BitBox is available, BitBox's offline, open-source backup recovery tool can extract the BIP-39 recovery words from the backup file. That is a last resort: words shown on a computer count as exposed, so you then move the funds to a new wallet. When a hardware wallet breaks
Damaged BitBox or unreadable microSD card
A damaged device or a card that no longer reads is a data problem first, and the remaining data needs to be preserved before further attempts. Do not format the card, which erases a backup permanently, and do not try it in other computers or phones, which can expose it. We assess what can still be read from the card or the device before anything else is tried. Damaged wallet recovery
BitBox01 restores an empty wallet
A BitBox01 has no recovery words. Restoring it takes the backup file on its microSD card and the backup recovery password together; one without the other is not enough. The BitBox01 cannot check the password, so a different one restores a different, empty wallet without an error. For wallets created before August 2018, the recovery password is the same as the device password. If you are unsure which password was used, the ones you remember can be tested against an address you know. Wallet password recovery
Coins missing after a BitBox restore
A restore that shows nothing has usually opened a different wallet: a passphrase that is missing or slightly different, or on a BitBox01 a different recovery password. A backup from a Multi edition restored on a Bitcoin-only BitBox02 shows only the bitcoin; the other coins and tokens do not appear there. We check accounts and address types against an address you know before anyone concludes the funds are gone. Zero balance after a restore
Before you contact us
Common mistakes to avoid
- Don't reset or wipe a BitBox until you have verified a usable backup: for a BitBox02, the microSD backup or the recovery words, together with the optional passphrase if one was used. A reset deletes the keys from the device; without a usable backup, nobody, including us, can reconstruct them from nothing.
- Don't keep guessing the device password. The tenth wrong entry resets a BitBox02 or BitBox02 Nova.
- Don't format a microSD card that holds a backup, and don't insert it into other computers or phones.
- Don't keep the microSD backup with the device. Anyone who has the card can restore the wallet without the device password.
- Never photograph a recovery sentence or type it into an online tool, an app or a password manager. On a BitBox02, recovery words are entered on the device itself, never in the BitBoxApp.
- Never share your recovery words, microSD backup or passwords with anyone, including us, to get an assessment.
Information that helps the assessment
- Which model you have: BitBox01, BitBox02 or BitBox02 Nova, and for a BitBox02 whether it is the Multi or the Bitcoin-only edition.
- Which backup you still have: a microSD card, recovery words (12 or 24) or both, and what state they are in.
- For a BitBox01: whether the microSD card with the backup file survives, and roughly when the wallet was created, before or after August 2018.
- Whether you set an optional passphrase, and anything you remember about it, such as its length or structure. Describe what you have; don't send it.
- A receiving address you know belongs to the wallet, if you have one.
- What happened, and what you have already tried.
Boundaries
What we do not do
Theft, scams or a wrong address
A confirmed blockchain transaction cannot be reversed, cancelled or redirected, by us or by anyone.
A completely lost recovery phrase
With no phrase, wallet file, device, backup or partial information left, there is nothing to reconstruct from.
Guaranteed outcomes
No honest service can guarantee success. Whether recovery is possible depends on what you still have, and the assessment tells you before you commit.
We tell you honestly what is realistic before you commit — including when the answer is no.
How it works
A clear process from first contact to handover.
Tell us what happened
Share the wallet or software name, approximate year, device, problem and what material still exists. Do not send a seed phrase, private key, password, wallet file or ID document.
Initial feasibility view
Once we have enough information, we usually explain the likely recovery route, the main uncertainties and an initial indication of duration.
Verify and agree
We verify identity and ownership or legal authority. Scope, working method, fee and sensitive-material handling are agreed in writing before sensitive work begins.
Transfer or hand over material
PGP, our secure encrypted upload environment, in-person handover or agreed shipment may be used. We request only what is needed and work with copies where possible.
Technical recovery
We test the agreed recovery route in a controlled environment. You receive meaningful updates when findings affect the outlook, scope or next decision.
Client-controlled handover
Access is handed back through the agreed route. You open the wallet and move the assets to a wallet you control; case material is then handled according to the agreement and privacy policy.
Trust
A real company with a verifiable process.
Registered & named
Registered in the Netherlands (KvK 75927276) with a named team and a physical office in Amsterdam.
A written agreement first
Scope, fee and security measures are agreed in writing before any work. If you prefer, we can sign an NDA before you share substantive case details.
Always non-custodial
We restore access; you move the coins yourself. We never hold, manage or transfer your assets.
Ownership is verified
Identity, ownership and legal authority are verified with risk-based KYC/AML checks.
Good to know about BitBox recovery
- Two models, two backup systems. The BitBox01 and BitBox02 back up in completely different ways, so check which one you have before you do anything else. In the standard setup a BitBox02 writes its backup to the microSD card; a BIP-39 recovery sentence of 24 words, or 12, is an advanced setup option, and both restore the same wallet. The BitBox01 has no word-based backup at all, only its microSD file and the backup recovery password.
- Show the words while you still can. While a BitBox02 still unlocks, you can display the recovery words on the device or create a new microSD backup from the device settings, without resetting anything.
- BitBox01 is end-of-life. Sales ended in November 2019 and official support in November 2020. BitBoxApp 4.37.1 is the last version that can send from a BitBox01.
BitBox wallet recovery FAQ
Can a BitBox01 backup be restored on a BitBox02?
No. The backup formats are different, so a BitBox01 backup does not restore on a BitBox02 or BitBox02 Nova. The usual route is to create a new wallet on the newer device and move the funds from the BitBox01, or to derive the keys from the backup and the recovery password offline.
Can a BitBox02 be recovered without any backup?
Not after a reset. Once it has reset with no recovery sentence, no microSD backup and no partial words, the keys are gone with the wiped device.
Which BitBox models do you work with?
The BitBox01, the BitBox02 in both its Multi and Bitcoin-only editions, and the BitBox02 Nova.
How long does BitBox recovery take?
Most cases take a few days to a few weeks; complex searches can take months. After the free assessment you get a realistic estimate based on what is missing and what you still have.
How much does crypto wallet recovery cost?
It depends on the wallet's value and how complex the case is: our success fee runs from 20% of the recovered amount down to 2%. The exact rate is agreed in writing before any work starts — no hidden costs and no hourly rates.
Do you take custody of the assets at any point?
No. We restore access; you open the wallet and move the funds yourself. We cannot initiate a transaction on your behalf.
Do I need to send my seed phrase or password?
No — first contact needs no sensitive material, and we never ask for it through forms or chat. Under a written agreement we can work with copies of wallet files in a controlled environment, so your keys stay under your control.
What if my wallet was stolen or I was scammed?
We do not take stolen-crypto or scam cases, and blockchain transactions cannot be reversed. That is a police and legal matter.
