I might start advising against running crypto wallets on android devices soon

[Rikafip]

Desktop wallet not recommended as well?

Not for the cold storage, if its on the computer that you are using for everything else.

Because I am using Electrum desktop wallet and since then till now I haven't incurred any hack or breakdown on that wallet, but I hardly used the mobile wallet because I do not trust my phone as I can lose access at any given time, so what I does is to install desktop version of the wallet instead of hardware wallet, although I had to understand Electrum wallet is an Open source code wallet which I am more comfortable with than using any other wallet apart from mobile version of it.

I am using Electrum as well, but with hardware wallet.

Also, just because you haven't been hacked yet doesn't mean that what you are doing is safe as its very easy to pick up a malware if you are not careful. Also, Electrum being open source won't help if you your computer gets infected by some crap.

[CryptoYar]

New Zero-Day flaws are real reason for worry since attackers are actively using them to steal information and run bad code on most recent Android phones, putting your money and crypto wallets in danger. To lower danger, you need to update your Android security fix and all your apps like Chrome right away since older phones which do not get fixes are not safe. Due to high danger of mobile phone, there is need to use hardware wallet, which keeps your private keys physically separate and offline , such that if your phone is attacked, your money will be safe.

[coinlary]

Desktop wallet not recommended as well?
Because I am using Electrum desktop wallet and since then till now I haven't incurred any hack or breakdown on that wallet, but I hardly used the mobile wallet because I do not trust my phone as I can lose access at any given time

There's not that too much difference between a desktop wallet and a mobile wallet  other than the features , you will have access to more features if you're using desktop wallet than when you're using mobile wallet but the necessary needs  to receive, store,and send is available on both.

"Desktop wallet " doesn't mean  your Bitcoin safe, it depends on how you setup and use your wallet. If you use it as hot wallet, then it will always depends on the activities  you do with your device which might eventually put your wallet at risk. But, using it as cold storage is still safe enough to always keep your wallet safe from every form of digital threat that could affect your device and your wallet obviously.

[Marvelockg]

Those of you running your money app and crypto wallets on your Android phones, do you want to keep doing this? Even if your coins are not yet stolen or lost this seem unrest to me, the more this keeps happening the possibility of something very bad happening in the future is growing bigger.

There's an high level of vulnerability with the use of smart phones in storing your coin in an exchange be it an android phone and or an iPhone. And about not storing your coin on an exchange, I think to an extent, it's easier said than done because in one way or the other, we tend to become overly vulnerable to this sort of thing because of the convenient that comes with it.

Cold storage is the safest as you're sure an update or no update doesn't in most cases affects the safety of your asset. If your asset can easily be accessed through your mobile device, then it means you're taking an unnecessary risk.

[Lucius]

~snip~
Also, just because you haven't been hacked yet doesn't mean that what you are doing is safe as its very easy to pick up a malware if you are not careful. Also, Electrum being open source won't help if you your computer gets infected by some crap.

It is very easy to infect a computer or smartphone, all that is required is that you do not have any security protection (antivirus/firewall), and that you download various multimedia files, including games and movies that often have malicious plugins. If you don't do such things and don't visit suspicious websites, the chances of you picking up something malicious are very small.

Unfortunately, internet hygiene is very low today, especially in countries where most users still rely on pirated software, and if you have an OS that has been activated in a pirated way, you are already halfway to someone taking advantage of it.

[CryptoHeadlineNews]

If you are using Google device it's is possible that they are been patched already if you are the type that keeps constant updates as very important thing to do, if you haven't done this already I think you should consider doing so right away.

I strongly advice everyone to update their chrome browsers and also their android devices to the latest security patches to reduce the risk of been spy on via spyware vendors like NSO Group and Candiru.

You should consider your device not safe if you don't get OEM updates anymore, it could be a good time to get a new smartphone, as you can see, latest updates are very important to keep devices safe.

I still consider getting a hardware wallet every time every day over anything else and I think it is time we should start encouraging people to buy hardware wallet instead. I can't assure the safety of android framework in the future no more.

I have heard of a news about someone ordering a Bitcoin hardware from Amazon, which go infiltrated with virus, making the victim end up losing all the Bitcoin he transferred unknownly into his infected Bitcoin hardware wallet. Of which since then, that incident has always got me skeptical about it. Most especially when has to do with ordering online and it will be shipped into your own country, and will need to be checked and verified by multiple hands, and someone might just switched the fake with the original.
So another alternative I have always had about preventing Crypto scams is the fact that getting a new smartphone separately to be used only as Bitcoin wallet will also be more safer than entirely not using smartphone for storing your Bitcoins. Especially when you have a moderate amount of Bitcoin.

[tabas]

I still consider getting a hardware wallet every time every day over anything else and I think it is time we should start encouraging people to buy hardware wallet instead. I can't assure the safety of android framework in the future no more.

We've been doing that for so long but we don't know how many actually listens to us. But I think if we've just dropped them some info, it's on them whatever happens next. We've told them to buy their hardware wallets to increase their security for the portfolio that they own. It's an investment and part of how they can prolong their assets and keep it away from harmful elements like being hacked because of the added security that they'll get from owning it. Many would simply reason, it's quite expensive, it's not needed since they use their old devices like laptop as their desktop wallet disconnected from the internet, etc.

[Cookdata]

We've been doing that for so long but we don't know how many actually listens to us. But I think if we've just dropped them some info, it's on them whatever happens next. We've told them to buy their hardware wallets to increase their security for the portfolio that they own. It's an investment and part of how they can prolong their assets and keep it away from harmful elements like being hacked because of the added security that they'll get from owning it. Many would simply reason, it's quite expensive, it's not needed since they use their old devices like laptop as their desktop wallet disconnected from the internet, etc.

Some people use exchange to trade, this has becomes a common practice for traders to keep money on exchange, they never learn. I will forever be against centralized exchanges and their custody, people are calling out Mexc exchange everyday on X for their wash trading, volume manipulation and locking of customers fund and people still use the exchange. I don't know the level of confidence people have that makes them use the exchange for buying and selling.

The problem with people that does custodial storage is they don't listen until they become victim of the custodial circumstances, it's after you have written "beg", "apology", "submit all requirements" and the custodial exchange denied you of your money you will know how gone you are to them.

[lornadane]

I think what you’re really saying is you care about protecting them, and that’s valid. Crypto can be mentally exhausting even for us who grew up online. For older people, the constant fear of making a mistake can be overwhelming. Maybe the best approach isn’t introducing crypto, but teaching them basic scam awareness so they don’t fall victim indirectly.

[Floxynice]

I still consider getting a hardware wallet every time every day over anything else and I think it is time we should start encouraging people to buy hardware wallet instead. I can't assure the safety of android framework in the future no more.

We've been doing that for so long but we don't know how many actually listens to us. But I think if we've just dropped them some info, it's on them whatever happens next. We've told them to buy their hardware wallets to increase their security for the portfolio that they own. It's an investment and part of how they can prolong their assets and keep it away from harmful elements like being hacked because of the added security that they'll get from owning it. Many would simply reason, it's quite expensive, it's not needed since they use their old devices like laptop as their desktop wallet disconnected from the internet, etc.

With the rate at which crypto theft is being reported, I am convinced that a time will come when people will no longer treat hardware wallets like a luxury, but a necessity which every crypto investor must have. Experienced investors have done their part in educating new investors on the neccessarily steps to secure their investments. New investors might not see the relevance of such knowledge until they find themselves in a difficult situation that would have been avoided a long time ago.

[RockBell]

I still consider getting a hardware wallet every time every day over anything else and I think it is time we should start encouraging people to buy hardware wallet instead. I can't assure the safety of android framework in the future no more.

We've been doing that for so long but we don't know how many actually listens to us. But I think if we've just dropped them some info, it's on them whatever happens next. We've told them to buy their hardware wallets to increase their security for the portfolio that they own. It's an investment and part of how they can prolong their assets and keep it away from harmful elements like being hacked because of the added security that they'll get from owning it. Many would simply reason, it's quite expensive, it's not needed since they use their old devices like laptop as their desktop wallet disconnected from the internet, etc.

With the rate at which crypto theft is being reported, I am convinced that a time will come when people will no longer treat hardware wallets like a luxury, but a necessity which every crypto investor must have. Experienced investors have done their part in educating new investors on the neccessarily steps to secure their investments. New investors might not see the relevance of such knowledge until they find themselves in a difficult situation that would have been avoided a long time ago.

people value cheapness over quality, and as you said, it will get to a point where, if you look carefully those theft cases that are reported are the fault of those using the wallet because they are making things easy for those scammers because those people will request for private keep depending on what they would have used to convinced the person they are scamming so at this point you wont put all the blames on the wallet those in possession of it are also one of the factors.  So even as bad as it is wallet is still not a bad idea. and even the idea of the hardware wallet, and can either be stolen or might even get lost, so if you are making decision of which one you want to use, how you use it matters a lot.

[KiaKia]

I still consider getting a hardware wallet every time every day over anything else and I think it is time we should start encouraging people to buy hardware wallet instead. I can't assure the safety of android framework in the future no more.

We've been doing that for so long but we don't know how many actually listens to us. But I think if we've just dropped them some info, it's on them whatever happens next. We've told them to buy their hardware wallets to increase their security for the portfolio that they own. It's an investment and part of how they can prolong their assets and keep it away from harmful elements like being hacked because of the added security that they'll get from owning it. Many would simply reason, it's quite expensive, it's not needed since they use their old devices like laptop as their desktop wallet disconnected from the internet, etc.

With the rate at which crypto theft is being reported, I am convinced that a time will come when people will no longer treat hardware wallets like a luxury, but a necessity which every crypto investor must have. Experienced investors have done their part in educating new investors on the neccessarily steps to secure their investments. New investors might not see the relevance of such knowledge until they find themselves in a difficult situation that would have been avoided a long time ago.

Between you and I do you really believe that hardware wallet is luxury? There are $60 hardware wallets out there, people are just finding reasons not to spend money on hardware wallet, but they take the risk to buy Bitcoin and keep it in a less secured manner, it feels to me that people just like throwing away money.

There is not a single good excuse not to buy a hardware wallet today, everyone who is into crypto can actually afford it, unless you are so broke that you don't have a job and you have no means to invest, if you can invest in crypto you should be able to invest money on getting a hardware wallet.

A house must be built on a solid rock for it to withstand any storm, if your foundation is bad then wind will clear your home, this crypto space is ruthless one must not give a chance to become a victim.

[aysha9853]

I wouldn’t advise against Android wallets completely, but expectations need to change a phone is not a secure environment long term If someone can’t afford a hardware wallet, the safest move is to lower exposure and simplify everything, less apps, less permissions, less risk.

[KiaKia]

I wouldn’t advise against Android wallets completely, but expectations need to change a phone is not a secure environment long term If someone can’t afford a hardware wallet, the safest move is to lower exposure and simplify everything, less apps, less permissions, less risk.

People relax too much, anyone using a android phone for storing coins they should have it in mind that they are on borrowed time, and that time is ticking very fast, as time goes on their hot wallet balance increases too because they have to DCA from now and then, and they more the balance grows the higher the danger.

I like the less apps and less permissions on the android but saying that someone can't afford a hardware wallet is not something I will accept, everyone who is into crypto investment can afford a hardware wallet, how much are we even talking about here? Money that's not up to $100.

If you are into crypto investment it's obvious that you can afford to buy a hardware wallet, you just don't want to do it because you prefer using the money to invest rather than buying hardware wallet, but what you don't understand is buying hardware wallet is the best investment step that I know.

[CryptoVoyager24]

​I support the view that mobile wallets should only be treated as "hot wallets" for small amounts.
​Regardless of specific zero-day exploits, mobile phones are general-purpose devices filled with proprietary code, baseband blobs, and dozens of apps requesting permissions. The attack surface is simply too huge to be considered secure for life savings.
​I treat my mobile wallet like the physical wallet in my back pocket: I only keep enough there for daily spending. Everything else belongs in cold storage.