Bitcoin wallet for Windows phone

Whenever bitcoin reaches mainstream usage, it’s likely that people will be paying via their smartphones. So what is the current state of bitcoin apps? We offer reviews of three apps from the top three smartphone platforms: Android, iOS and Windows Phone.

Blockchain

This app can import private keys, as well as authenticating to the Blockchain website (through a special “Pairing” process). It also has a QR code with a Blockchain bitcoin wallet address, but it can also generate QR codes with requests for specific amounts of bitcoin. You can also send bitcoin by typing (or pasting) an address or by scanning a QR code. It also has more basic and very useful features like displaying a list of your transactions, and a PIN lock to make sure nobody accesses your wallet. You can also pick a fiat currency to display on the main screen of the app to show what your bitcoin balance is worth.

Mt. Gox [official]

The official Mt. Gox app for Android takes you through a tricky process of authenticating to the website by creating an API key which is put onto your smartphone by scanning a QR code. However, once this is done, the app consistently crashes when opened. At least it did on our Nexus 4 which was running stock Android 4.2.2. We couldn’t avoid mentioning this one, but it has to be with a warning to avoid it.

Bitcoin Wallet

Bitcoin Wallet by Andreas Schildbach is the definitive bitcoin wallet app for Android. If you have a bitcoin wallet created by another app (e.g. bitcoin-qt on the desktop), it can be imported with ease via the backup menu. However, this is not compatible with the backup files created by the Blockchain app. The app features a pivoting list of your transactions, switching between received, sent and all. It also allows you to create and manage multiple receiving addresses. It also supports QR scanning for sending and requesting bitcoin.

Bitcoin Paranoid

This is an app for those who are avid bitcoin watchers and need up-to-the-minute prices. This doesn’t give you an app or a widget. Instead, it provides a permanent entry in Android’s notification shade with the current exchange rate in your chosen currency. Conveniently, it not only shows what 1 BTC is worth in your fiat currency, but it also shows how much one unit of your fiat currency is with in BTC. E.g. One pound sterling is worth around 16.16 mBTC.