Biometric Authentication

Bolt21 uses your device’s biometric security (Face ID, Touch ID, or fingerprint) to protect your wallet from unauthorized access.

Why Biometrics?

Faster access - Unlock your wallet instantly with a glance or touch
More secure than PINs - Biometrics can’t be shoulder-surfed
Required for large payments - Extra protection for transactions over 100,000 sats

Setting Up Biometrics

During Wallet Creation

Create a new wallet or restore an existing one
After saving your recovery phrase, you’ll be prompted to enable biometrics
Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or fingerprint
Done! Your wallet is now protected

After Setup

If you skipped biometric setup initially:

Open Settings (gear icon)
Tap Security
Toggle Biometric Authentication on
Authenticate to confirm

How It Works

Wallet Access

Every time you open Bolt21, you’ll need to authenticate with biometrics. This prevents anyone who picks up your phone from accessing your funds.

Large Payment Protection

Payments over 100,000 sats require re-authentication, even if you’re already in the app. This protects you if someone grabs your phone while it’s unlocked.

What’s Protected

Viewing wallet balance
Viewing recovery phrase
Sending payments
Changing security settings

Troubleshooting

“Biometrics not available”

Ensure Face ID/Touch ID is set up in your device settings
Restart the app and try again
Some older devices may not support biometrics

“Authentication failed”

Make sure your face/finger is properly positioned
Clean your device’s sensor
After multiple failures, you may need to wait before trying again

Changing Biometric Data

If you update your Face ID or fingerprint in device settings, Bolt21 will automatically use your new biometric data.

Security Notes

Biometrics are device-local - Your biometric data never leaves your device
No cloud storage - We don’t store any biometric information
Recovery phrase is backup - If biometrics fail, you can always restore from your 12-word phrase

Next: Managing Your Wallets