The basics
What the wallet is
A zap is a small bitcoin tip sent over Lightning (bitcoin's fast payment network) to the person who posted. Amounts are in sats, the smallest unit of bitcoin.
Nostr Vault never holds that money. Your sats stay in a Lightning wallet you run somewhere else, such
as Alby Hub, Coinos, Primal or Zeus. Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) is a standard way for
an app to ask that wallet to pay. Your wallet gives you a link that starts with
nostr+walletconnect://, and you paste it into Nostr Vault.
Treat the link like cash. Anyone who has it can spend from that wallet. If your wallet lets you, make a connection with a spending limit just for Nostr Vault.
Step by step
Connect a wallet
- In your wallet app, find Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC) and copy the connection link.
- In Nostr Vault, open Settings → Account → Wallet.
- Paste the link into the Wallet Connect box (on Android it's called Nostr Wallet Connect (NWC)). On the web, tap Connect wallet.
The app pastes the link only. There is no QR scanner for it. Once a wallet is connected you'll see its Balance and can set your Default Zap (on Android, Default Zap Amount (sats)), the amount one tap sends.
On iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android you can also start from your own profile. Tap the bolt, labelled Lightning. With no wallet yet, it shows No Wallet Connected and a Connect a wallet button that takes you to the same place. On Android the wallet is on the Settings tab of that screen. Once connected, the Lightning screen shows your balance and lets you receive with an invoice, pay an invoice, lightning address or LNURL, and see your history if your wallet shares it.
Opt in
Turning on zap buttons
Zap buttons on posts are a choice you make under Settings → Appearance → Post buttons. Add ⚡️ in the Add ⚡️ field to show a zap button, and remove it to hide the button. Zapping someone from their profile is always available.
- iPhone, iPad and Mac: the zap button is off until you add ⚡️. It then shows on posts, live streams and locked articles.
- Android: ⚡️ is there by default, so posts show a zap button until you remove it.
- Web: notes show a zap button. A tap sends your default zap, and holding it lets you pick another amount.
Each zap goes straight from your wallet to the author. Nostr Vault takes no cut.
Phones and Mac
Saving the wallet to your Nostr account
On iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android, the Wallet page can switch on Save wallet to my Nostr account. The link is then stored encrypted to your key on your relays, so Nostr Vault on your other devices (or the Wisp app) can pick it up with Use saved wallet. Anyone who has your Nostr key can read it and spend from the wallet. Remove from my account takes it off again.
Stop using it
Disconnecting
- iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android: delete the link from the Wallet Connect box. If you saved it to your account, also tap Remove from my account.
- Web: tap Disconnect wallet, then Disconnect. The web app keeps the link only in that browser, and deletes it when you sign out.
To be sure the app can't spend any more, also revoke the connection in your wallet app.
Advanced
Bitcoin On-Chain
Separate from Lightning, the apps can make a regular bitcoin address from your Nostr key. It lives under Settings → Advanced → Bitcoin On-Chain on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Android. It isn't in the web app.
Turn on Bitcoin Address to see the address and a QR code, and use Copy Address to share it. Sweep Wallet sends everything at that address to another address you choose.
This one is different. Bitcoin sent to this address is controlled by your Nostr key, so anyone with your key can spend it. Before a sweep, the app warns you not to send to a hardware wallet or an exchange: that would tie your npub to that wallet on the public blockchain, and it can't be undone.
Learn in the app
The Wallet Connect tutorial
On iPhone, iPad and Android, Settings → Help → Tutorials has a short Wallet Connect tour. It points at the empty wallet card, so it only runs while no wallet is linked.