Watch a Bitcoin wallet without signing
A public wallet can show activity and prepare unsigned payments. It cannot sign without the corresponding signer. Treat public account exports as private financial information: they can reveal addresses and link transaction history.
Watch the overview: Watch without signing.
Before you start
Unlock the intended wallet and account on KeepKey. Check the address type, account derivation and passphrase choice. Use a Desktop build that offers Watch-only export for its Desktop/Electrum export routes; if that control is absent, update through the official Desktop page and check feature availability rather than exporting recovery words.
Watch your wallet in Sparrow
- Begin with your intended KeepKey wallet unlocked. Close KeepKey Desktop so Sparrow can access the device.
- Check the account path and address type using Show derivation.
- Name the wallet. If it has existing transactions, choose a history starting point early enough to include them.
- Choose a wallet-file password to protect local account information.
- Wait for completed backend synchronization. A loading screen does not establish a zero balance.
- Before receiving, match the account path and address type, then compare the full receiving address on KeepKey.
- Save the wallet, then disconnect KeepKey. Sparrow can watch the account and prepare unsigned payments.
Create a Desktop public wallet
- On the computer with KeepKey connected and unlocked, open Bitcoin in Desktop and choose Watch-only export.
- Read the derivation path and master fingerprint. Choose Save Desktop public wallet.
- Drop the file on Desktop on the online computer. Inspect the import preview, then choose Import.
- Match the account and compare a full receiving address with the intended KeepKey using the verification lesson.
- In the online public wallet, choose Create PSBT. Enter the recipient, amount and fee level, then inspect the saved unsigned file.
Create an Electrum public wallet
- In Desktop, connect and unlock the intended KeepKey. Open Bitcoin, then Watch-only export.
- Choose Save Electrum file. Transfer the exported file to the computer running Electrum.
- In Electrum, choose File, then Open, and select the exported wallet file.
- Let wallet synchronization finish through your selected server. Compare the expected receiving address and account information.
- Use the public wallet to inspect history or prepare an unsigned payment for transfer.
Verify the result
Compare network, account path, address type, public key and the same receiving-address index on both sides, then verify the full address on KeepKey. Disconnect the signer: the public wallet should still show synchronized public information but should not be able to sign.
If something fails
An incomplete scan is not a zero-balance result. Recheck the selected backend, scan start and account metadata. Preserve an unknown master fingerprint as unknown; do not invent one to satisfy an import field. Use PSBT metadata checks if applications disagree.