You can create a new Bitcoin wallet on your BitBox02 using recovery words generated by rolling dice. This lets you supply the wallet’s randomness yourself. That randomness is called entropy: it is what makes the secret behind your wallet difficult to guess.

For most users, we recommend letting the BitBox generate the wallet during normal setup. It combines several independent inputs, whereas a manual process depends on the quality of your dice and how carefully you follow the method. Creating your own entropy is optional and does not automatically make your wallet more secure.

This guide uses 24 recovery words. Your dice rolls replace normal recovery-word generation; they are not mixed with the BitBox’s normal entropy sources. You still rely on the hardware wallet to handle your secrets and sign transactions. For the background, read what entropy is and how the BitBox generates your wallet.

Before you begin

Have your BitBox02 and the BitBoxApp ready for setup. For the dice procedure, prepare:

• A printed copy of the BitBox02 dice-generation instructions and blank backup card.
• A separate printout of the BitBox02 Diceware lookup table. You need both documents.
• Five well-made, preferably casino-grade dice and a coin. One die also works if you roll it sequentially.
• A pen and a private place where nobody can see or record your rolls or words.

Print only the blank materials. Keep phones, cameras, and voice assistants away from the workspace. Do not speak the rolls or words aloud, photograph them, or mark your selections on the lookup table. Use the same rolling and ordering method throughout; do not choose words because they look random or familiar.

This creates a separate wallet. It does not add entropy to your existing wallet or transfer its funds.

Generate the first 23 recovery words

The printed lookup table maps five results between 1 and 4, together with a coin flip, to one recovery word. Follow this sequence for each word:

1. Roll the five dice and flip the coin. Take dice showing 1, 2, 3, or 4 from left to right, and top to bottom if needed, and place them in a line. Reroll dice showing 5 or 6 until each shows 1 to 4, appending them in the same spatial order. Do not sort the dice by their values. You now have five ordered results and one coin result.
2. Find the word in the printed lookup table. The first die identifies the page. The first four dice together identify the row. The fifth die and the coin result identify the column; h means heads and t means tails.
3. Write the word in the next numbered position on your backup card. Check the lookup and spelling before continuing. Repeat with fresh rolls and a fresh coin flip until positions 1 through 23 are filled. Leave position 24 empty.

If you use one die, roll it to obtain each of the five results in order, rerolling every 5 or 6. Keep any temporary record on paper only and destroy it securely after completing and verifying the backup.

Complete the wallet on your BitBox02

The final word contains both random information and a checksum, which helps detect input errors. The BitBox02 determines which final words fit the first 23; you cannot use an arbitrary word from the full word list.

1. Open the BitBoxApp and connect your new or reset BitBox02. Follow the pairing prompts, comparing the pairing code on the app and device before confirming. In Set up your wallet, choose Restore from recovery words. This option lets you enter the words you generated, even though you are creating a new wallet.
2. Follow the device-name and date prompts, then select 24 words on the BitBox02. Enter your first 23 words on the hardware wallet in exactly the order written on your card. Never type them into the BitBoxApp, a website, or another software tool.
3. Choose the final word at random from the eight valid options shown on the device. For example, flip your coin three times and use the result to choose an option in the order displayed: HHH = first, HHT = second, HTH = third, HTT = fourth, THH = fifth, THT = sixth, TTH = seventh, TTT = eighth. H means heads and T means tails. Record the chosen word as word 24, then select and confirm that same word on the BitBox02. Keep all earlier words unchanged.
4. Confirm the valid recovery words and set your device password when prompted. Continue until the BitBoxApp opens your wallet. It is a new wallet, so it has no previous transaction history or funds.

If you lose track of a roll or word position, pause and resolve the uncertainty before continuing. If the device does not show the expected eight final-word options after 23 words, check that you selected 24 words. Do not use an online checksum calculator to complete the process.

What if I choose 12 recovery words?

After 11 words, there are 128 valid final words, compared with eight after 23 words. The BitBox therefore uses the keyboard with autocomplete for the 12th word instead of an eight-option menu. As you enter letters on the device, autocomplete restricts the result to words that complete a valid recovery phrase.

That checks validity, not randomness. Arbitrary typing does not ensure an equally random choice among the candidates. For this manual dice procedure, we recommend the 24-word method above: it has a straightforward final-word selection and a larger entropy margin. Correctly generated 12-word wallets also provide strong security.

Verify and protect your new backup

Before sending funds to this wallet, compare your written backup with the words stored on the device:

1. With the BitBox02 connected and unlocked, open Settings > Manage device in the BitBoxApp. Under Backups, select Show recovery words. Read the precautions, select Continue, and confirm on the device, entering your device password there when prompted.
2. Review every word on the BitBox02 against the same numbered position on your card. Check all 24 words, including the final word. If anything differs, stop and determine whether the written record or the device entry is wrong. Do not fund the wallet until the device and your intended generated phrase match.
3. After the final word, select Continue on the device. Complete the word-by-word verification using your written card to select the requested word at each position.

Once every position matches and you have completed verification, you have checked that the card records the wallet’s recovery words. This does not test the quality of your dice or prove how much entropy the process produced.

Keep the complete backup offline and separate from your BitBox02. Follow the guidance on storing recovery words securely. Never disclose the words to Support or enter them into an “entropy checker.” If you are replacing another wallet, keep its backup: creating and verifying this new one does not move the old wallet’s funds.

Can I contribute entropy during normal setup instead?

Yes. During normal wallet creation, the BitBox mixes in a hash of your initial device password. A long password generated independently, for example with dice, can contribute your own randomness alongside the other inputs. The BitBox does not have a separate step for mixing dice rolls directly into normal wallet generation. Changing the device password after creation does not change the wallet’s entropy.

An optional passphrase serves a different purpose: it creates a separate wallet and does not change the entropy of your recovery words. The entropy blog article explains these advanced options. They are not requirements for normal setup.

If your device behaves differently from this guide, contact BitBox Support with your device model, BitBoxApp and firmware versions, and the step where you got stuck. Do not include recovery words, roll results, passwords, passphrases, or backup contents.