Samourai Wallet Tutorial: Setup, Send, Receive and Mix Pr...

Okay, first off, snag Samourai Wallet straight from their GitLab APK. Why? Play Store versions can lag or get yanked randomly. I usually download the latest APK, verify the signature if I'm feeling paranoid (it's on their site), and sideload it on Android. Takes like 30 seconds. Boom, you're running the real deal without Google snooping.

Why does this matter? Samourai's all about privacy, and app stores track everything. Sideloading keeps it cleaner from the jump.

Fire It Up and Make Your First Wallet

Launch the app. You'll see options: new wallet, import, or connect Dojo. Hit new wallet. Boom, it spits out your 12-word seed phrase. Write that down on paper. Not your phone notes. Not a screenshot. Paper. Hide it good.

Now, add a passphrase. This is extra sauce - like a 13th word you make up. I always use something memorable but nuts, like "blueElephant42!". Why? Seed alone is okay, but passphrase makes it yours forever. Enter it twice, set a PIN. Done. Wallet's live.

In my experience, skipping the passphrase bites you later. Lost phone? No problem with that backup. But test it - restore on another device once to be sure.

Backup Right, or Regret It

1. Write seed + passphrase on paper. Split it if you're smart - half in a safe, half buried in the woods or whatever.
2. Test restore: Install fresh on a burner phone, enter seed and passphrase, see your balance pop.
3. Enable app lockdown in settings. PIN hides the icon - dial it like a phone number to unhide.

That's it. No cloud BS. Your keys, your coins.

Receiving BTC: Don't Screw the Address

Hit the blue + in the bottom right. Tap Receive - green piggy bank vibe. QR code pops, address below. Copy it or share QR.

Send a tiny test amount first. Like 50k sats (~$0.03 at current prices). From another wallet, paste or scan. Watch it confirm. Swipe down to refresh if it's lagging.

• New address every time. Auto archives old ones. Privacy win.
• PayNyms for Samourai buddies - share payment code, not address. Follow each other, collab on private sends.
• Warning on copy: Apps might link it to you. Text it encrypted if paranoid.

Transaction shows pending, then confirms (10 mins avg, but network busy? Hours). Tap for TXID, explorer link. Spendable at 1+ conf.

Pro tip: Use advanced for preset amounts. Set 0.001 BTC, scan fills it auto. Handy for invoices.

Sending: Max Amount, RBF Ready

Okay, got coins? + button again, hit Send (red). Paste address or scan QR. Enter amount - tap max for all but fees. Fees auto set, but pick priority: low for cheap (~1 sat/vB), high for rush.

Enable RBF in settings first (Replace By Fee). Stuck tx? Boost it later. I usually toggle it on day one.

1. Paste/scan address. Double check. Typos = gone forever.
2. Amount in BTC or sats (tap to switch).
3. Fee rate slider. 2-5 sat/vB good for normal.
4. Review. Send. Broadcasts over Tor by default.

What's next? See pending outgoing. Confirms quick if fee decent. Boom, receiver gets it.

Issue? Tx stuck? Settings > RBF > boost fee. Or CPFP if desperate (child pays for parent).

Privacy Mode: Whirlpool Mixing Basics

Here's the magic. Samourai's Whirlpool - client side coinjoin. Mixes your UTXOs with others. Breaks history.

Got unmixed coins? + > Whirlpool. Pick pool: 0.001, 0.01, 0.05, 0.5 BTC sizes. Fees? Fixed per pool + 0.3%ish coordinator. Low priority cheapest.

• Select UTXO(s). Next.
• Pool size matching your amount. Equal outputs = unlinked.
• Priority: Low/med/high. Low waits days, cheap.
• Confirm. Joins queue. Mixes in cycles.

Post mix: Spend clean. Premix for more rounds. Change goes back unmixed - remix it.

I usually start small. Send 0.001 to Whirlpool, watch it cycle. First mix: queued, then premix, postmix. Total balance splits: unmixed, postmix.

Why bother? Chain analysis can't link pre/post. Shops see clean coins.

Pool Fees Quick Table

Pool Size	Fixed Fee	Run Time (Low Pri)
0.001 BTC	sats	Hours Days
0.01 BTC	~3k sats	Days
0.05 BTC	~12k sats	Weeks possible
0.5 BTC	~80k sats	Longer

Numbers vary by network. Check app for live.

Dojo: Your Own Node Connection

Want max privacy? Run Dojo (RoninDojo stack). Full node on Raspberry Pi or whatever. Trusts nothing.

Setup Dojo first (wiki's gold). Then in Samourai: Menu > Connect Dojo > Scan QR from RoninUI. Pairs over Tor.

Benefits? No server reliance. Your blockchain data. Whirlpool local too.

Ran into sync issues? Check bitcoin.conf - username/pass match app. Restart everything. Works 99%.

In my experience, Dojo's worth it if holding >0.1 BTC. Free sync after initial.

Cahoots: Collab Transactions

Party mode. Stonewallx2, Stowaway - privacy boosts with a buddy.

Follow PayNyms first. + > Send > Cahoots > Stonewallx2 > Online. Pick partner from contacts. Scan receiver QR. Amount. Fee. Review.

Wallets chat encrypted over Soroban (Tor). Builds tx hiding flows. Receiver sees normal incoming.

1. Both follow PayNyms.
2. Sender starts cahoots, picks type.
3. Receiver scans/approves? Nah, sender scans final dest.
4. Sign, broadcast. Done.

Sound familiar? Like Ricochet - bounces once for $2.50. Cheap obfuscate.

Stowaway: Multi hop collab coinjoin. Automated mostly. Advanced, but killer for big privacy.

Stealth and Advanced Tweaks

Hide app: Settings > Lock Primitives > App Lock. Shortcut vanishes. Dial PIN to launch.

Tor always on. Toggle data/Tor in connections. Offline signing? Export PSBT, sign cold, import.

Sweep privkey: Advanced > Sweep. Dump old balance in.

Watch only: Sentinel app monitors. Broadcast from airgapped Samourai.

Issues? Connection fail - toggle Tor/data. Dojo QR wrong? Rescan. Fees wrong? Custom slider.

Spending Post Mix Safely

Got clean Whirlpool coins? Tap Samurai icon top left for Whirlpool view. Send from there - auto post mix tools.

PayNym direct. Or Ricochet. Keeps chain clean.

One glitch: Change UTXO unmixed. Remix it ASAP. Don't spend raw.

Honestly, after first mix, you'll get it. Practice with dust - 10k sats. Builds muscle memory.

Common Screw Ups and Fixes

• Tx not showing: Swipe down. Check explorer via TXID.
• Stuck mix: Patience. Low pri queues. Bump priority.
• Restore fail: Passphrase exact - spaces, caps matter.
• Dojo disconnect: bitcoin.conf creds. Firewall? Port 9735.
• High fees: Network congestion. Wait or RBF.

Look, Samourai's not newbie proof, but once clicked, unbeatable privacy. I run it daily. Start small, test everything. You'll be mixing like a pro.

Bonus: Stealth mode + Tor + Dojo + Whirlpool = ghost mode. Track that.

PayNyms: Your Privacy Contacts

Skip addresses. PayNyms = BIP47 channels. Infinite reusable links.

Menu > PayNyms. Generate yours. Share QR/text with buddy. They follow you - auto new addresses per payment. No reuse leaks.

Why gold? Sender sees nothing but label. Collab cahoots.

Add labels. Track multiple: "Coffee guy", "Mix partner". Clean.