Breez Mobile: My review and test of the Lightning Wallet

Do you want to send or receive Bitcoin almost instantaneously on your cell phone? Then you need a so-called Lightning Wallet. The selection of software on the market is still small in direct comparison to the various hardware and software wallets, but Lightning is on the rise and the selection is growing.

We have taken a closer look at a number of wallets and show you what this wallet can do in our Breez Review.

What is the Breez Wallet?

Breez is a Lightning Wallet designed for use with smartphones. The software is available for Android and iOS for free in their respective app stores and allows you to send, receive or store bitcoin via the Lightning Network.

Before we go into the features, it can be said in advance that Breez makes accessing Lightning much easier than many other wallets. Why this is so, we want to show you in more detail in the following.

Breez setup and security

Setting up Breez is largely limited to installing the app. We tested Breez on iOS on an iPhone 13 Mini and were asked directly if and how we wanted to perform a backup. This is necessary because if the smartphone is lost or the software is corrupted in some way, the backup is the only way to get the BTC.

We decide to use our iCloud account, which is a choice alongside Google Drive or a private server. The disadvantage is that we have to go into the settings again afterwards to encrypt the backups or set a PIN. The latter protects the wallet from unauthorized access and can also be set with a time lock. Otherwise, Breez makes an encrypted backup on its own when a transfer is made with Lightning or a new BTC address is created.

If you select the encryption yourself, the seed of the wallet is displayed. You should make a note of this and keep it safe, because you can use these twelve words to restore the wallet with Breez. According to information from the manufacturer, a recovery is not possible with other wallets.

If you assume that you tend to handle small amounts with Breez in order to pay everywhere, then these security features are sufficient, but not perfect.

Breez in use: sending and receiving BTC

After that, you can get started, because a Bitcoin node is already preconfigured in the settings. If you want, you can also enter and use your own node there. Breez offers three ways to receive Bitcoin:

• Per Lightning Invoice: Here you need to create an Invoice where you specify the amount you want to be sent.
• To a Bitcoin Address: An address will be generated and can be copied or read via QR code. A minimum amount of 0.00018166 BTC is required and a maximum amount of 0.04 BTC cannot be exceeded. The address can be used only once.
• Buy Bitcoin: Alternatively, you can buy Bitcoin via Moonpay and load it onto your Breez Wallet.

It should be noted that all three methods involve a channel setup fee of 0.75 percent and cost at least 0.0001 BTC. This fee is incurred only once when setting up a channel. Accordingly, you also pay when you want to use a new channel. Otherwise, the transactions with Breez are only subject to the favorable fees in the Lightning network, which consist of the base fee and the proportional fee.

When sending Bitcoin, Breez also offers three options:

• Per Lightning Invoice: Analogous to the receiving method, an invoice can also be read. This is done either by scanning the QR code or entering it manually.
• Connect to Pay: Here you can send a link directly to another person to initiate a payment.
• To a BTC address: Here, Bitcoin is sent to an address in the very classic way, as is familiar from other wallets.

Here, too, the above-mentioned fees apply if a channel has to be opened.

Bitcoin is better bought elsewhere

To test the Breez Wallet, we decided to load it directly via MoonPay with 0.001 BTC, which cost us a whole 32 euros. On the downside, MoonPay deducts 4.12 euros in fees from this amount and charges another 1.69 euros for network fees.

This makes the fees a real mood killer, which doesn't call Breez's performance into question, but does suggest buying Bitcoin elsewhere. It took a total of 27 minutes for the final amount of 0.0009 BTC to be credited to the wallet. This waiting time is also largely due to the service provider MoonPay and the workload in the Bitcoin network, and not to the wallet.

Vouchers and Podcasts

Breez consistently implements in its wallet everything we need to dive into the world of Bitcoin. This includes a dedicated section that presents stores that accept Bitcoin. So, for example, we can access Bitrefill directly from Breez and buy a voucher.

Infotainment is also taken care of, as under the Podcasts section we can find a large amount of material on the topic of Bitcoin. Especially exciting is the possibility to support your favorite podcaster directly via Lightning and donate Bitcoin to him. Breez has also done a great job of making it easy to play episodes and set up your own library of content.

If we turn off the iPhone and put it in our pocket, the podcast continues to play blithely. With this double function as an audio player, the Wallet clearly stands out from its competitors in this respect.

Breez offers a point-of-sale system.

This option is especially interesting for store owners, because Breez allows the setup of a so-called Point-of-Sale-System. This term includes card payment devices or, as in this case, payment with Bitcoin in the store by means of software.

This is not only about creating invoices, but also about entering items. You can easily create different items in Breez and set their price in BTC, euros or dollars. If you then create an invoice for the customer in the cafe, for example, you only have to select the products consumed and Breez summarizes the final invoice.

This makes it straightforward for self-employed people and entrepreneurs to accept Bitcoin on the spot in their businesses with Breez.

Conclusion

Breez is a very comprehensive and well-designed software, which on top of that includes a professional point-of-sale system. Even item numbers (SKU) can be created for inventory management.

Admittedly, this will not entice the average user behind the stove. Instead, this group will benefit from a simple, elegant and easy-to-use Lightning Wallet. Those who like to be entertained by podcasts or fall into a consumer mood are in the right place with Breez.

Only the backup in the cloud is a bit questionable, which can ultimately be mitigated by only storing small amounts in the Breez Wallet and preferring to leave your assets in cold storage. Despite this limitation, Breez can be recommended to beginners and advanced users.

FAQ about Breez