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Connection

Electrum connection error message

Electrum connection error.

  • Check host, port, and protocol. SSL usually uses 50002. TCP usually uses 50001.
  • Confirm the server is on mainnet and fully synced.
  • .onion address? Turn on Connect via Tor. Use TCP. Tor already encrypts it. Tor can take up to two minutes to start.
  • SSL to a public hostname with a StartOS Root CA? Install the CA on your computer. Fully quit and reopen the app. Local addresses (.local, 192.168.x.x) don’t need it.
  • Use the port and protocol your node’s Electrum app shows. Many home nodes use TCP on 50001.
  • Select Test Connection in Settings to check.
Control Center couldn’t read wallet history from your Electrum server. It retries on its own. Check the connection above. For a date range, select Try again or pick another range.
Control Center can’t reach your Electrum server. Last synced … shows your last saved balances. Can’t reach Electrum means not every wallet on screen has a saved sync time. It keeps retrying. Fix the connection above.
  • Check your internet connection. Some networks block Tor.
  • “Tor could not connect within two minutes”: try again on another network.
  • “Bundled Tor is missing”: reinstall the desktop app.
  • Tor: select Continue to try again, or turn off Connect via Tor.
  • Your node: check the Address, Port, and Protocol, and that your node is on. The reason shows under the message.
  • See Choose an Electrum server.
Control Center waits for Electrs. Check Electrs is running and fully synced. Then restart Control Center.
Open the https:// address or the .onion address. The PIN doesn’t work over plain http://.

Balances

Account still syncing with zero balance

Still syncing.

  • Wait for the first sync to finish.
  • Confirm your Electrum server is fully synced.
  • Wrong address type. Added by xpub? Pick the script type that matches your addresses. See xpub or descriptor.
  • Wrong account. Check you picked the right account number or passphrase wallet.
  • 20 or more unused addresses in a row. Control Center stops looking after 20 unused addresses. Funds past that gap don’t show.
  • Unconfirmed funds don’t count yet. Wait for one confirmation.
Scans only list accounts with a balance above zero. Ledger also stops at the first empty account. Add the wallet by xpub or descriptor instead.
You may have pasted a private key, such as an xprv or zprv. Control Center refuses them. Paste the public key or watch-only descriptor instead. See Pasted a private key?
  • ”—” means a balance couldn’t be confirmed. Select Try Again.
  • A drop usually means an exchange needs Reconnect, or you archived a wallet. See Home and Portfolio.
Your account was still added.
  • ”—” means Control Center couldn’t read the balance yet. For a wallet, check your Electrum connection. For an exchange, open it and select Refresh Balance.
  • USD unavailable means no price source answered. Your BTC balance is fine. Check Bitcoin price in Settings.
You connected the same exchange twice. Open one and select Remove Account. This deletes it immediately.

Hardware wallets

Browser permission prompt to connect a hardware wallet

Allow the browser prompt.

  • Unlock it. Open the Bitcoin app.
  • Close Ledger Live, Trezor Suite, and other wallet apps.
  • Use a USB cable that carries data, not just power.
  • On StartOS, use Chrome, Brave, or Edge. Firefox and Safari can’t connect to a Ledger.
Allow pop-ups for Control Center. If asked, allow local network access so it can find Trezor Suite desktop.
Allow camera access in your browser and operating system. Close other apps using the camera.
USB isn’t supported. Use a MicroSD card, or a COLDCARD Q with its QR codes.
Check the device screen. After 20 seconds, select the reset link and try again.
Sign the exact message with the exact address shown. See Verify ownership.
That device’s key isn’t in the descriptor. Check the device, passphrase, and account. See Multisig.

Exchanges

Exchange connection failed error

Exchange connection error.

  • Re-copy the key. Check for extra spaces.
  • Confirm the key has the right read permission. See Exchanges.
  • Coinbase: use an ECDSA key, and paste the whole private key.
  • Strike: turn on Read account balances. It’s off by default.
  • Create a new key and try again.
Refresh Balance on an account you already added shows different messages:
Keys expire in Control Center after one year, or after a restore without the key file. Refresh Balance may say “Exchange credentials are unavailable or expired.” Create a new key. Open the account. Select Reconnect Account.
Strike or Robinhood is limiting requests. Wait a few minutes and select Refresh Balance.

Statements

Only verified self-custody wallets can go on statements. Verify it. Exchanges, manual, and ETF holdings never appear.
Statements must end at least 2 days ago, so recent transactions can confirm. They can start no earlier than April 2023 and cover up to 2 years.
Statement generation error

Statement error.

  • Check your Electrum connection.
  • On StartOS, make sure Mempool is running.
  • “Generation was interrupted” means the app restarted. Generate it again.
  • See If a statement fails.
Download saves the format shown in the viewer. Switch to Full Period first.

App and PIN

See PIN and lock. Your data stays.
Wait for the timer. Each wrong try after the fifth doubles the wait, up to 1 hour. Quitting or restarting doesn’t clear it.Don’t remember it? Forgot PIN? still works during the wait. See PIN and lock.
On StartOS, check that the Bitcoin Control Center service is running. On desktop, quit fully and reopen the app. Then select Try again.
The desktop app closes after this message. Open it again. Still failing? Restart your computer, then contact support.
A page couldn’t be displayed. Select Reload, or Back to Home. Still happening? Contact support and say which page you were on.
Enter your PIN again. This happens when:
  • The app or server restarted.
  • Someone changed the PIN in another tab or browser.
  • On StartOS, someone ran Set PIN or selected Sign out everywhere.
That’s expected. It keeps running in the tray and locks. Use Quit in the tray menu to quit fully.
Download the official release from bitcoincontrolcenter.com. Test builds are not notarized.
Select More info → Run anyway.
Select the question-mark Help icon at the top of the app to open these pages. Still stuck? Contact support.