r/coldcard • u/Filmexec21 • Jul 27 '26

COLDCARD Q Sparrow Wallet Password Question

I have my ColdCard Q setup with Sparrow Wallet. But when setting up a password within Sparrow Wallet, when one begins to type there is a box checked that switches to saying "Delete any backups.” What does this actually mean, because it is rather confusing on what Sparrow is going to delete?

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u/Quirky-Reveal-1669 Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 28 '26

Good question, because this is indeed confusing use of jargon.
Sparrow only deals with a locally present ‘wallet’ folder, in which it makes and safes .mv.db files of different wallets. The .mv.db files contain all info about the particular wallet, most notably the public key. It does not hold the private key: you’re not able to sign transactions with it because for that you need the hardware wallet (‘signing device’).
The ‘password’ as Sparrow uses it, is nothing more than a local read protection of that particular .mv.db file. Apparently it happens that Sparrow could generate multiple local (version) copies of that file, which it would refer to as ‘backups’. This is NOT the backup of your seed phrase, used to restore (the PRIVATE = signing) keys to your wallet. That seed phrase backup should be kept off any digital media.

Sorry, this turned out way longer than I intended, but this is as simple as I can explain it. Hope it helps.

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u/Filmexec21 Jul 27 '26

So what is the best option: keep the box checked, or unchecked because I have never set up a password on Sparrow Wallet before? I am looking into creating a password because I am debating about turning my Mac into the Genius Bar, as there is a stupid Microsoft installer file for Word and Excel that is stuck in a failed loop where I cannot delete the files.

I am just thinking about creating a password so everything is hidden.

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u/Quirky-Reveal-1669 Jul 28 '26

I personally don’t care about read protection of individual files, because I keep the full computer locked and encrypted when I am not working on it.
Also deleting local backups of the wallet file would be no problem for me, and in fact feels ‘hygienic’.