The new Android version integrates reusable payment requests (offers) and an interface for managing contacts.
On July 3rd, version 2.3.1 of the Phoenix mobile wallet was released (currently only for Android). The update introduces support for BOLT12, a Lightning Network specification proposed by Blockstream developer Rusty Russell.
The most important new feature is the implementation of BOLT12 “offers”: reusable, non–expiring LN payment requests. Offers simplify use cases such as recurring transactions and donations. Additionally, BOLT12 allows the recipient’s node address to remain undisclosed thanks to blinded paths and enables the creation of human-readable addresses without the need for a web server, TLS certificate, or Domain Name System.
Phoenix’s X account stated:
Among the other new features introduced:
- The ability to attach custom messages to payments (max 64 characters);
- A new interface for managing contacts.
For now, given the current limited adoption of BOLT12, Phoenix will continue to display BOLT11 invoices as the default option.
It’s important to highlight some limitations regarding background payment processing. Receiving payments in the background might be compromised on devices with FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) disabled or unavailable, such as smartphones with the GrapheneOS operating system. Firebase Cloud Messaging is a cross-platform cloud service for messages and notifications for Android, iOS, and Web applications. Additionally, enabling Tor within Phoenix will not allow for receiving payments in the background. The team recommends using Orbot, a proxy app that enables other applications to use Tor.
