Need help sending bitcoin to another wallet step by step

General
1

I’m trying to send bitcoin from my current wallet to a friend’s wallet for the first time and I’m nervous about making a mistake. I’m not sure which address to use, what fees to choose, or how to confirm everything is correct before I hit send. Can someone walk me through the exact steps to safely send bitcoin to another wallet and avoid losing funds?

2

Totally normal to be nervous on the first send. Do a tiny test first and you remove 90% of the stress.

Step by step:

  1. Get your friend’s address
    • Ask your friend for their Bitcoin address, not an Ethereum or other chain address.
    • It should start with 1, 3, or bc1, and be 26–62 characters.
    • Have them paste it in a message.
    • Double check they did not send you a QR for some other coin.

  2. Paste, do not type
    • In your wallet, tap “Send” or “Transfer.”
    • Paste the address. Never type it by hand.
    • Check first 4 and last 4 characters match what your friend sent.
    • If there is a “Network” option, pick Bitcoin or BTC. Do not pick BTC on some random sidechain.

  3. Do a tiny test amount
    • If you plan to send 0.02 BTC, start with 0.0001 BTC or so.
    • Enter that small amount.
    • Fee choice:
    – If your wallet has “Slow / Normal / Fast,” pick Normal.
    – If it shows sats/vByte, 5–15 sats/vByte often confirms within 1 hour in normal network conditions.
    • Review: address, network, amount, fee. Then confirm.

  4. Watch the test tx
    • Your wallet will show a transaction ID (TXID) or link to a block explorer.
    • Send the TXID to your friend.
    • Ask them to confirm it shows as “pending” then “confirmed” on their side. Usually 1–3 confirmations is enough for a simple transfer.
    • Once your friend sees the test funds, you know the address and network are correct.

  5. Send the full amount
    • Use the same saved address in your wallet if it supports that, or paste again from the same message.
    • Double check the address again.
    • Enter the full amount.
    • Choose fee like before. Higher fee means faster confirmation, but you pay a bit more.
    • Review all details slowly.
    • Confirm.

  6. Screenshot for your records
    • Take a screenshot of the send screen showing amount, address, and fee.
    • Save the TXID somewhere. If anything goes weird, this helps.

Common mistakes to avoid:
• Sending BTC to an address on another network like “BTC on BSC,” “BTC on Polygon,” or an exchange’s non-BTC network. Only use native Bitcoin.
• Copying the address from an old chat or wrong contact. Always use the latest address your friend provides.
• Ignoring warning messages in the wallet. If it says network mismatch, stop.

Quick checklist before you hit send on the real amount:
• Is the coin set to Bitcoin (BTC)?
• Did you paste the address and check first 4 / last 4 chars?
• Did you get confirmation from your friend that the test amount arrived?
• Does the fee look reasonable, not 0 and not insanely high compared to the amount?

If you tell me which wallet app or exchange you use, people here can walk you through the exact buttons to tap, since each one has slightly different wording.

3

Couple extra things to layer on top of what @shizuka already said, without rehashing the same step list:

  1. Verify you’re actually sending real BTC, not “wrapped” junk
    A ton of apps show stuff like “BTC (BEP20)” or “BTC (Polygon).” That is not Bitcoin, it’s a token on another chain.

    • Native Bitcoin usually just says “Bitcoin” or “BTC” with the Bitcoin logo.
    • If there’s a network selector showing things like “BSC / Polygon / Tron,” you’re not in a real Bitcoin wallet, you’re in a multi-chain wallet. You’d need to explicitly choose “Bitcoin” or “BTC (Bitcoin network).”

  2. Check if your friend’s wallet is custodial or self-custody

    • If they use an exchange: have them send you their BTC deposit address and confirm that it says “Network: BTC” on their side.
    • If they use a self-custody wallet: ask what app it is (Phoenix, BlueWallet, Sparrow, etc.). Not strictly required, but if anything goes weird it’s easier to debug.

  3. On addresses: format isn’t everything
    Shizuka mentioned addresses starting with 1 / 3 / bc1, which is right, but scammers can generate valid-looking Bitcoin addresses too.

    • Only trust an address sent through a channel you know is actually your friend. Don’t use some address in a random DM or “support chat.”
    • If it’s a huge amount, literally get your friend on a call and have them read the first 4 and last 4 chars out loud while you compare.

  4. Fee choice: don’t blindly trust “fast / normal / slow”
    Wallets sometimes suggest dumb fees. If your wallet lets you enter sats/vByte, you can check current recommended fees at a site like mempool.space.

    • Low traffic: 5–10 sats/vByte usually fine.
    • Busy times: could be 30, 60 or more.
      If this sounds too nerdy, fine, just don’t pick “slow” if you’re in a hurry. You’ll freak yourself out watching it stuck for hours.

  5. Use “Send max” with caution
    If your wallet has a “Send all / Send max” button, remember it subtracts fees from your balance. Your friend might receive slightly less than you expect.

    • If you must send an exact amount (like 0.01 BTC and not 0.0099):
      • Enter that exact amount manually.
      • Make sure your balance covers that + the fee.
        Otherwise you’ll be wondering why the number is off by a tiny bit on the receiving side.

  6. Confirming everything actually worked
    Don’t just rely on “Completed” in your app.

    • Copy the TXID and check it in a block explorer (mempool.space or whatever your wallet links to).
    • Status should go from unconfirmed / pending to at least 1 confirmation.
      Your friend should see the incoming tx even before it confirms, usually as “pending” or “unconfirmed.” If you see it in the explorer but they don’t see anything after a few minutes, either:
    • They’re looking at the wrong wallet / account, or
    • They gave you the wrong address.

  7. One thing I slightly disagree with: test tx is optional, not mandatory
    For large amounts, yes, do a tiny test first like @shizuka said. For a small amount (like 20 bucks), a test tx is kind of overkill if:

    • You’re 100% sure it’s a BTC address on the BTC network.
    • You double checked the first 4 / last 4.
      Your call, but don’t let “must do test tx” freeze you forever. The key is checking network + address carefully.

  8. Final pre-send checklist you can literally read out loud

    • Coin: says “Bitcoin / BTC,” not wrapped token.
    • Network: BTC / Bitcoin network.
    • Address: pasted, not typed, first 4 and last 4 match what your friend just sent.
    • Amount: correct units (BTC vs sats, this trips people up).
    • Fee: not zero, not higher than like 5–10% of the amount unless fees are insane that day.
    • Screenshot: taken before confirm, so you have proof if you need help later.

If you say what app or exchange you’re using, people can literally tell you, “tap this, then this, ignore that button,” so you’re not guessing around the interface.