Designing Crypto Apps for Mobile Wallets

A large share of crypto users never touch a desktop wallet extension. They use mobile wallets, often opening dApps inside the wallet's built-in browser or jumping between a mobile browser and a wallet app. Apps designed only for desktop extensions frustrate these users with broken connections, hidden buttons and prompts that never appear.

Designing for mobile wallets from the start avoids those problems.

Understand the two main mobile flows

Mobile users usually reach dApps in one of two ways:

Flow	How it works	Common issues
In-wallet browser	User opens the dApp inside the wallet app	Limited browser features, different storage behaviour
External browser plus wallet app	User browses in a normal browser and connects to a separate wallet app	App switching, lost state, connection timeouts

Support both. Detect injected wallet providers for in-wallet browsers and offer a wallet connection protocol for external browsers.

Layout for small screens

Mobile layouts need more than responsive breakpoints:

• Keep primary actions within thumb reach near the bottom of the screen
• Make buttons large enough to tap reliably
• Avoid hover-dependent interactions
• Show amounts, tokens and networks in readable sizes
• Keep critical information visible when the on-screen keyboard opens

Test layouts on smaller phones as well as recent large devices.

Connection flows

Connection on mobile involves more steps than on desktop, so clarity matters:

1. Explain what connecting does before starting
2. Detect the environment and show the most likely option first
3. After the user switches to the wallet app, preserve app state so they return to the same place
4. Show a clear status if the connection is pending
5. Offer a retry and an alternative method if connection fails

Preserving state is essential. If returning from the wallet reloads the page and loses a half-completed form, users give up.

Transaction prompts

On mobile, users often cannot see the dApp and the wallet prompt at the same time. Before requesting a transaction:

• Summarise the action, token, amount and network in the app
• Tell the user a wallet prompt will open
• After returning, show whether the transaction was sent, pending or rejected
• Link to the transaction on a block explorer

Avoid chaining several transactions without explanation, since each one requires another app switch.

Deep links and QR codes

Deep links can open a wallet with a prepared request, and QR codes let users scan payment details from another device. Support varies between wallets, so:

• Test deep links with the wallets your users rely on most
• Provide QR codes with a plain address fallback
• Always show amounts and addresses in text for manual entry

Storage and session behaviour

In-wallet browsers may clear storage differently, block pop-ups or restrict certain APIs. Keep important state on the server where possible, such as order status, so users can reopen a link and continue.

Performance on mobile networks

Mobile wallet users often browse on cellular data. Keep bundles small, load wallet libraries only when needed and render useful content before any connection. Fast first loads reduce abandonment dramatically.

Testing checklist

Test	Why
Open the app in the top wallet browsers for your audience	Catch compatibility issues
Connect from an external mobile browser	Validate app switching
Complete a full transaction on a low-fee network	Confirm prompts and status updates
Rotate the device and use a small screen	Check layout
Test on a slow connection	Check performance
Return after closing the app mid-flow	Check state recovery

Payments without connections

Some flows need no connection at all. A payment page with a copyable address, amount and QR code works in any browser and any wallet. Proud Globe's order pages follow that pattern, with an optional wallet button, so you can claim a tile entirely from a phone.