For those who don't know, Zeus is one of the oldest LN wallet apps, a pioneer in everything related to LN for mobile devices.
You can use Zeus in many ways, with multiple accounts:
- starting like a total newbies, using cashu and then raise your level to embedded or remote node.
- using it as embedded LND node
- using it with a remote LN node (at home or in the cloud), LND and CLN
- using it with multiple NWC accounts and LNDHUB accounts
- integrated PoS that works with any of mentioned accounts.
In this mini guide I will explain only a part of its usage, how to migrate an existing node to a new device.
If you still don't use Zeus embedded node, please read first my full walk-through guide here:
https://darth-coin.github.io/wallets/getting-started-zeus-wallet-en.html
User question:
I need to change my phone, and I have my wallet with some channels. Do I need to close them before uninstalling Zeus, or can I recover it without closing channels?
Answer:
Zeus is not yet supporting a full migration of an existing node with open channels.
This feature will come soon to Zeus (maybe in v0.13), after LND team will introduce migration db to SQLlite and have an easy way to backup the channels.db in order to me migrated.
So until then, I would suggest the following steps:
- On the new device, install and create a new Zeus embedded node, save the seed and also note your nodeID.
- Go to channels and buy an inbound channel from Olympus LSP. Set the amount of the channel according to how many sats you want to move from your old Zeus node + 10-25% more
- From the old Zeus node, with online channels, pay the LSP invoice in the new Zeus. In few moments the new channel will be ready to receive the sats from your old node.
- In the new Zeus, create an invoice for the amount you have have available in your old Zeus channels. Keep in mind that you will not be able to send absolutely all sats, due the limits of channel buffer. Always send like max 90-95% and then after few minutes send the again a 90% of the remaining balance. Keep also in mind that when you close the channels you will get back in onchain the channels reserve sats, so is not really necessary to empty 100% your channels. I would recommend also to have at least 1UTXO in your old Zeus onchain wallet, that will be used as anchor reserves, in case the fees are spiking and be able to pay the closing tx.
- Go to your old Zeus node and pay that sweeping channels invoice to the new Zeus node.
- Now you can start the cooperatively closing channels operation. Do not do force closing! Put your old Zeus node in persistent mode before you start the closing operation tot avoid any possible inconvenient during the closing. The persistent mode is keeping the LND service alive even if you close the app.
- Once the channels are closed and funds coming back to your onchain wallet, you can move them to your new Zeus node, in one UTXO and keep that one as anchor channel reserve. Optional, when you close the channels you can indicate an onchain address of the new Zeus node but is more complex step if you do not know exactly what are you doing.
- Now you can remove your old Zeus app from the old device.
In this way you start fresh with a new nodeID and a smooth transition to a new device. Sometimes is better to start fresh.
Thank you for your attention in this matter
Zap 2 sats if you like this guide or more if you disagree.