Over a week and a half ago Brave announced the integration of "verified wallets" on Android. Initially, the new update was supposed to be released that same week but for some reason it did not arrive until a couple days ago. I had forgotten all about it and didn't realize it until today. Nevertheless, this news had Android users, like me, excited for one reason and one reason only. Withdrawing $BAT. Not many people are fond of Uphold but it's the only wallet to connect to and free our $BAT from a lack of protection of the browser and also the "zero/decreasing balance" issue. Some people are still confused about some aspects of this Brave Rewards/Uphold partnership so let's tackle some of these FAQs.
Are your Brave rewards backed up by a recovery key?
Only "estimated pending rewards" are backed by a recovery key. The $BAT in your Brave wallet is not backed by a recovery key and you may not be able to recover them should anything happen to your browser. However, verifying your wallet with a verified Uphold account will safely back up your $BAT.
What are the requirements for verifying your wallet?
On Brave's end you now need to hold a minimum of 25 $BAT in your Brave wallet in order to be eligible for a verified wallet. Once you meet this minimum threshold then you must register for an Uphold account if you don't already have one. Uphold requires you to verify your account through a KYC process.
How do you verify a wallet on Android?
If you already have a verified Uphold account then this process is pretty simple. Just tap "verify wallet" and log in to your Uphold account. If this is your first Uphold account then you'll need to register and provide ID verification.
Can you sync your Brave rewards across multiple devices?
You can connect an Uphold account to a maximum 3 Brave installs lifetime. This will allow you to sync your total $BAT balance from 3 devices to a single Uphold account. As of now, Brave rewards cannot be synced across devices without a verified wallet. The rewards you receive on each device are kept separately on their respective devices. Brave will eventually solve this issue, however.
We are currently working on a new version of Brave Sync that will allow you to back up and sync all of your Brave Rewards and browser data (which, in turn, will also sync your BAT balances). -BAT Team
What happens if you uninstall Brave? How will it affect your lifetime limit?
You are allowed a connection of Uphold to a maximum of 3 Brave installs so if you uninstall or disconnect Brave from Uphold it will still counts towards your lifetime limit. Any Brave browser verified after the 3rd will not be eligible to receive payouts.
What are the benefits of having a verified wallet?
Verifying allows you to fully claim the Brave rewards you get from ads and tips and store it in Uphold. As mentioned above, if you have Brave installed on 3 devices, all of your $BAT will be synced to your account. On Uphold you can withdraw your $BAT to an external wallet or exchange them for a fiat currency and deposit it to your bank account.
Is an Uphold account necessary?
You may not know this but the $BAT in your unverified Brave Rewards wallet is actually anonymously held by Uphold on your behalf. With that being said, it is not necessary to register for an Uphold account in order to make use of your $BAT. Some people use their $BAT to tip content creators, which is actually the main purpose of it, or themselves to avoid Uphold.
Can anyone transfer their $BAT to Uphold?
Brave Ads must be supported in your country in order to transfer Brave rewards to Uphold. So the ID you use to verify your Uphold account determines whether or not you are eligible to receive payouts. For Example, if you live in a country supported by Brave Ads but the ID you used to verify your Uphold account is from an unsupported country then, although you will receive Brave rewards, your $BAT will not transfer to Uphold.
