# Watch-only wallet

## Definition

A watch-only wallet tracks public addresses or public-key-derived account data without holding the private keys needed to sign spending transactions.

## What it means in practice

It is useful for monitoring balances while keeping signing authority elsewhere, such as on offline or hardware storage.

## How this concept appears in Terenval Wallet

This glossary term describes a general wallet category; it should not be read as a claim that the current Terenval product exposes a watch-only mode.

**Important:** Never import private keys into a watch-only setup merely to make it spendable without understanding the security change.

**[Install Terenval Wallet](https://wallet.terenval.com/?lang=en)**

## Related terms

- [public key](https://wallet.terenval.com/glossary/public-key/)
- [Wallet balance](https://wallet.terenval.com/glossary/wallet-balance/)
- [hardware wallet](https://wallet.terenval.com/glossary/hardware-wallet/)
- [cold wallet](https://wallet.terenval.com/glossary/cold-wallet/)
- [self custody](https://wallet.terenval.com/glossary/self-custody/)

## Related Terenval Answers

- [What Is a Crypto Wallet and What Does It Actually Store?](https://wallet.terenval.com/answers/what-is-a-crypto-wallet-and-what-does-it-store/)
- [Can One Crypto Wallet Manage Multiple Blockchains?](https://wallet.terenval.com/answers/can-one-crypto-wallet-manage-multiple-blockchains/)
- [How to Send Crypto Safely Between Wallets](https://wallet.terenval.com/answers/how-to-send-crypto-safely-between-wallets/)

Official page: https://wallet.terenval.com/glossary/watch-only-wallet/