Cake Wallet privacy settings and Tor
Turn on Enable built-in Tor in the app's Connections settings to hide your IP address from nodes and services, and set Fiat API and Swap to Tor only so they never fall back to a normal connection. Built-in Tor is still marked experimental; Orbot is the alternative for routing the whole phone.
Quick steps
- Open Connections. From the home screen open the settings and go to the app-wide Connections section.
- Enable built-in Tor. Turn on Enable built-in Tor. The app connects to Tor first, so startup takes a little longer.
- Set Tor-only modes. Set Fiat API and Swap to Tor only so price lookups and swap quotes fail instead of falling back to clearnet, or set them to disabled.
- Pick a node. Choose a Cake Wallet (Tor) onion node where your coin has one, or your own node. Onion nodes only work while Tor is running.
- Review wallet privacy settings. In the wallet's privacy settings, check Auto generate subaddresses, Save recipient address and, for Bitcoin, Use Payjoin.
- Test before relying on it. Let the wallet sync, try a small send, and expect some third-party services such as buy providers to refuse Tor connections.
Cake Wallet's privacy story has two layers. Network privacy hides who you are from the servers your wallet talks to: that is what Tor and your own node do. Transaction privacy hides what you send on the blockchain: that comes from Monero itself, Bitcoin Silent Payments and Payjoin, and Litecoin MWEB. Tor does not make a Bitcoin transaction private, and Monero does not hide your IP from a node. You need both layers for strong privacy.
Built-in Tor
Since version 5.1 (June 2025), Cake Wallet includes its own Tor client. According to the docs, turn it on under the app settings, Connections, Enable built-in Tor (Cake Wallet docs, 2026). With it on, the app's connections to nodes and services such as price lookups go through Tor, so they see a Tor exit or onion circuit instead of your IP address.
- Experimental. Cake still labels it experimental and says not every connection type supports Tor routing yet. For full coverage, combine it with Orbot or a VPN.
- Slower. Startup includes a "connecting to Tor" step, and syncing is much slower than on clearnet, especially large Monero rescans.
- Some services block Tor. Buy and sell providers in particular may not work.
- Platforms. It began on Android and, according to the source code, is now built for Android, iOS, macOS and Linux.
Tor-only modes for prices and swaps
The same Connections screen has settings for the Fiat API (prices and charts) and Swap (exchange-rate lookups). Each can be enabled, Tor only or disabled. Tor only means the feature fails rather than silently using a normal connection that would reveal your IP. Since version 6.5, the Swap Tor-only mode reaches the Trocador aggregator through its onion service (Cake Wallet release notes, 2026). Cake's hardening tutorial recommends setting both to Tor only or disabled.
Other switches on that screen trade privacy for convenience: the Mempool API improves Bitcoin fee estimates, block-explorer history lookups fetch EVM and Tron history from third parties, and automatic exchange status updates poll swap providers in the background. Turning these off leaks less but makes some information less accurate.
Onion nodes
With Tor running you can use .onion nodes, which are reachable only inside Tor. Version 6.5.0 added a "Cake Wallet (Tor)" onion node for Bitcoin and Litecoin and moved the Monero and Zcash onion nodes to new addresses under the same name. If you had selected the old Monero onion node, select "Cake Wallet (Tor)" again after updating (Cake Wallet release notes, 2026). Do not copy onion addresses from old guides; use the built-in entries or your own node's address.
Without Tor, onion nodes never connect. Monero over onion is also slow for big syncs. Cake's Orbot guide suggests syncing a Monero wallet over clearnet to your own node and switching to Tor once synced; syncing more than about 100 Monero blocks over Tor is "not recommended".
Orbot: Tor for the whole phone
Orbot is a separate free app from the Guardian Project that routes the whole device, or chosen apps, through Tor. Cake's docs describe it for iOS and Android:
- Install Orbot from an official store and use its VPN mode, ideally full-device.
- Start it, and enable bridges or Snowflake if your network blocks Tor.
- Return to Cake Wallet; its traffic now goes through Tor. Using an onion node is a safety net: if Orbot is off, the onion node simply will not connect, so nothing leaks over clearnet.
- Alternatively, set a node's SOCKS proxy to
127.0.0.1:9050so only that node goes through Orbot.
Which to use? Built-in Tor needs no setup and covers Cake's own connections, which is enough for most people. Orbot covers more connection types and other apps, at the cost of more setup and a VPN slot on your phone.
Other privacy settings
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Auto generate subaddresses (Monero) or addresses | Gives you a fresh receive address after each payment. On by default |
| Save recipient address | Stores the addresses you send to on your device. Off means less local data, but you cannot later prove a Monero payment |
| Use Payjoin | Bitcoin sends and receives that break common chain-analysis assumptions; see Payjoin |
| Silent Payments, MWEB, coin control | In the coin's own settings; see Silent Payments and MWEB |
| Domain lookups | Each enabled service (such as OpenAlias or ENS) receives the name you are paying |
| Prevent screenshots and screen recording | Blocks screen capture inside the app |
| Duress PIN | An advanced emergency PIN that deletes all wallets when used; back up every seed first |
Your own node beats someone else's onion
Tor hides your IP, but the node operator still sees your wallet's requests. Cake's docs say running your own node over clearnet is usually better for performance and privacy than using someone else's onion node, and your own onion node is better still. See custom nodes.
Honest limits
No setting makes you anonymous on its own. Exchanges that know your identity, reused addresses, sending from a Bitcoin wallet linked to your name and screenshots of balances all leak information. Rules on privacy coins and privacy tools also differ by country, and some exchanges do not list Monero in some regions; check what applies where you live. Frosting Guide explains features and gives no legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does Cake Wallet have built-in Tor?
Yes. Since version 5.1 (June 2025) there is an Enable built-in Tor switch in the Connections settings. Cake still marks it as experimental.
Does Tor make my Bitcoin transactions private?
No. Tor hides your IP address from servers. What is on the blockchain stays visible; use Silent Payments, Payjoin and coin control for on-chain privacy.
Why is my Monero wallet so slow over Tor?
Syncing many blocks over Tor is slow. Cake suggests syncing over clearnet with your own node, then switching Tor on for sending.
Should I use built-in Tor or Orbot?
Built-in Tor is simpler and covers Cake's own connections. Orbot routes the whole phone and covers connections built-in Tor does not yet support.
Why do buy and sell providers fail with Tor on?
Many fiat providers block Tor traffic. You may need to turn Tor off for those, or use another way to buy.