Support
Short answers for first-time Bob users moving HNS or Handshake names into a self-custody wallet.
Yes. Bob is designed to be lightweight by default with SPV mode, so normal users do not need to sync a full Handshake node before receiving HNS, sending HNS, or managing names. You still need Bob to finish its lightweight wallet sync before balances, transactions, and owned names can be trusted in the app.
Create or restore your Bob wallet, copy the correct Bob receiving address, then withdraw HNS or transfer each Handshake name from Namebase to that address using Namebase's withdrawal or domain transfer flow. Wait for confirmations, then verify the HNS or name appears in Bob before relying on it. Do not send names to an exchange deposit address unless the service explicitly supports Handshake name ownership transfers.
Bob can show a fresh receive address for the same wallet over time. This is normal wallet behavior and helps reduce address reuse. Older receive addresses generated by that Bob wallet still belong to the same wallet and can still receive HNS or Handshake names. For best privacy, use the newest address Bob shows when sharing a receive address.
First make sure Bob Wallet is fully synced before deciding the names are missing. If the transfer was initiated from Namebase and the explorer still shows the names as pending finalization after the 288-block lock period, the Namebase admin or support team likely needs to broadcast the FINALIZE transaction from their side. Bob can only help once the wallet sees the pending name transfer for your Bob address and has the chain data needed to act on it.
Handshake names must be renewed on-chain to keep ownership active. Bob helps you track names that are expired or approaching expiration, then you broadcast a renewal transaction from the wallet that owns the name. Renewals are not a new auction or a new purchase; they are an ownership maintenance transaction plus the normal network fee.
Ask the recipient for a Handshake address from a wallet that supports name ownership. In Bob, choose the name, start a transfer to that address, wait through the protocol transfer period, and complete the finalize step when Bob shows it is ready. Always test with a low-value name first if you are learning the flow.
First confirm the wallet is fully synced, then open Portfolio and check Transaction History. If the history is empty or incomplete after sync, a wallet rescan can rebuild Bob's view of past transactions. Make sure you are looking at the correct Bob profile or wallet, especially if you restored from a seed phrase or use more than one wallet.
Before moving valuable names, write down your seed phrase, confirm Bob is synced, and try a small HNS transaction or low-value name first. Handshake name transfers are on-chain actions, so they cannot be undone after confirmation.
