What is "remote signing" NIP-46 and NIP-55 Nostr key management? #HOWDONOSTR

Across Nostr's ecosystem, where decentralization and user control are paramount, managing private keys securely should be a top priority. There is no central authority to reset your "password" or help you recover your "account" if your private key is leaked. Once leaked, your "account" is essentially burned and you no longer have control.

Remote signing your social transactions with NIP-46 (Nostr Remote Signing) and NIP-55 (Android Signer Application) provides a safer and more convenient way to interact with Nostr applications without exposing your private key.

By entering your private key into multiple applications, you increase the risk of it being compromised. To protect your key, only trust a minimal number of applications and avoid entering it into more apps than absolutely necessary. Proper private key management with remote signing applications can help here.

What are NIP-46 and NIP-55?

NIP-46 (Nostr Remote Signing) and NIP-55 (Android Signer Application) allow you to use a remote signer—a separate tool or device—to approve actions on your behalf. Instead of entering your private key into every app, you authorize trusted applications to sign messages remotely. This lets you create temporary keys that can sign events on your behalf, without exposing your private key. You can limit what these keys can do, such as only allowing them to post notes but not change your profile.

Using the NIP-46 method, a user would login to a Nostr application with a long string similar to this example:

bunker://?relay=&relay=&secret=

Using the NIP-55 method, a user would simply tap or click a 'Login with Amber' or 'Login with Android Signer' button in their Nostr application. All of the heavy lifting and configuration items are handled by the Android signer.

Why use remote signing?

* Better Security – Your private key stays in a secure location, such as Knox, NAK, or Keycast, rather than being exposed in multiple applications.

* More Control – You decide which apps can sign messages and revoke access anytime.

* Seamless Experience – There is no need to copy and paste private keys between apps. It just works in the background.

How can you use it?

The easiest method is Amber for Android. (A new application named nowser recently launched. I have not tested or used this application. However, it supports Android, iOS, Windows, and Linux.)