How to Create a Nostr Account with Primal
If you are new to Nostr, the first step is simple: create a Nostr identity.
That identity gives you two things: a public key, called npub, and a private key, usually shown as nsec. The npub is the address people can see. The nsec is the secret that proves the address is yours.
For Decaputin, the important part is the npub. A Head can be linked to that public identity. During a standard claim, Decaputin connects to your Nostr identity, asks you to confirm the npub, creates a Lightning invoice, and later asks your signer to publish the ownership proof. That is why this guide starts with the boring thing that matters most: keys.
Your npub is public. Your nsec is not.
The easiest path: start with Primal
There are many ways to create a Nostr profile. This guide uses Primal, because it is the easiest first door for most people.
Primal works on web, iPhone, iPad and Android. It gives you a familiar social app, creates a Nostr identity, and includes a Bitcoin Lightning wallet experience for zaps.
That makes it a good first step if you want one tool that lets you see Nostr, use Nostr and come back to Decaputin with an identity ready.
Use the path that matches your device:
| Device | Recommended path |
|---|---|
| iPhone or iPad | Install Primal from the App Store |
| Android | Install Primal from Google Play |
| Desktop browser | Start with Primal Web |
| Optional guided setup | Use nstart.me if you want a slower account wizard |
Download and install links
| Tool | Platform | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Primal Web | Web | primal.net/new |
| Primal for iOS | iPhone, iPad | App Store |
| Primal for Android | Android | Google Play |
| nstart.me | Web | nstart.me |
You do not need to install everything. For most new users, start with Primal.
Create your Nostr account with Primal Web
Open primal.net/new in your browser.
Primal will guide you through the first setup. You choose a name, create the profile and enter Nostr through a familiar social interface.
This part feels like creating a normal social account, but the thing underneath is different. Primal is not just giving you a username in its own database. It is helping you create a Nostr identity.
Once the account exists, your identity is not supposed to belong to Primal. Primal is the first app you used. The identity is the key.
Use this basic flow:
- open primal.net/new;
- create a new profile;
- choose your name and complete the onboarding;
- open your account or profile settings;
- find your public key;
- copy the value that starts with
npub1...; - reveal your private key only when you are ready to back it up safely.
The exact interface may change over time. The important thing does not change: you are looking for your npub and, later, a safe backup of your private key.
Create your Nostr account with Primal on Android
On Android, the easiest beginner path is Primal from Google Play.
Install the app, open it and follow the account creation flow. Primal will create the Nostr identity and let you start using the network from the same app.
Use this basic flow:
- install Primal from Google Play;
- open the app;
- choose to create a new account;
- set your display name and profile details;
- finish the onboarding;
- open account settings;
- find and copy your public key, the
npub1...value; - reveal or export the private key only when you are ready to back it up safely.
If you already know that you want a dedicated Android signer, Amber is another path. But if you are new, start with Primal first. It is easier to understand what you are creating when you can see the social app around it.
Create your Nostr account with Primal on iPhone or iPad
For iPhone and iPad users, Primal is also the recommended path.
Install Primal from the App Store, create the account in the app, save your keys and use it as your first Nostr client.
Use this basic flow:
- install Primal from the App Store;
- open the app;
- create a new account;
- choose your name and complete the profile setup;
- open the account or profile settings;
- find your public key;
- copy the
npub1...value; - back up your private key before you depend on the account.
After that, you can come back to Decaputin and use the identity in the claim flow.
Find your npub
After creating the profile, find your public key.
In Nostr apps this is usually shown as an npub. It starts with npub1....
Your npub is safe to share. Other people can use it to find you, follow you or verify that something belongs to your Nostr identity. Decaputin can use it to connect a Head to you.
You can think of the npub as your public address on Nostr. It is not the secret. It is the part meant to be seen.
Understand your nsec before touching it
Your private key is usually shown as an nsec. It starts with nsec1....
This is the dangerous one.
The nsec is not a password in the normal sense. You cannot ask Decaputin, Primal or a relay to reset it for you. Whoever has your nsec can sign as you. If you lose it, you may lose access to the identity.
Before copying, exporting or saving your nsec, slow down. This is the part where people make expensive mistakes.
Back up your private key
Back up your private key before you depend on the account.
Good options:
- write it down and store it somewhere safe;
- save it in a password manager you trust;
- keep an offline backup.
Bad options:
- screenshots;
- cloud photo albums;
- sending it to yourself in chat;
- pasting it into random websites;
- storing it in a note called “my nostr key”.
No legitimate site should need you to paste your nsec directly into a normal form. A safer app asks your signer to approve a signature. It does not ask to see the secret.
Come back to Decaputin and log in
After creating your Nostr identity, return to Decaputin.
When the login modal asks you to connect with Nostr, Decaputin needs your public identity and approved signatures. It does not need your private key.
In the standard mobile claim flow, Primal is used twice: first to connect the npub, and later to approve the ownership signature after the Lightning invoice has been paid.
The easiest beginner path is to use the Nostr identity you created with Primal. If you want a more advanced setup with browser extensions, Android signers or mobile browser extensions, read the signer guide next.
Common mistakes
Most Nostr problems begin with one of these mistakes:
| Mistake | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Losing the nsec | There is no normal password recovery |
| Sharing the nsec | Whoever has it can act as you |
| Thinking Primal owns the account | Primal is an app; the identity is the key |
| Creating many accounts by accident | Each new key pair is a different identity |
| Pasting the nsec into random sites | A signer is safer than exposing the secret |
If you remember only one thing, remember this: your npub is public, your nsec is not.
Before you use Decaputin
Before claiming or buying a Head, make sure you can do three things:
- open Primal with your Nostr account;
- find your npub;
- keep your private key safe.
You will also need a Lightning wallet to pay invoices in sats. That is not this guide. The wallet part deserves its own clean article.
For now, the Nostr part is enough: create the identity, protect the private key, and come back with an npub you control.
