Lost your MetaMask recovery phrase? Act while logged in

Lost your MetaMask recovery phrase but still logged in? You may not need to move everything immediately. If you can still unlock the current installation, MetaMask lets you reveal the Secret Recovery Phrase and make a secure backup. If someone else might have seen the phrase, however, backing up the same words is not enough. You should consider moving your assets to a new wallet with new keys.

First, preserve the access you still have. Do not uninstall the extension or app, reset the wallet, or clear your browser data before checking what you control. For a wallet created with a recovery phrase, a password that unlocks MetaMask on one device does not, by itself, restore the wallet on another. The steps below were checked against official MetaMask guidance on November 9, 2026; menus and requirements can change.

Can I reveal my MetaMask recovery phrase while logged in?

If you created the wallet with a Secret Recovery Phrase (SRP), MetaMask says you can reveal it from an installation you can still unlock, provided you have its password. In the extension, go to Settings → Security and privacy → Reveal Secret Recovery Phrase and select the right phrase. On mobile, the option may also appear under account details. Follow MetaMask's current instructions for revealing the phrase, not a link sent to you in a direct message.

Use a trusted device and make sure nobody can see or record your screen. Write the words down in their exact order and store the backup securely offline. Do not paste the phrase into a website, support form, chat, email or cloud-synced document. Anyone who gets it can control the accounts derived from it. A screenshot creates another digital copy that can leak.

Check which account you are trying to protect. An imported account added with another phrase, private key or JSON file may not be restored by the installation's main SRP. MetaMask distinguishes derived and imported accounts. Identify the separate recovery method for an imported account before changing devices. A connected hardware wallet is different again: its recovery phrase does not become MetaMask's phrase.

I know the password, but MetaMask will not open

This is not the same as being logged in. For an SRP-created wallet, the password generally unlocks encrypted data on that device; it is not an independent backup for a fresh installation. MetaMask documents technical ways to try recovering local vault data, but they require the encrypted vault to still exist and demand care. Never give a vault file, password or phrase to a “recovery specialist” found through an ad. If the installation and backups are gone, support cannot recreate the phrase for you.

Should I back up the old phrase or create a new wallet?

Losing your written copy is not the same as exposing the phrase. If the paper is missing but nobody else obtained the words, revealing the phrase in your current installation and making a new backup may be enough. If you typed the phrase into a suspicious site, shared a photo, sent the words to someone or noticed unauthorized transactions, treat it as compromised. You cannot edit an existing SRP to change its words, and changing the local password does not revoke a copy held by someone else.

For suspected exposure, MetaMask recommends a new wallet with a fresh recovery phrase. Set it up in another browser installation or profile and back it up before moving assets. Merely adding “Account 2” under the old phrase does not help: accounts derived from that same phrase remain exposed. You can choose another wallet you control, including a passkey wallet, but verify its supported assets and networks before transferring. Importing the compromised phrase into another app does not generate new keys.

If you already see suspicious transactions, time matters. A compromised wallet may have an automated sweeper that takes the network's gas token as soon as it arrives. Sending in more native currency to “unlock” a transfer might add to your losses. MetaMask's compromised-wallet guidance warns about this scenario. Seek help through official channels without revealing the phrase; no one can guarantee recovery of every asset.

How do I move assets without leaving anything behind?

Migration is not one universal button. Each network requires transactions, while NFT transfers and positions in protocols can need extra steps. Use this checklist only if the old wallet can still sign:

1. Inventory every address and network. Check tokens, NFTs, positions deposited in contracts and any permissions or names linked to the old address. One app's asset list might not show everything.
2. Set up an independent destination. Safeguard its recovery method and copy the address from the receiving app. Check that it supports the asset on the selected network. Our wrong-network guide (Portuguese) explains why a familiar token name is not enough.
3. Consider a small test. A test limits the impact of an address mistake, but it still incurs a fee and is not reversible. Confirm receipt in the wallet and on a network explorer before sending the rest.
4. Move tokens and other assets first. Keep enough native currency to pay the fees for all remaining transactions. MetaMask says the gas token should leave last; without it you cannot send other assets. NFTs and positions can require additional transactions.
5. Verify each network separately. Compare full addresses and confirmed transactions. Update any saved receiving addresses at exchanges and services; stop using the old wallet if its phrase was compromised.

There is no universal migration fee: it depends on the network, its activity and the number of transactions. You do not need to pay a “recovery fee” to anyone asking for your seed. If you choose to deposit crypto in Picnic, the app shows a deposit address after you select the asset and network. Check compatibility there rather than assuming every token on every network is accepted.

What if I lost the phrase and access to the wallet?

Without an installation that opens, a valid backup, the relevant account's private key or another recovery method you had already set up, you may be unable to move the assets. That is a self-custody limitation, not a lock a support desk can remove. Search your own backups and old devices first, without installing untrusted “recovery” software. If you originally created the wallet with Google, Apple or Telegram login, its recovery route differs from an SRP-only wallet; check MetaMask's explanation of its wallet types.

For your next wallet, consider the balance between control and recovery that suits you. A hardware wallet with a carefully stored backup can be appropriate for larger holdings. Picnic uses a smart wallet signed with a passkey and a recovery mechanism, without a seed phrase to write down. You maintain control of your assets, but you still need to secure your access methods and follow the recovery process. Picnic cannot restore an inaccessible MetaMask wallet. Our guides to passkey self-custody (Portuguese) and losing your phone (Portuguese) explain the separate model.

Bottom line: if MetaMask still opens and the phrase was not exposed, make a correct backup now. If it leaked, plan a move to fresh keys and send the gas token last. If you lost both the phrase and access, distrust anyone who guarantees recovery. The right next step preserves your control without handing your keys to a stranger.

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Picnic is a technology platform that lets users independently interact with USDC, a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Circle, on public blockchains. USDC is not legal tender in Brazil.

Displayed exchange rates vary with market conditions. The final applicable amount is the one shown on the transaction confirmation screen. Cryptoassets involve risks, including volatility and loss of peg.

Picnic does not custody user assets and is neither a financial institution nor a virtual asset service provider. Sending and receiving U.S. dollar payments through a U.S. account is offered in partnership with Noah Savings Inc. Terms and conditions apply.

Information verified in April 2026.