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How do I restore from my 12-word secret recovery phrase?
How do I restore from my 12-word secret recovery phrase?

Restore your wallet with your 12-word secret recovery phrase, and recover your funds on any device.

Updated over a week ago

Crypto wallet recovery is easy with your 12-word secret recovery phrase. Restore access to your crypto in any Exodus wallet with your Exodus backup. Below are instructions on restoring your wallet using your secret recovery phrase.

If you're starting out on a new device, you can download Exodus here.

Only restore wallets from secret recovery phrases and private keys that you trust 100%. You can learn more here: Honeypot scams: Don't import unknown secret recovery phrases or private keys!


In this article:



How do I restore from my 12-word secret recovery phrase?

If you have your 12-word secret recovery phrase, you can always restore your Exodus wallet.

You have the following two options:

  1. Restore into a new wallet: How do I restore in a new Exodus wallet?

  2. Restore from your current wallet's settings: How do I restore if I already have Exodus installed? Note that restoring will overwrite your current wallet.

If you import another wallet's 12-word secret recovery phrase into Exodus, some assets might not display. To learn more, visit: Can I import another wallet into Exodus?

You can also sync your Exodus wallet to another device. For more information, visit: How do I sync my wallet to a different device?


Video tutorial: How do I restore from my 12-word secret recovery phrase? - Mobile


Video tutorial: How do I restore from my 12-word secret recovery phrase? - Desktop


How do I restore in a new Exodus wallet?

After downloading Exodus, when you open the wallet for the first time, you will have the option to restore an existing wallet in Exodus with your 12-word secret recovery phrase.

Here's how:

Mobile

  1. After downloading Exodus Mobile, tap I Have a Wallet on the getting started screen.

  2. Tap Secret Phrase.

  3. a) Enter the first 4 words of your secret recovery phrase, then b) tap Next.

    Your 12-word secret recovery phrase controls access to your funds, so it is very important to keep it secret. Anyone with your secret recovery phrase can steal your crypto, so please don’t share it with anyone, including Exodus Support! For more information on how to keep your funds safe, visit the article: How do I keep my money safe?

  4. Continue until you have entered all 12 words, then tap Restore.

  5. Exodus will ask if you are sure that you want to restore the wallet. Tap Continue & Restart. Exodus will restart and sync your assets.

  6. The restore process may take several minutes, depending on your wallet history. It may take longer if you have a diverse portfolio with a long transaction history. Once the restore is complete, Exodus will let you know it's successful!


Desktop

  1. After downloading Exodus Desktop, click the Import Wallet button on the welcome screen.

  2. Exodus will then prompt you to restart. Click Restart.

  3. a) Type your secret recovery phrase in the correct order with no capital letters. When you have entered all 12 words, b) click the arrow to the right or press enter.

    Your 12-word secret recovery phrase controls access to your funds, so it is very important to keep it secret. Anyone with your secret recovery phrase can steal your crypto, so please don’t share it with anyone, including Exodus Support! For more information on how to keep your funds safe, visit the article: How do I keep my money safe?

  4. After a few seconds, Exodus will open with a prompt that says Restore Complete. Click OK and wait a few minutes while Exodus rescans the blockchains and displays your balances.

  5. Make sure to set a password to protect your newly restored wallet.


Web3 Wallet

If you restore your Exodus Desktop or Mobile wallet in Exodus Web3 Wallet, only assets on supported networks will be shown in Exodus Web3 Wallet.

  1. After downloading Exodus Web3 Wallet, click I Have a Wallet on the getting started screen.

  2. a) Enter each word from your secret recovery phrase in the correct order, then b) click Restore.

    Your 12-word secret recovery phrase controls access to your funds, so it is very important to keep it secret. Anyone with your secret recovery phrase can steal your crypto, so please don’t share it with anyone, including Exodus Support! For more information on how to keep your funds safe, visit the article: How do I keep my money safe?

  3. When prompted to create a password, a) type in a strong password. b) Your wallet will indicate the strength of your password with the color of the bar under the password, with red and yellow being the weakest and green being the strongest. c) Passwords are case-sensitive, so you will see a prompt if caps lock is on.

  4. After entering a strong password, a) the bar below the password will be green. When you have created your password, click Next.

  5. a) Re-enter your password. When the passwords match, you'll have the option to b) click Restore.

  6. Next, a) read the Terms and Privacy Policy, then open your restored Web3 Wallet by b) clicking Continue.

  7. The restore process may take several minutes, depending on your wallet history. It may take longer if you have a diverse portfolio with a long transaction history. Exodus will notify you when the restore is complete. Review your synced assets, then click OK.


How do I restore if I already have Exodus installed?

If you already have Exodus installed, you can restore your wallet from the settings. Restoring will overwrite your current wallet with the wallet of the 12-word secret recovery phrase you enter.

Because restoring a different wallet in Exodus will overwrite your current wallet, it is important to ensure you have written down your current 12-word secret recovery phrase in case you want to access that wallet in the future.

Mobile

  1. Before you start, write down your secret recovery phrase for your current wallet to ensure you always have access to that wallet in case you want to access it in the future. For information on how to find and write down your wallet's secret recovery phrase, go to the article: How do I always have access to my wallet with my 12-word secret recovery phrase?

    Restoring a wallet with the 12-word secret recovery phrase will overwrite your current wallet. It will be impossible to access the overwritten wallet if you don't have its secret recovery phrase.

  2. In Exodus Mobile, a) tap the Profile icon, then b) tap Settings.

  3. Scroll down and tap Restore Wallet.

  4. This process will overwrite your current wallet. Make sure you have written down your current wallet's 12-word secret recovery phrase before restoring. When you are ready to restore and overwrite the current wallet, tap Continue.

  5. Enter the first 4 words of your secret recovery phrase and tap Next.

    Your 12-word secret recovery phrase controls access to your funds, so it is very important to keep it secret. Anyone with your secret recovery phrase can steal your crypto, so please don’t share it with anyone, including Exodus Support! For more information on how to keep your funds safe, visit the article: How do I keep my money safe?

  6. Continue until you have entered all 12 words, then tap Restore.

  7. Exodus will ask you if you are sure that you want to restore the wallet. Tap Continue & Restart. Exodus will restart and sync your assets.

  8. The restore process may take several minutes, depending on your wallet history. It may take longer if you have a diverse portfolio with a long transaction history. Once the restore is complete, Exodus will let you know it's successful!


Desktop

  1. Before you start, write down your secret recovery phrase for your current wallet to ensure you always have access to that wallet in case you want to access it in the future. For information on how to find and write down your wallet's secret recovery phrase, go to the article: How do I always have access to my wallet with my 12-word secret recovery phrase?

    Restoring a wallet with the 12-word secret recovery phrase will overwrite your current wallet. It will be impossible to access the overwritten wallet again if you haven't backed it up.

  2. If your wallet has a password, when you open Exodus, you can restore another wallet from the password screen by clicking Restore.

  3. If your Exodus wallet doesn't have a password, you will need to open the developer menu. To access the developer menu, see the guide: How do I open the developer menu?

    In the developer menu, a) click Exodus, b) select Developer, c) select Restore, and d) click Restore from 12-word phrase.

    Exodus will then ask you to restart the wallet. Click Restart.

  4. a) Type your secret recovery phrase in the correct order with no capital letters. After you have entered the secret recovery phrase, b) click the arrow to the right or press enter.

    Your 12-word secret recovery phrase controls access to your funds, so it is very important to keep it secret. Anyone with your secret recovery phrase can steal your crypto, so please don’t share it with anyone, including Exodus Support! For more information on how to keep your funds safe, visit the article: How do I keep my money safe?

  5. After a few seconds, Exodus will open with a prompt that says Restore Complete. Click OK and wait a few minutes while Exodus rescans the blockchains and displays your balances.

  6. Make sure to set a password to protect your newly restored wallet.


Web3 Wallet

If you restore your Exodus Desktop or Mobile wallet in Exodus Web3 Wallet, only assets on supported networks will be shown in Exodus Web3 Wallet.

  1. Before you start, write down your secret recovery phrase for your current wallet to ensure you always have access to that wallet in case you want to access it in the future. For information on how to find and write down your wallet's secret recovery phrase, go to the article: How do I always have access to my wallet with my 12-word secret recovery phrase?

    Restoring a wallet with the 12-word secret recovery phrase will overwrite your current wallet. It will be impossible to access the overwritten wallet again if you haven't backed it up.

  2. In Exodus Web3 Wallet, a) click the Profile icon, then b) click Settings.

  3. Click a) Advanced, then b) click Restore Wallet.

  4. Click Continue.

  5. Enter each word from your secret recovery phrase in the correct order. After every 4 words, continue to the following screen by clicking Next.

    Your 12-word secret recovery phrase controls access to your funds, so it is very important to keep it secret. Anyone with your secret recovery phrase can steal your crypto, so please don’t share it with anyone, including Exodus Support! For more information on how to keep your funds safe, visit the article: How do I keep my money safe?

  6. Continue until you have entered all 12 words, then tap Restore.

  7. a) Create a new password for your wallet. After entering the password, b) click Next.

    For more information on how to create a strong password, see the guide: The importance of a good password

  8. To confirm the new password you set for the wallet, a) enter the password again, then b) click Restore Wallet.

  9. Click Restore.

  10. The restore process may take several minutes, depending on your wallet history. It may take longer if you have a diverse portfolio with a long transaction history. Exodus will notify you when the restore is complete. Review your synced assets, then click OK.


I restored with my secret recovery phrase. Why is my wallet empty?

If you restored a previously used wallet with a 12-word secret recovery phrase, but the wallet is empty (with no transaction history), then it is possible that the wallet you restored is not the wallet you were trying to restore.

The secret recovery phrase generates all the private keys in your wallet, so the smallest change in the secret recovery phrase would change the private keys. Your private keys allow you to access your funds.

If the secret recovery phrase you entered was different from the original secret recovery phrase, or entered incorrectly, then it would create a brand new wallet, and not restore the original wallet.

Not every secret recovery phrase can restore a wallet. The words in the secret recovery phrase need to be on the BIP39 wordlist, and some combinations will not work.

If you restore a wallet and see the wallet is empty and different from the original wallet, please double-check your secret recovery phrase. You can have a look at the checklist below and follow the guidelines in order to make sure that your secret recovery phrase is entered correctly.

  • If you have multiple secret recovery phrases there is a chance that you restored the wallet with a different secret recovery phrase. Check if you have more than one secret recovery phrase and try all of the secret recovery phrases you might have.

  • Enter the words in the correct order from 1 to 12.

  • All the words should be written in lowercase.

  • There should be no special characters - only enter characters from the English alphabet.

  • Make sure the words are spelled correctly.

  • Make sure the keyboard on your device is in English.


To help ensure that the secret recovery phrase is correct, you can compare every word to the BIP39 master wordlist. With the BIP39 word list, you can check that each word is valid, and spelled correctly:

Some words from the BIP39 word list can easily be confused for another word from the list, especially if a typo was made when it was written down. If you have any doubts that one or more of the words in your secret recovery phrase has been written down incorrectly, then please see the link below. It will take you to Trezor's list of commonly misspelled words from the BIP39 list.


What if Exodus Mobile crashes before I write down my 12-word secret recovery phrase?

Do not delete or uninstall Exodus before going through these troubleshooting steps, otherwise your secret recovery phrase and funds will be irrecoverable.

Follow this guide if your wallet crashes and you don't have your 12-word secret recovery phrase written down. For assistance, please send us an email: [email protected].

  1. If your wallet crashes and you are on an older version of Exodus, then Exodus will prompt you to update your wallet. Tap Update to go to the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) to update Exodus. After updating, open Exodus to check if your issue is resolved.

    For full instructions, please visit: How do I update Exodus?

  2. If you're already on the latest version of Exodus, tap and hold Contact Support.

  3. Your backup history will appear with a list containing your current and previous secret recovery phrases. Tap on the first word of the secret recovery phrase of the wallet you wish to recover.

  4. To restore your wallet, tap Restore.

  5. Open Exodus to confirm your wallet has been restored.

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