If you are having trouble recovering a previously created Phantom wallet or importing a wallet from another app, this article may help.
Warning: Do not share your Secret Recovery Phrase or private key with anyone. If someone has access to either, they will have full control of your wallet. Phantom Support will never ask for your recovery phrase or private key.
My recovery phrase isn’t working
You may see one of the following messages when trying to import your Secret Recovery Phrase:
- "Invalid secret recovery phrase"
- "Phrase needs to be at least 12 words"
- "Word 1 is incorrect or misspelled"
- "Incorrect format"
These messages usually mean one or more words are incorrect. A recovery phrase must:
- Contain exactly 12 or 24 words
- Be entered in the correct order
- Use correct spelling
- Have no extra spaces
You can verify spelling using the BIP-39 English word list.
If the words are correct but it still fails
If you’ve verified spelling, order, and spacing but the import still fails, check where the wallet was originally created.
Some wallet apps, such as MetaMask, Trust Wallet, or Solflare, may generate accounts using different derivation paths. In that case:
- Try importing the private key instead, if available.
- Re-export the recovery phrase from the original wallet app if you still have access.
- If Phantom can’t derive the same accounts, you may need to continue using the original wallet app for those accounts.
If the recovery phrase is correct and Phantom supports that wallet's derivation path, the expected accounts should appear after import.
My Phantom recovery phrase is rejected by a third-party platform
Some trading platforms and tools, such as Axiom or Padre, require you to import your wallet using a private key rather than a recovery phrase. If your Phantom recovery phrase is rejected on one of these platforms, this is usually why.
Only export a private key if you trust the platform and understand why it needs direct account access.
To get your private key from Phantom, follow these steps:
- Select your profile avatar in the upper left.
- Go to Settings → Manage Accounts.
- Select the account you want to connect.
- Select Show Private Key.
- Select the network you want to connect: Solana, Bitcoin (Taproot or Native SegWit), Sui, or EVM networks like Ethereum, Monad, Base, Polygon, and HyperEVM.
- Authenticate to reveal the key, then copy it.
- Paste the private key into the third-party platform.
Note: EVM networks (Ethereum, Base, Polygon, Monad, HyperEVM) share the same private key. Solana, Bitcoin, and Sui each have their own. If you're unsure which network the platform uses, check its documentation before exporting.
My private key isn’t working
Make sure that you're selecting the correct network when importing a private key in Phantom. Otherwise, Phantom shows an "Incorrect format" error.
Warning: Your private key gives full control of that account to anyone who has it. Only enter it on platforms you trust, and never share it with anyone else.
Accounts are missing after restoring
If accounts appear to be missing after restoring, they are often still recoverable. In many cases, the wallet imported successfully, but not every account was automatically added.
Wallets created with Google or Apple
When restoring a wallet created with Google or Apple on a new device, Phantom retrieves your original account first.
If you had other accounts before, follow these steps:
- Select your profile avatar in the upper left.
- Select Add Account.
- Select Create New Account.
- Select Create.
Repeat until all expected accounts appear.
Recovery phrase wallets
When you import a recovery phrase, Phantom restores accounts with onchain activity such as sends, receives, or swaps, from oldest to newest. Accounts with no balance or no transactions may not appear automatically.
To manually add more accounts:
- Select your profile avatar in the upper left.
- Select Add Account.
- Select Create New Account.
- Select Create.
Repeat until all expected accounts appear.
If accounts still don’t appear, reset Phantom following the steps in our Reset Phantom guide.
If accounts still don't appear after a reset:
- This may not be the recovery phrase for the wallet you expected.
- The wallet may use a derivation path Phantom doesn't support.
Private key
Accounts imported using private keys do not automatically reappear in Phantom. You need to re-import each private key individually:
- Select your profile avatar in the upper left.
- Select Add Account.
- Select Import Private Key.
- Select the network and enter a name.
Repeat for each private key you have.
Ledger wallet
Accounts from a Ledger wallet previously connected to Phantom do not automatically reappear in Phantom. You need to reconnect your Ledger wallet:
- Select your profile avatar in the upper left.
- Select Add Account.
- Select Connect Hardware Wallet.
- Follow the prompts.
Your Ledger accounts should appear again after the device reconnects.
I’m seeing accounts I don’t recognize
If you import a recovery phrase and see unfamiliar accounts, one of the following is likely:
- The recovery phrase is different. Recovery phrases are cryptographically exact. Even a single incorrect word generates a completely different wallet.
- The wallet generated accounts differently. Some wallet apps create accounts in ways Phantom can't replicate.
To confirm which scenario applies:
- Import the same recovery phrase into the wallet app originally used. For example, MetaMask, Solflare, or Backpack.
- Check whether your expected accounts appear there.
If the accounts appear in the original wallet but not in Phantom, you may need to continue using that wallet app for those accounts.
If the accounts don't appear in the original wallet either, the recovery phrase isn't the one you expected.
I redownloaded the app and my wallet isn’t there
Phantom doesn't store your wallet on its servers. Your wallet exists on the blockchain and is accessed using your recovery method.
After reinstalling Phantom, restore access by:
- Importing your 12- or 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase, or
- Signing in with the same Google or Apple account you originally used, and entering your four-digit PIN.
See Restore a wallet in Phantom for instructions.
If you use the correct recovery method, your wallet or original account should reappear.