If you're having trouble recovering a Phantom wallet or importing one from another app, this article may help.
Warning: Never share your Secret Recovery Phrase, private keys, or PIN with anyone. Anyone who has access to your credentials has full control of your wallet. Phantom Support will never ask for your credentials.
My recovery phrase isn't working
You may see one of these messages when importing 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. You can verify spelling using the BIP-39 English word list.
- In the mobile app, have one space between each word. In the browser extension, one word in each cell.
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, 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 app if you still have access.
- If Phantom can't derive the same accounts, you may need to continue using the original app for those accounts.
If the recovery phrase is correct and Phantom supports that wallet's derivation path, the expected accounts 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 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 export your private key from Phantom:
- 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: Solana, Bitcoin (Taproot or Native SegWit), Sui, or an EVM network such as Ethereum, Monad, Base, Polygon, or 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 you're selecting the correct network when importing a private key. Selecting the wrong network causes 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.
Accounts are missing after restoring
Missing accounts are often still recoverable. In many cases the wallet imported successfully, but not every account was added automatically.
Wallets created with a Google or Apple login
When restoring your wallet on a new device, Phantom retrieves your original account first. If you had additional accounts, add them manually:
- 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—sends, receives, or swaps—from oldest to newest. Accounts with no balance or transaction history may not appear automatically.
To add them manually, take 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.
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 don't reappear automatically. Re-import each one 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
Ledger accounts don't reappear automatically. Reconnect your Ledger wallet to restore them:
- Select your profile avatar in the upper left.
- Select Add Account.
- Select Connect Hardware Wallet.
- Follow the prompts.
Your Ledger accounts 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 apps create accounts in ways Phantom can't replicate.
To find out which applies, follow these steps:
- Import the same recovery phrase into the app originally used, such as MetaMask, Solflare, or Backpack.
- Check whether your expected accounts appear there.
If the accounts appear in the original app but not in Phantom, you may need to continue using that app for those accounts.
If the accounts don't appear in the original app either, the recovery phrase isn't the one you expected.
I got a new phone and lost access to my wallet
If your wallet appears in watch-only mode after switching phones, see Migrate Phantom to a new phone for steps to restore access.
Can I restore Phantom from iCloud or Google Drive?
No. For more information, see Can I restore Phantom from iCloud or Google Drive?