Lost access to MetaMask: what to do

MetaMask will not open: software issue or actual loss

A software issue means the installation on the same device still exists but the environment is getting in the way: a different Chrome profile, a disabled extension, a conflict after an update, corrupted cache, or an accidental Reset Wallet without a seed phrase backup. First verify that you are opening the official MetaMask extension in the same browser profile where the wallet was created, and not a phishing add-on found through search.

Actual loss means you cannot unlock the vault with the password, do not know the Secret Recovery Phrase (usually 12 words), deleted the extension without a backup, moved to a new computer without an offline copy of the phrase, or lost both the password and access through Google, Apple, or Telegram if the wallet was created using that method. Without the SRP or the configured login method, the assets remain on-chain but control cannot be restored. Support cannot retrieve the phrase for you.

Treat compromise as a separate case. If you see outgoing TxIDs that you did not authorize, this is not a login problem but possible key theft. Focus on stopping the outflow before responding to "recovery helpers" in direct messages.

Password and seed phrase: what actually unlocks the wallet

If you have the seed phrase on paper, use the standard restore flow: "I have an existing wallet" or "Import using Secret Recovery Phrase," then set a new password. If you forgot only the password but still have the phrase, this is a standard recovery scenario, not a reset performed by support. For the distinction between passwords and seed phrases, see forgot your crypto wallet password.

For a wallet created through Google, Apple, or Telegram, the MetaMask Help Center states that you can sign in on a new installation using that account and the password without entering the SRP. If you have no access to the social account and no seed phrase, the recovery path closes just as it does without a phrase backup. Accounts imported separately by private key are not restored by the SRP alone and require separate backups. If only part of the phrase remains, request a feasibility assessment for a partial seed phrase.

First steps checklist

1. Record exactly what you see: incorrect password, empty Welcome screen, different address, or extension error. Do not put the complete seed phrase in cloud notes.
2. Check the same browser profile and the official extension. Do not install "MetaMask" from advertisements or third-party sites.
3. If you have an offline Secret Recovery Phrase, restore it on a clean device using the official Import flow and set a new password. Enter the words only in official MetaMask software.
4. If the wallet was created through Google, Apple, or Telegram, try signing in with that account on a new installation.
5. Look for the old computer or a browser-profile backup containing MetaMask Local Extension Settings (the vault) and password clues. Do not publish these in chats.
6. Do not enter the seed phrase or vault JSON on "MetaMask checking or recovery" websites, in bots, or with support accounts messaging you directly. Official support channels do not request the phrase.

If useful artifacts exist, such as a vault, partial seed phrase, or old device, but you are unsure how to handle them safely, describe what exists without sharing the complete phrase and request a wallet recovery assessment. The about page explains the limits on outcome claims.

When recovery may be possible and what not to do

Recovery is realistic with a complete valid SRP, the social login used to create the wallet, a saved extension vault and a known or constrained password, or a system backup containing the extension files. Recovery is generally unrealistic when there is no seed phrase, no vault or backup, no device, and no meaningful password constraints. A blind search is not practical, and guaranteed MetaMask recovery in exchange for an upfront payment is a common recovery scam.

• Do not enter a Secret Recovery Phrase on a third-party "recovery site," diagnostic form, or in a chat with someone who contacted you first.
• Do not confuse access loss with theft. This process concerns your own keys and artifacts, and the outcome depends on the available data.
• Do not treat an address whose seed phrase was previously exposed as safe for new deposits, even after a successful restore.
• Do not assume access can be guaranteed when no useful artifacts remain.

Anyone who obtains the complete seed phrase can move the assets. A new wallet, a clean device, and safer phrase storage are part of the response after a restore, not an optional extra.