Metamask is one of the most popular multichain crypto wallets. In fact, the web3 wallet serves over 30 million active users globally every month. However, losing access to Metamask remains a major challenge for many users, crypto traders, and web3 enthusiasts.
Unfortunately, this can be frustrating, especially since Metamask is a non-custodial wallet. Therefore, when you lose access to your Metamask wallet, you must have your seed phrase.
Seed phrases or mnemonic upgrades are important to every web3 user’s identity. A reason why it is utmostly important to back it up or save it somewhere secure. This way, when your device is broken, or you lose access to your wallet, you can easily access your crypto assets.
However, losing access to your seed recovery phrase can get tricky and dramatic. Mistakes happen, backups fail, and you might have forgotten. Fortunately, recovering your crypto assets and web3 account is not impossible.
In this article, we’ll take you through how to easily find your seed recovery phrase and recover your Metamask account without a seed phrase. Let’s go!
Recovering Metamask Without Seed Phrase
Technically, crypto wallets like Metamask do not hold your assets. Since crypto assets are stored on a blockchain network, your private keys – also called seed recovery phrases – which form the basis of your web3 identity, hold your assets. In other words, they serve as PINs or passwords to your blockchain-based assets.
Once you register or set up a new wallet, Metamask automatically generates a 12-word recovery phrase that holds your asset and identity. This way, you can recover your identity and crypto assets on any wallet or if access is lost.
However, if you lose access to your keys or cannot unlock your Metamask wallet with your password, you can still recover your Metamask wallet and its seed recovery phrase.
Meanwhile, this process only works if you do not back your seed recovery phrase, but you know your password. This is because the recovery process requires password authentication.
Recovering seed phrases on browser-based wallets is possible with Metamask’s specialized Vault Decryptor Tool. To use the recovery toolkit, your PC must run Windows 10 or 11.
All you have to do is load up the toolkit from GitHub, locate your seed recovery phrase storage file, and input your wallet password. Fire up the DECRYPT button, and that’s all.
Steps to Recover Metamask Wallet on Chrome Browser and Chrome-based browsers
Here’s a step-by-step guide to recovering your Metamask wallet on Chrome and Chrome-based browsers:
- Load the Vault Decryptor Tool
- Unhide Hidden Files
- Locate your Seed Phrase Phrase Vault
- Loading up Multiple Files
- Decrypt the Vault
Load the Vault Decryptor Tool
Developed by Metamask’s co-founder Dan Finlay, this tool allows anyone to easily decrypt their seed recovery phrase storage vault using their wallet password.
It was set aside to assist Metamask users in seamlessly gaining access to their keys even after losing access to them.
To load up the decryptor tool, visit https://metamask.github.io/vault-decryptor on your web browser.
Unhide Hidden Files
Usually, the Vault files are hidden. To show hidden files, open File Explorer from the taskbar.
For Windows 10
- From the top navigation bar, click on VIEW > OPTIONS and select CHANGE FOLDER AND SEARCH OPTIONS.
- In the Folder options that pop up, change to the VIEW tab and scroll down to advanced settings.
- From the advanced settings, select “Show hidden files, folders, and drives” and tap OK.
For Windows 11
- Switch to the VIEW tab, click on SHOW, and choose HIDDEN ITEMS.
- Locate your Seed Phrase Phrase Vault
After loading up the Vault Decryptor Tool, it’s time to locate and load up your vault file.
To do this, click on the DATABASE BACKUP and then CHOOSE FILE. This will automatically open your local FILE EXPLORER.
- In File Explorer, go to this path on your Windows device:
Local Disk (C:)\Users\USER_NAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn
USER_NAME is the name of the Google Chrome profile for your web browser.
If you’re having trouble locating the file in your Windows File Explorer, simply use the file pathfinder, copy and paste the file path, and hit ENTER on your keyboard.
- For macOS devices, the location of the vault file should be:
Library>Application Support>Google>Chrome>Default>Local Extension Settings>nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn
If you’re having trouble locating the file in your macOS file explorer, use the Finder window. From the menu bar, click on GO > GO TO FOLDER. In the input field, type “~/Library” and hit GO.
In the search result, you will see one of the following library database folders named 000003.ldb, 000005.ldb or 000004.ldb.
Loading up Multiple Files
If you have multiple wallets installed in multiple Chrome browser profiles, this automatically means you have multiple vault files.
However, the only problem with multiple profiles is you need to know the password for each profile.
Therefore, if you’re not sure of the password in each Metamask Wallet extension, you need to list all the passwords and the profile, then try the recovery toolkit over and over again.
To load up multiple vault files, go to Local Disk (C:)\Users\<your-user-name-here>\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data
In this folder, you will see all the Chrome profiles you have. Click on each PROFILE and go to EXTENSIONS. Look for the file name “nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn” and open it.
Decrypt the Vault
To the easiest part of the process. Once you click OPEN, the file will load up in the Vault Decryptor Tool.
Proceed by inputting your wallet password in the field labeled PASSWORD and click on DECRYPT. That’s all.
Your seed recovery phrase will pop up instantly.
If you choose the wrong vault file, an error message saying “CAN NOT READ VAULT FROM FILE” will appear.
Once you’ve got your seed recovery phrase, you can import it into a new Metamask or crypto wallet. Meanwhile, ensure you store and back up the keys securely.
Steps to Recover Metamask Wallet on Firefox Browser
If your Metamask wallet is on the Firefox browser, the steps are usually different since Firefox’s data encoding is different from Chrome and Chrome-based browsers.
Therefore, unlike Chrome browsers, where you must load up a backup file, you need a JSON data file with Firefox.
However, using the Vault Decryptor Tool works on Firefox only if you know the password and your Firefox browser is still intact.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to recovering Metamask wallet on the Firefox browser:
- Find Metamask Extension UUID
- Find JSON File
- Decrypt Seed Phrase Data
Find Metamask Extension UUID
To find your seed recovery phrase, open the Firefox browser. In the address bar, input the following: about:debugging#addons
This will help you find your Metamask wallet Universally Unique Identifier (UUID)
In the Metamask section, copy the INTERNAL UUID.
Paste the UUID in the address below to load up a backup of the Metamask wallet: moz-extension://<UUID>/home.html
Find JSON File
Once the Metamask backup has been opened up, right-click any place on the wallet and click on INSPECT ELEMENT from available options.
In the INSPECT tab, navigate to CONSOLE and enter the following command in the CONSOLE tab:
chrome.storage.local.get(‘data’, result => {
var vault = result.data.KeyringController.vault
console.log(vault)
})
Then click on ENTER to run the command.
The result is a JSON data file that contains your seed recovery phrase. The JSON file usually begins with: ” {“data”: xxxxx}
Decrypt Seed Phrase Data
Copy the JSON file from the console tab and load up the Vault Decryptor Tool at https://metamask.github.io/vault-decryptor.
Paste the JSON file in the field provided for vault data. Input your wallet password and click on DECRYPT. Your seed recovery phrase will pop up immediately.
Manually Recovering JSON File from Chrome and Chrome-based browsers
The Vault Decryptor Tool was developed to allow Chrome-based Metamask users to upload their SRP files from the file manager. This prevents users from going through extra technical decryption processes by themselves.
Like in Firefox, the JSON file forms an important component of an SRP file. Therefore, if you cannot upload your seed recovery phrase file, you can recover your key phrase by manually extracting the JSON file.
To do this:
- Locate the seed recovery phrase file
- Open File in Text Editor
- Reformat in Text Editor
- Decrypt Vault Data
Locate the seed recovery phrase file
In your PC, open File Explorer and go to the path below:
Local Disk (C):\Users\USER_NAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default\Local Extension Settings\nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn
Alternatively, copy and paste the file path into the File Path section of your File Explorer.
For macOS devices, follow the path below:
Library>Application Support>Google>Chrome>Default>Local Extension Settings>nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn
Alternatively, you can use the Finder Window on Mac PCs. From the menu bar, click on GO > GO TO FOLDER and input ~/Library in the field provided.
Look for any file with the .ldb extension.
Open File in Text Editor
Open the file you find with a code or text editor like NotePad, Atom, or SublimeText.
Once you’ve opened the file, search for KEYRING in the text code you see. All the text following the “keyring” is your vault data.
However, before extracting a JSON file from the data, you must reformat and edit the text before the Vault Decryptor Tool can read it.
Reformat in Text Editor
To the tricky part, you need to identify the beginning and the end of the vault data. The vault data behind with a string of data; {\”???'<0x04>\” after KEYRING.
The data ends at =\”} – a string that follows the word SALT.
Now, open a new text file or press CTRL+N on the keyboard to open a new document. Copy and paste the vault data from KEYRING to the end at =\”}.
In the new file, look for the string “data”: or {“data” and change it to “iv”
Finally, replace all \” to ” by removing the \ (slashes). You can easily do this by using the REPLACE function of the editor. Simply replace all \” with ”
The result should be something like this:
{“data”:”wwpXXtFCqZkYsWfeEwItZjJ0Cc7mRVjG47Dqh+ztL1PiCG6Izhg+zG0mM+H2ykyjz3X0RNhAE6IVsWFZamcZ47B4sVi4SvUxrMhARm5L3yHPxr3UsyGrOXmthyVMgEGmjwlmnFCNd2nMZ2o8/sRMra8FupurqevnBv57FiYpEEs7gPpFHv6587aL44MmKD8Snv4JLFqiqmlK82Waq5F+Iv9mw2sFVAL9mgZBSgFgbWdB3TsKVB2k”,”iv”:”rkUQlNcGTxBE0My7a/bCXw==”,”salt”:”HcKyNfGzaRALRQ0DlKgcIe5Uk30iI/M//oG6w8vX8Nk=”}
That’s it. You’re almost there!
Decrypt Vault Data
After extracting your vault data from the SRP file, open the Vault Decryptor Tool at https://metamask.github.io/vault-decryptor and click on PASTE DATA.
In the field provided for vault data, copy and paste the vault data you extracted and input your wallet password.
Finally, hit the DECRYPT button, and your seed recovery phrase will pop up.
Steps to Recover Metamask Wallet on iOS Devices
Recovering the Metamask Wallet on iOS devices differs from that on PC devices. Unlike PC devices, where you need a separate Decryptor, mobile devices have built-in Vault Recovery software.
To recover your Metamask wallet from an iOS device, back up the device to a Mac PC device and read your vault file from the backup with a JSON reader. Therefore, you need an extra Mac PC to do this.
Without further ado, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to recover Metamask wallet on iOS devices:
- Enable iCloud Backup
- Backup iPhone using Mac
- Download iMazing mobile management software
- Reformat JSON File
- Import Metamask Wallet
Enable iCloud Backup
To recover Metamask wallet on iPhone, you need to enable backup on your phone and back the phone up with any Mac PC device.
To enable backup on your iPhone, go to SETTINGS and click on your iCloud Profile.
In the profile, go to ICLOUD > ICLOUD BACKUP. Then, toggle the backup button to activate iCloud backup.
Backup your iPhone using your Mac
After enabling iCloud backup, connect your phone to the Mac PC with a cable.
Your phone should appear in the Mac PC’s Finder. Select your iPhone and click on GENERAL from the top navigation bar of the Finder window.
Then select “BACKUP ALL OF THE DATA ON YOUR IPHONE TO THIS MAC” and click “BACKUP NOW.”
Download iMazing mobile management software
After backing up your phone, you only need a JSON reader with the iMazing mobile management app.
To download the app, go to https://imazing.com/download/macos on your web browser. Download will start automatically.
Once the download is done, the installation file is saved in the Downloads folder. Double-click the installation file and drag the iMazing app to the Applications Folder.
Re-format JSON File
From the Applications folder, launch the iMazing app and load up the iPhone backup file. To load up the backup file, go to MANAGE BACKUPS and drag the backup file to the iMazing app.
In the iMazing app, go to Apps > MetaMask > Documents > persistStore > persist-root
The persist-root folder is your Metamask JSON file. Open the persist-root file in JSON format.
Then, go through the lengthy text strings. Then, manually remove all the backward slashes (\\\) and spaces.
For instance, the original JSON file looks like this:
{\\\\\\\\\\\\”cipher\\\\\\\\\\\\”:\\\\\\\\\\\\”JaX8Z80QMzzqA4XMgPsUuleNLIuxvchXZ5q1SO9GO1kuNUmokUke06op9EF0ZU4WXsILfUZ0yKI5kjzYY9H12t5aGb43BOAWJwlKuC8neXWeL5enoD/L05eDC9tzZEBupLwF7cGG6JdPHHQKdRDWWbQM+TUo6EvZv7LClPZQVJ17uowGvPMPB0UwfPea7DP/dE5DYleHmX1rhxAJr1YN4HUPAYpCCReU4W4/2QsaM+E=\\\\\\\\\\\\”,\\\\\\\\\\\\”iv\\\\\\\\\\\\”:\\\\\\\\\\\\”dcabe6ed590ae3ee8e056c7844c58047\\\\\\\\\\\\”,\\\\\\\\\\\\”salt\\\\\\\\\\\\”:\\\\\\\\\\\\”h6IkHlWjloB9c9+KiGgYvQ==\\\\\\\\\\\\”,\\\\\\\\\\\\”lib\\\\\\\\\\\\”:\\\\\\\\\\\\”original\\\\\\\\\\\\”}
Below is the re-formatted JSON Vault file data:
{“cipher”:”JaX8Z80QMzzqA4XMgPsUuleNLIuxvchXZ5q1SO9GO1kuNUmokUke06op9EF0ZU4WssILfUZ0yKI5kjzYY9H12t5aGb43BOAWJwlKuC8neXWeL5enoD/L05eDC9tzZEBupLwF7cGG6JdPHHQKdRDWWbQM+TUo6EvZv7LClPZQVJ17uowGvPMPB0UwXPea7DP/dE5DYleHmX1rhxAJr1YN4HUPAYpCCReU4W4/2QsaM+E=”,”iv”:”dcabe6ed590ae3ee8e056c7844c583d7″,”salt”:”h6IkHlWjloBgc9+KiGTYvQ==”,”lib”:”original”}
Import Metamask Wallet
Copy the re-formatted file data and open your Metamask wallet app to set up Metamask wallet.
On the setup screen, click on IMPORT USING SECRET RECOVERY PHRASE. In the box provided for the secret recovery phrase, paste the re-formatted file data and input your wallet password.
Ensure the password is the same as you used to lock your wallet before losing it.
Finally, click IMPORT, and that’s all. Ensure you back up your seed recovery phrase once you’re in.
Conclusion
In an ever-evolving web3 and blockchain landscape, the safety of your digital assets is paramount. Losing access to your Metamask wallet can be a daunting experience. The seed recovery phrase, your key to reclaiming your crypto identity, is an irreplaceable safeguard.
But what happens when you’ve also lost access to your seed recovery phrase? The situation might seem dire, but fear not – recovering your Metamask wallet without the seed phrase is simpler than you think.
From the specialized Vault Decryptor Tool for Chrome browsers to the unique process for Firefox users, we’ve left no stone unturned in providing step-by-step instructions. Even if you are on an iOS phone, we’ve shown you how to navigate the complexities and restore your precious assets.
However, after recovering your Metamask wallet, it is important to back it up and store it somewhere safe. Meanwhile, ensure the storage or backup option is durable. This way, you can still access your wallet at any time.
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