As of October 2026, in a seed-phrase wallet (the standard non-custodial design) the password only unlocks the encrypted copy of your keys stored on one device, so nobody can reset it for you, the wallet company included. You can create a new one by restoring the wallet from your seed (recovery) phrase in the official app or extension and then setting a fresh password. Accounts derived from that seed come back; accounts imported with a separate private key or seed, and hardware-wallet accounts, do not, so check you still hold those keys before you reset.
Why can't the wallet company reset your password?
Because in most non-custodial wallets the company never holds anything it could reset. The password is not an online account login: it encrypts the local “vault”, the stored keys on that one device. MetaMask's help center says the password “resides locally on your device (client-side)” and that “Nobody can reset your password for you”.
The seed phrase is different. A seed (recovery) phrase is the 12 or 24-word master backup (BIP-39 also allows 15, 18 and 21 words) that can recreate every key the wallet derived, on any device. The rule in one line: the password protects one device, the seed phrase is the wallet. For storage basics, see what a seed phrase is and how to store it. Custodial exchange accounts are the exception: “forgot password” works there because the company holds the keys.
Before you start: do you have the right seed phrase?
Confirm you hold the complete phrase, in order, with correct spelling. BIP-39 words come from a fixed list of 2,048 words, so a word that is not on the list is most likely a typo, and the standard requires software to warn when a phrase's checksum is invalid.
- If you wrote down more than one phrase, work out which belongs to this wallet. A valid but different phrase does not raise an error: it opens a different, usually empty wallet.
- Check whether any account was imported from a separate private key or second seed, and that you still have that key or seed written down: a restore will not bring it back, and if the only copy was inside the locked wallet, that account cannot be recovered.
- Try password variants first: caps lock, keyboard layout, older passwords. Some wallets limit attempts or wipe local data after too many wrong tries, so do not hammer the lock screen.
- Do not remove or reset the wallet without the phrase in hand: MetaMask warns that without its Secret Recovery Phrase you risk being locked out.
How do you reset a wallet password with your seed phrase?
You reset it by restoring the wallet from the seed phrase in the official software and choosing a new password. The steps are the same in outline for most non-custodial wallets:
- Confirm you have the complete, correct seed phrase.
- Install or open the official app or extension from the wallet's own site or store listing. Check the source first with our guide to avoiding fake wallet apps.
- Choose the restore or import-existing-wallet option. On some wallets it sits under a “Forgot password” link on the lock screen, which is how MetaMask does it.
- Type the phrase privately, only inside the official app or extension: no screenshots, no cloud notes, nobody watching.
- Set a new strong password, or the device lock the wallet offers.
- Check balances on every chain and account.
- Re-add what did not come back (see the table below).
On a phone the usual route is reinstalling the app and restoring; an extension often has a restore flow on the lock screen. The same wallet software normally reproduces the same addresses.
What comes back after a restore, and what doesn't?
Everything derived from the seed comes back, and the funds themselves were never stored in the app. Local extras and anything imported separately usually do not.
| Item | Restored from the seed? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Accounts derived from the seed | Yes, though some wallets only auto-discover accounts with activity or balances | Re-create unused accounts in order |
| Accounts imported with a separate private key or second seed | No | Import them again with that key or seed |
| Hardware-wallet accounts | No, the keys live on the device | Reconnect the device |
| Custom networks, custom tokens, address book and settings | Often not, they are local data | Re-add them (see adding a custom network and token) |
| Connected dApp sessions and approvals | Sessions reset, but on-chain token approvals still exist | Review them with how to revoke token approvals |
| The funds themselves | Yes, they live on the blockchain | Check balances |
MetaMask's help center puts the limit plainly: “any accounts (addresses) that do NOT ORIGINATE from one SRP will not be recovered afterwards.” MetaMask also says importing an SRP brings in the associated accounts that hold ETH balances; other wallets may discover accounts differently.
Restored but the balance shows zero?
A zero balance after a restore almost never means the funds are gone. The usual causes:
- A different seed than you thought, which opens a valid but empty wallet.
- Different derivation paths. Apps can derive addresses differently (Solana derivation paths vary between apps, and TON wallets have historically used their own 24-word mnemonic scheme and several wallet contract versions), so the same words can show different addresses in different apps.
- The network or token has not been added yet.
- Only the first account was discovered.
Look up your old address on a block explorer first: the funds stay on-chain either way. Then work through fixes for a balance that isn't showing, and read how one seed derives many addresses for the derivation-path background.
Is there a phone number for wallet password recovery?
No: no real support agent can unlock a self-custody wallet, and none will ever ask for your seed phrase. Pages and helplines that pose as wallet support are a standing scam pattern, so treat any that appear in search results as hostile; this guide does not link to them. Never type your seed into a website, form, chat or “validation” tool, and restore only inside the official app or extension. Anyone who has the seed can take everything.
The FBI's IC3 warned in PSA I-081123-PSA (August 11, 2023) that fake crypto “recovery” businesses contact victims, charge up-front fees and may claim law-enforcement or legal affiliation. The FTC adds that only scammers demand payment in cryptocurrency. See how to spot crypto phishing for the pattern.
Forgot the password and lost the seed phrase: what now?
If the wallet is still unlocked anywhere, act now; if it is not, no company can restore it. On another device where you are still signed in, such as a phone, first move the funds to a new wallet whose seed phrase you have just backed up. Then, if the wallet lets you view the seed phrase (often only with biometrics or the password), back it up too. Do not close or lock the session until the funds have moved.
Trying remembered password variants yourself is the only other route, because no company can bypass the encryption. With only a partial phrase or an old vault file, options are narrow and risky; see what you can still recover without your seed phrase. With no unlocked device and no seed, there is no reset and no bypass. That is the price of self-custody.
How WATS Wallet handles a forgotten password
WATS Wallet, made by Alltoscan LLC, cannot reset your password either: it is fully non-custodial and has no recovery back door. You create and hold your own keys and recovery phrase in the Chrome extension and the iOS/Android app. WATS never holds a key, so WATS support cannot reset your local password or lock, or restore your wallet.
The way back in is the one in this guide: install the official extension or app, restore with your seed phrase, then set new local protection. WATS Wallet is not seedless, so the phrase backup is essential.
The optional WATS NFC Metal Card holds no private keys and is not a backup, cold storage or a hardware wallet. It is a tap-to-authenticate card paired to exactly one phone, so it cannot recover a wallet or a password. See the NFC card page.
One fee note: on EVM networks, WATS charges fees in ATS from one ATS balance held on BSC (see how ATS fees work). Because that ATS balance is held on BSC and not inside the app, a reinstall does not erase it. Solana pays its own fees in SOL, while fees on TON are paid in ATS too.
Frequently asked questions
Can the wallet company or support reset my crypto wallet password?
No, not in most non-custodial wallets. The password encrypts keys stored only on your device, and the company never has them; MetaMask's help center says nobody can reset your password for you. The only reset is restoring from your seed phrase and setting a new password. Anyone offering to reset it for you, especially by phone, or asking for your seed phrase, is a scammer.
Will I lose my crypto if I reset my wallet with the seed phrase?
Not if you have everything you need. Funds live on the blockchain and accounts derived from the seed come back with their balances. But accounts imported with a separate private key or second seed, and any custom networks and tokens, do not come back from this seed alone, so make sure you still hold those keys or seeds elsewhere before you reset; if the only copy was inside the locked wallet, those accounts cannot be recovered. Resetting without the correct seed phrase can lock you out permanently, so confirm it first.
What if I forgot my password and also lost my seed phrase?
If the wallet is still open on another device, move the funds to a new wallet with a freshly backed-up seed phrase first, then back up the old seed phrase if the wallet lets you view it. Otherwise there is no reset, and no company or recovery service can bypass the encryption. Treat anyone promising this as a probable scam, as the FBI IC3 warned in August 2023.