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How to Recover Coinbase Wallet

Recover Coinsbase Wallet

Restoring access to your Coinbase Wallet is paramount. With the popularity of cryptocurrency on the rise, the ability to store your investment securely using a Coinbase or other trading platforms is crucial. Therefore, the inability to log in to your Wallet can mean incurring a massive financial loss. Even worse, it’s incredibly hard to prove your identity to Customer Service, as they are rightly reluctant to let anyone in, which they likely can’t. We’re not saying this to scare you, merely to warn you that without the right credentials you may have to start anew. With that acknowledged, here’s how to recover a Coinbase Wallet.

1. Recover Coinbase Wallet through a recovery phrase

Although Coinbase account and Coinbase Wallet are separate entities, they share some methods of authentication. For instance, you will be asked to set up a password, a passcode/PIN (personal identification number), or biometric verification such as using a fingerprint sensor on your mobile device. If you lose access to any, Coinbase Wallet will offer a single way to reset them—a 12-word recovery phrase. It’s a phrase, better known as “seed,” you set up during the creation of the account and were warned to keep safe. Simply put, it’s the last resort or a “master key”.

With that said, there are two ways to recover Coinbase Wallet using a phrase for recovery:

1. I have a recovery phrase

Having a Coinbase Wallet recovery phrase at hand is the ideal scenario. Do the following based on the medium:

Mobile app

Here’s what to do to regain access to Coinbase Wallet through a mobile app:

  1. Install (new device or operating system) or reinstall (same device, old operating system) the Coinbase Wallet from the Play Store or Coinbase Wallet for iOS.
  2. On the home screen, tap on I already have a wallet.
  3. Select Restore with a recovery phrase.
  4. Enter your phrase and tap on Continue.
  5. Now tap on the Set up Passcode under “Protect Your Wallet”. You may also use a fingerprint scanner/Touch ID.
  6. If you chose the former option, enter a 6-digit passcode twice.
  7. The app will now sign you into your Coinbase Wallet account.

Browser extension

Decided to restore access to Coinbase Wallet in a web browser? No problem—do the following:

  1. Remove the Chrome extension by:
    1. Clicking the three vertical dots in the upper right corner.
    2. Go to More tools → Extensions.
    3. Click the Remove button below “Coinbase Wallet”.
  2. Install the Coinbase Wallet Chrome Web Store extension again.
  3. Open it in the top right corner, and select Import an existing wallet.
  4. When asked, enter the 12-word-long recovery phrase.
  5. Click on Import wallet.
  6. If it checks out, you’ll be asked to create a new username.
  7. Enter a new password and save both credentials.
  8. You can now use Coinbase Wallet as usual.

2. I don’t have a recovery phrase

Things are far worse if you cannot recall your recovery phrase, but not all hope is lost. This service is compatible with a variety of other wallets. Even though each service has its security measures, you can see Coinbase Wallet’s secret code if you’ve ever integrated it with compatible wallets. If you’ve never used the options below, heed our note first.

Note. Coinbase never has and never will have access to your recovery phrase for security reasons. Therefore, using method 3 if you’ve forgotten a recovery phrase will be a fruitless endeavor. Moreover, Coinbase Support neither has the means nor can move digital assets for you, even if you can prove your identity.

Check the following types of wallets

You can look for your Coinbase Wallet secret phrase for recovery on these services:

  • Coinbase Wallet app: If you’re logged in to a Coinbase Wallet app on any other device, you cannot log out without losing access. However, you can:
    1. Tap on Settings.
    2. Go to Recovery Phrase.
    3. Enter a passcode or use your fingerprint.
    4. The phrase will now pop-up on-screen.
  • Trust Wallet application: If you’ve ever integrated the two, do this:
    1. Launch the Trust Wallet app.
    2. Go to Settings.
    3. Tap on Wallets.
    4. Tap the informational icon (i) next to your wallet.
    5. Select Show Recovery Phrase.
  • MetaMask browser or app: Sign in to your MetaMask account in the app or on the website. Then:
    1. Select Settings.
    2. Once the menu opens, tap or click on Security & Privacy.
    3. Choose the Reveal Secret Recovery Phrase option.
    4. Enter your passcode, and the phrase will appear.
  • Other wallets: Although there are no conclusive steps, double-check the Settings menu of any other wallet app you use for similar options.

2. Restore Coinbase Wallet via a cloud backup

Because of the serious repercussions of forgetting a recovery phrase, Coinbase came up with a secondary method of keeping it safe. It includes a cloud backup to Google Drive or Apple iCloud, to a separate folder that is both encrypted with AES-256-GCM and isolated from the remainder of files. Thus, the inability to find your recovery phrase isn’t a problem as long as you made a backup by going to Settings → Recovery Phrase within your mobile app in the past.

If so, you can proceed to recover Coinbase Wallet through a cloud backup in this fashion:

  1. Install, reinstall, or simply log out of the Coinbase Wallet app on Android or iOS.
    Tip. Refer to method 1 for more details.
  2. On the starting screen, tap on I already have a wallet again.
  3. This time, tap the option Restore with iCloud or Restore with Google Drive based on your operating system.
    Tip. You cannot sign in within the app. Instead, you must already be logged in to your Google account or Apple ID, so it can detect a backup and offer either of the two options.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions, primarily to enter a passcode that’s a decryption key for the backup in the cloud.

You should be logged in to Coinbase Wallet afterward. If not, either jot down the recovery phrase (if shown) or go through method 1, and it’ll be auto-filled.

3. Contact Coinbase Support

We already told you what to expect if you forget a recovery phrase. However, you may be victim to a compromised account or suffer technical issues. In that case, visit the Coinbase Contact Us page to:

  1. Use live chat by clicking on Message us
  2. Fill out a contact form after selecting Coinbase Wallet on the list
  3. Call one of the provided country-specific phone numbers
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