Bitcoin Wallet Recovery

We’ve mentioned in several other blog posts recently how to get a bitcoin wallet and the difference between public and private keys. And we’ve touched on what could occur if your phone gets stolen or you uninstall your bitcoin wallet app.

But let’s take a look at exactly how to recover your bitcoin wallet after that happens.

Re-Install the Wallet App

The first thing you’ll need to do, whether you lost your phone, uninstalled the wallet app or upgraded your device, is to reinstall your bitcoin wallet app. If you are using the Coin Cloud Wallet app, you can download it again from the App Store or Google Play.

Import Your Wallet

Hopefully you wrote down or otherwise stored your 12-word passphrase, or seed phrase, as we described in those previous articles. Once you retrieve your passphrase from where you stored it, whether on paper or electronically, you’re ready to recover your bitcoin.

Most wallet apps will behave in a similar manner, so we’ll show you how to do this with the Coin Cloud Wallet app.

In your app, go to Settings > Wallets > Add Wallet. Select the bottom option, which is Import Wallet. You will then be asked to type, paste or import your 12-word passphrase.

You will need to enter all 12 words, in order. This is unique to your specific bitcoin wallet, so it has to be exact. Alternatively, you can enter the 64-digit Extended Private Key, but most people prefer to type the 12 words instead.

For example, it will be similar to: practice feelings despair witch creek blouse cold planet shame least cruise collapse

If you chose to further encrypt your wallet with a seed extension password, you’ll need that 13th word as well. Once you have typed in your seed phrase, in order, touch “Import” at the top right of the screen. You will either begin importing your wallet and all its bitcoin, or you will get an error message and have to try again.

Keep in mind that you MUST have either your 12-word passphrase OR your extended private key in order to recover your bitcoin wallet. There’s no other way to do this.

Countless people have lost access to all their bitcoin by forgetting or misplacing the private keys and passphrase. Don’t let this be you! Back up your wallet before disaster strikes, so you always know you can get your money back in an emergency.

Disclaimer: The information and views supplied on the Coin Cloud blog are for educational and entertainment purposes only. We are not financial advisors, so please do your research and consult with a trusted financial specialist before investing your money.

What is Coin Cloud?

Founded in 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Coin Cloud is the leading digital currency machine (DCM) operator. With over 4,500 locations nationwide, in 48 states and Brazil, Coin Cloud operates the world’s largest and fastest-growing network of 100% two-way DCMs, a more advanced version of the Bitcoin ATM. Every Coin Cloud DCM empowers you to quickly and easily buy and sell over 40 cryptocurrency options with cash.