How to restore a Cardano wallet from its recovery phrase

The phrase

What is a recovery phrase, and why does it work in any wallet?

A recovery phrase, or seed phrase, is a random number written as words. The format is BIP-39: 128 to 256 bits of entropy, split into 11-bit indexes into a list of 2,048 words, so 12 words for 128 bits, 15 for 160 and 24 for 256 (BIP-39, checked September 12, 2026). Cardano's CIP-3 states that "conversion from a recovery phrase to entropy is the same as described in BIP39" and names Icarus as the master-key scheme for software wallets (cips.cardano.org, CIP-3).

CIP-1852 fixes the derivation path as m / 1852' / 1815' / account' / role / index: role 0 is receiving addresses, 1 is change, 2 the staking key and 3 the DRep key. Wallets "MUST implement this new scheme using the master node derivation algorithm from Icarus with sequential addressing" (cips.cardano.org, CIP-1852, checked September 12, 2026). That shared rule is why one phrase gives the same accounts in any of these wallets; Yoroi describes a restore as using it "to regenerate the same keys and re-sync your balances" (help.yoroi-wallet.com).

Doing it

How do I restore, wallet by wallet?

1. Get the app from its official site or store, never from a link in a message (cardano.org/wallets lists Lace, Eternl, VESPR and Daedalus, checked September 12, 2026).
2. Pick Restore, not Create.
3. Select the word count. Eternl's troubleshooting page: "ensure you have selected the correct number of words (usually 24 for modern Shelley wallets)" (wiki.eternl.io, checked September 12, 2026).
4. Type the words in order, inside the wallet app you installed yourself, never into a website, a form or a chat, and somewhere private. Eternl marks a word that is not on the BIP-39 list in red.
5. Set a name and a spending password. Both are new and local. Daedalus's restore screen: "you don't need to match the wallet name and spending password you were using before" (Daedalus source, en-US strings, checked September 12, 2026).
6. Wait for the sync. Daedalus is a full node that "downloads a full copy of the Cardano blockchain" (docs.cardano.org) and takes far longer than a light wallet.

Daedalus's help centre sits behind a login, so its row comes from the wallet's own interface strings in its source repository.

Empty screen

Why does my restored wallet show zero?

A zero balance after a restore is common and usually not a loss.

Still syncing. The app has not yet read your history from the chain. Give a light wallet a minute and a full node much longer.

Wrong word count or wrong phrase. A valid phrase of any length opens a valid, empty wallet. Daedalus warns: "if your restored wallet is empty, but you were expecting it to have funds, please check that you used the correct wallet recovery phrase"; Eternl notes "it is common to have multiple recovery phrases from different wallets" (wiki.eternl.io, checked September 12, 2026).

Funds in another account. One phrase can hold many accounts. Eternl derives them as m/1852'/1815'/0', then 1', then 2', up to 30 active at once (wiki.eternl.io); Lace Mobile numbers them #000, #001 and so on (lace.io/faq). A restore opens account 0; if your funds sat in account 1 or higher, add that account again and they reappear, native tokens included. A token such as $CATSKY, policy ID 9b426921a21f54600711da0be1a12b026703a9bd8eb9848d08c9d921copy, shows once its account is enabled.

A hardware wallet phrase. Ledger and Trezor use their own master-key schemes, listed in CIP-3, so a hardware phrase typed into a software restore can open an empty wallet. Lace 1.29 added icarus-trezor and ledger schemes for this (lace.io, checked September 12, 2026), but the right fix is below.

A Byron-era wallet. Pre-Shelley wallets used 12-word phrases and bootstrap addresses, still supported but with no stake rights (docs.cardano.org). Daedalus restores them under its Byron legacy option; Yoroi does not accept 12 words.

A send you never made. The phrase was exposed. Eternl's advice: "if there are any remaining funds, send them to a new, secure wallet immediately. A compromised recovery phrase can never be used safely again."

Staking

Does my delegation survive a restore?

Yes. Delegating stake "requires posting two certificates to the chain: a staking address registration, and a delegation certificate" (docs.cardano.org, checked September 12, 2026). Both sit on chain against the staking key at role 2 of the path, and the restore regenerates that key, so the wallet is still delegated to the same pool, unclaimed rewards still sit on the stake address, and nothing needs signing again. The same holds for a DRep delegation at role 3. See how to stake ADA and how to delegate to a DRep.

The pool name shows only after the sync, and only on the account that delegated.

Hardware

How do I restore a Ledger or Trezor wallet?

Restore a hardware phrase on hardware, then reconnect the device to a Cardano app. Ledger: "You should never restore your hardware wallet's seed phrase into a software wallet" (ledger.com, checked September 12, 2026). Trezor: "Never enter your wallet backup anywhere unless prompted by your Trezor device" (trezor.io). Eternl and Yoroi say the same.

1. Restore on the device. On a new or reset Ledger, choose restore during setup and enter the words on the device, which "lets you fill in your 12- 24 words, restoring that entire wallet on your new device" (ledger.com). A Trezor backup is 12, 20 or 24 words; the older Model One takes them through the computer, newer models on the device (trezor.io, checked September 12, 2026).
2. Install the Cardano app on the device (Ledger Live for Ledger, as Lace's FAQ requires).
3. Connect, do not restore, in the wallet app. Lace: click Connect; it supports Ledger Flex, Nano S, Nano S Plus, Nano X and Stax, and Trezor Model T, Safe 3 and Safe 5 (lace.io/faq, checked September 12, 2026). Eternl: Connect Hardware Wallet. Yoroi: Connect hardware wallet device.
4. Confirm the first address on the device screen matches the app.

If you have the phrase but no device, buy one from the maker rather than typing the words into software: that way "your keys stay on the hardware device and never touch browser software" (lace.io).

Passwords and safety

What about the spending password, and what should I never do?

The spending password unlocks the app on one device. It is not derived from the phrase, so it cannot be recovered, only replaced. Lace: "In case you forgot your spending password, you can reset it by removing and restoring your wallet" (lace.io/faq, checked September 12, 2026). For Yoroi, EMURGO says the password "is separate from your recovery key phrase" and a reset means reconfiguring the wallet from the phrase (emurgo.io). VESPR: "as long as you have your SRP, you can always uninstall VESPR Wallet and restore your wallet" (docs.vespr.xyz).

Type the phrase only into a wallet app you installed yourself, never into a website, a form or a chat. Cardano's scam guide: "legitimate people on forums and channels will never ask for your passwords, recovery phrases or private keys", and phishing means "fake websites, apps or emails designed to steal" your "recovery phrase" (cardano.org/common-scams, checked September 12, 2026). VESPR's team "will never request your SRP, even in a customer support context".

Restoring does not clean a leaked phrase. Lace's migration guide: "the only real fix is to land your funds on a brand-new key". If the phrase was ever photographed, pasted into a cloud note or shown to anyone, create a fresh wallet and move everything to it, as covered in how to send ADA and tokens. Once ada is stolen, Cardano's guide reminds you, "it's gone forever, with no way to recover it."

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