By XMRWallet Team · Published · 5 min read
Restore your Monero wallet instantly using your seed words in XMRWallet — click here. No download required.
If you have lost access to your Monero wallet — whether due to a forgotten password, a corrupted wallet file, a lost or broken device, or simply wanting to move your wallet to a new computer — recovery is fully possible as long as you have your 25-word mnemonic seed phrase. This guide covers how to restore your XMR wallet using the official Monero GUI (graphical user interface) application. The GUI is the most user-friendly recovery method for those comfortable downloading and running desktop software.
Before you begin: You will need your 25-word mnemonic seed phrase. You should also have the approximate date you created your wallet, or the block height of your earliest known incoming transaction — this is used to set the restore height and significantly reduces sync time. If you do not have the seed phrase, no software — including XMRWallet or the official Monero GUI — can recover your funds.
What You Need
- To restore from seed: your 25-word mnemonic seed phrase, and the wallet creation date or block height.
- To restore from keys: your primary Monero address, private spend key, and private view key (or your .keys file).
- The official Monero GUI wallet downloaded from getmonero.org.
Step 1: Download the Official Monero GUI Wallet
Download the Monero GUI wallet from getmonero.org/downloads. Always download from this official source — never from third-party sites or links in messages. The download page provides cryptographic signature files for each release; verifying these signatures before opening the software confirms the file has not been tampered with. Instructions for verification are on the same page.
Step 2: Extract and Open the Application
Extract the downloaded archive to a location of your choice on your computer. Open the Monero GUI application from the extracted folder. On first launch it will ask what you want to do — select the language and continue.
Step 3: Select "Restore Wallet from Seed or Keys"
On the welcome screen, click "Restore wallet from keys or mnemonic seed." Do not select "Create a new wallet" — that would create an entirely new, empty wallet rather than recovering your existing one.
Step 4: Enter Your Wallet Name and Location
Give the restored wallet a name — it does not need to match the original wallet's name. Choose a location on your device where the wallet file will be saved. Click "Next."
Step 5: Enter Your Mnemonic Seed or Keys
Select "Restore from seed" and carefully type your 25-word mnemonic seed phrase into the field. Enter each word exactly as written in your backup, paying close attention to spelling. The 25th word is a checksum — the software will alert you if it does not match.
If you have a seed offset passphrase (an additional password applied when the wallet was originally created), enter it in the "Seed offset passphrase" field.
If restoring from keys instead, enter your Monero address, private spend key, and private view key in the corresponding fields.
Step 6: Set the Restore Height or Wallet Creation Date
This step is important and frequently mishandled. The restore height tells the software where in the blockchain to start scanning for your transactions. You can enter either the wallet creation date (in YYYY-MM-DD format) or a block height number.
Key guidance on restore height:
- Set it to a date before your first known incoming transaction — even a few weeks earlier than your earliest transaction date is fine.
- Setting it too high (too recent) means the wallet will miss earlier transactions and show an incorrect balance. If your balance looks wrong after syncing, try lowering the restore height and re-syncing.
- Setting it too low (too far in the past) is safe but increases sync time — the wallet scans more blockchain history than necessary.
- If you are unsure, use the wallet creation date or the earliest date you might have received XMR.
Click "Next" after entering the restore height.
Step 7: Set a Strong Wallet Password
Create a strong, unique password for the restored wallet file. This password encrypts the wallet file stored on your device — it is separate from your seed phrase and only protects the local file. Anyone who has your seed phrase can restore the wallet on any device without needing this password.
Step 8: Configure Daemon Settings
For most users, selecting "Connect to a remote node" is the fastest option — it does not require downloading the full Monero blockchain (which exceeds 200 GB as of 2026). Advanced users who want maximum privacy and verification independence can select "Start a node automatically in the background" to run a full local node. Click "Next" when done.
Step 9: Review and Create
A summary page shows all the settings you have configured. Review them carefully. Click "Previous" to correct anything, or "Create wallet" to proceed. The wallet will begin synchronizing from the restore height — wait for synchronization to complete before checking your balance or sending transactions.
Alternative: Restore Instantly in XMRWallet
If you prefer not to download any software, you can restore your Monero wallet directly in XMRWallet — a free, open-source, browser-based non-custodial wallet. Visit the site, click "Open Wallet" (or "Login"), enter your 25-word seed phrase, and your wallet will sync. New wallets sync immediately; imported seeds sync in approximately 15–30 minutes depending on transaction history.
When using XMRWallet, note your 25-word mnemonic seed, view key, spend key, and wallet creation date — all available in the wallet settings after logging in. Store these offline in multiple secure locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to restore a Monero wallet in the GUI?
For seed restore: your 25-word mnemonic seed phrase and the wallet creation date or first transaction date. For key restore: your Monero address, private spend key, and private view key. Without the seed phrase or keys, wallet recovery is not possible.
What is restore height and why does it matter?
Restore height is the blockchain block number from which the GUI starts scanning for your wallet's transactions. Setting it correctly — to a point before your first incoming transaction — saves sync time. Setting it too high causes the wallet to miss earlier transactions and display an incorrect balance. When uncertain, use the wallet creation date or a date slightly before your earliest known XMR transaction.
Can I restore my Monero wallet without the GUI?
Yes. You can use the Monero CLI wallet with --restore-deterministic-wallet for seed restores or --generate-from-keys for key restores. Alternatively, restore directly in XMRWallet — enter your 25-word seed in the browser, no download needed.
