Step-by-step

  1. Retry the password for this device. It is not your MetaMask password and not an exchange password. Caps lock and a password manager entry for a different origin are the usual misses.
  2. If you have the seed, erase and import. Forgot password → confirm the two warnings → erase vault → Import an existing wallet. Addresses return if the phrase is the same.
  3. If you do not have the seed, stop. Do not pay a recovery service. Nobody, including GaurdWallet, can decrypt the vault without the password or the mnemonic.
Unlock vs reset (no password entered here)

The local password encrypts the vault with scrypt + AES-256-GCM. It cannot be recovered. Reset erases this device copy — funds survive only if you still have the seed.

The password never leaves the device

Minimum 8 characters. Changing it in Settings re-encrypts the vault. Auto-lock is minutes of inactivity. Heartbeat analytics, if enabled, never include passwords, seeds, or balances.

ActionWhat it does
Unlock with correct passwordDecrypt vault, derive keys in memory
Wrong passwordThis error; vault untouched
Reset walletDeletes encrypted vault from this origin; chain balances unchanged if you still have the seed
Warning

Reset without a seed is irreversible loss of spendability from this copy of the keys. The checkbox exists because people skip warnings.

Corrupt vs wrong

If you never changed the password and Unlock still fails after a browser crash, the stored blob may be damaged — the UI still looks like a wrong password. Import from paper on a fresh profile. Do not paste the seed into a “vault repair” page.

unlock.wrongPassword              →  “Wrong password. Try again.”
VaultError INVALID_PASSWORD_OR_CORRUPTED  →  decrypt failure (wrong key or torn storage)
Info

Creating a brand-new wallet because you forgot the password without importing the old phrase makes a different seed. The old addresses will not appear.

FAQ

Can support reset my password if I email the seed? No. Never email a seed. We will not ask. Anyone who does is not GaurdWallet.

Does clearing site data unlock the wallet? It deletes the vault from that browser, which is worse without a backup. Export the seed first while you still remember the password.

I use two browsers Each origin has its own encrypted copy. Import the same phrase and pick a password per browser if you want both.