Recovery & Restore

Lost your phone? Got a new device? You can restore your Bolt21 wallet anywhere using your 12-word recovery phrase.

What You Need

• Your 12-word recovery phrase (written down during wallet creation)
• A device with Bolt21 installed (Android, iOS coming soon)

That’s it. No account, no password, no email verification.

Restoring Your Wallet

1. Download and open Bolt21
2. Tap Restore Existing Wallet
3. Enter your 12 words in the correct order
4. Tap Restore
5. Set up biometric authentication
6. Your wallet is restored!

What Gets Restored

• Full wallet access
• Your BOLT12 offer (same as before)
• On-chain Bitcoin balance
• Lightning balance (via Breez SDK)
• Channel state

What Doesn’t Transfer

• Wallet nickname (you can set a new one)
• App settings (biometrics, preferences)
• Transaction labels (if you added any)

Recovery Scenarios

Lost Phone

1. Get a new device
2. Download Bolt21
3. Restore with your 12 words
4. Your funds are safe

Broken Phone

Same as above. Your funds exist on the Bitcoin/Lightning network, not on your phone.

Stolen Phone

1. Restore immediately on a new device
2. Consider sending funds to a new wallet (new 12 words)
3. If you had biometrics enabled, the thief can’t access your funds without your face/fingerprint

Upgrading Devices

You can have Bolt21 on multiple devices with the same wallet. Just restore on the new device. However, avoid using both simultaneously to prevent sync issues.

Forgot Recovery Phrase

If you never wrote it down: Unfortunately, there’s no way to recover your funds. This is the tradeoff of self-custody.

If you wrote it down but can’t find it:

• Check all secure locations
• Look for any paper notes from when you created the wallet
• The phrase is the only way to recover

Partial Recovery Phrase

If you only have some words:

• 11 of 12 words: Technically possible to brute-force, but difficult. Contact support@bolt21.io
• 10 or fewer: Recovery is extremely unlikely

Common Issues

“Invalid recovery phrase”

• Check spelling of each word
• Ensure words are in the correct order
• All words should be from the BIP39 word list
• Check for extra spaces

“Wallet shows zero balance”

• Lightning balance syncs after connecting to the network
• Wait a few minutes for the wallet to sync
• On-chain balance appears after blockchain sync

“Different address than before”

• Addresses change for privacy (this is normal)
• Your BOLT12 offer remains the same
• Previous addresses still work

Protecting Your Recovery Phrase

Your 12 words are the keys to your Bitcoin. Treat them like cash.

What NOT To Do

• NEVER say your seed words out loud - Smart speakers (Alexa, Google Home, Siri), phones, TVs, and laptops have microphones that may be listening. Even if you think they’re off.
• NEVER type them on an internet-connected device - Keyloggers, clipboard malware, and browser extensions can steal them instantly
• NEVER take a photo or screenshot - Cloud backups (iCloud, Google Photos) sync automatically without asking
• NEVER store in notes apps, email, or cloud storage - These are not secure and can be hacked
• NEVER share with anyone - No legitimate support will ever ask for your seed phrase. Bolt21 will NEVER ask.
• NEVER enter on any website - Phishing sites look identical to real ones

Storage Options

What NOT to Do

• Don’t store digitally (photos, cloud, notes apps)
• Don’t share with anyone
• Don’t enter on any website
• Don’t trust anyone who asks for it (Bolt21 will never ask)

Next: Community Node