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MetaMask Private Key: Export, Import and Recovery
In short
A MetaMask private key controls one account. It is different from the password protecting your installation and from a Secret Recovery Phrase that generates several accounts. Which backup you need depends on how the account was added.
- Export a key only when needed, through the official app, and first verify the account’s public address. MetaMask cannot export the keys of a connected hardware wallet.
- A separately imported key is not covered by the original recovery phrase. An encrypted JSON import needs that file’s password; this route is available in the extension.
- After importing, compare the address and check the network and token display. Importing provides access to the existing account; it does not transfer assets or undo transactions.
An Ethereum account’s private key controls that account. It is not the MetaMask password and does not recreate the Secret Recovery Phrase or all the other accounts shown in MetaMask.
Export only when you need an individual account
First check the public address of the account whose key you need. In MetaMask’s extension, the current English instructions use this route:
- Open the account selector and the intended account’s three-dot menu.
- Choose Account details, then Private key.
- Confirm with your MetaMask password and use the hold-to-reveal control.
On mobile, the Private keys screen also asks you to select the relevant network. Menus differ between versions, so use the official instructions below if your screen differs. Do not export a key merely because someone claiming to be support asks you to.
Revealing a key exposes it in readable form. Keep it private and offline, away from screenshots, shared screens and support messages. A connected hardware wallet keeps its keys on the device; MetaMask is not a way to export them.
Restoring from a saved private key
In the official MetaMask extension, open Add wallet, choose Import an account and select the private-key option. Enter the saved key only in that wallet environment, then compare the resulting public address with the account you expected.
For an encrypted JSON export, choose JSON File and supply the password used to encrypt that file. This is not necessarily your current MetaMask password. MetaMask documents JSON import for the extension, not the mobile app.
After import, check the network and token display if the address is correct but an asset is not shown. Importing a key restores control of the corresponding account; it does not move funds or reverse transactions.
Why a phrase may not restore an imported account
A Secret Recovery Phrase recreates accounts derived from that phrase. An account imported separately with a private key or JSON file needs its own backup; a hardware wallet must be reconnected. Social sign-in can restore associated imported software accounts when used with the original MetaMask password, but does not export hardware keys.
If you cannot open MetaMask to export the key
Do not reset the original installation just to reach an import screen. Preserve its browser data and existing backups first. A saved phrase or encrypted vault may provide a different route, depending on what survives and which password is available. The MetaMask recovery guide explains those cases; a public address alone is not enough.