Wallet
Daedalus Wallet Recovery Service
Daedalus wallet recovery: spending password, ADA phrases and stuck sync - free assessment, success-based.
Quick answers
Which phrase format does my Daedalus wallet use?
Byron-era wallets used 12 words; Shelley-era wallets use 15 or 24. The wrong format opens a valid but empty wallet.
Is the spending password needed to restore?
No. With the phrase, the wallet restores and a new spending password is set - the old one stops mattering.
Can Daedalus files help if the phrase is lost?
Yes, if the data directory survives on an old computer or drive - the encrypted local files are then the recovery material.
Daedalus is the full-node wallet for Cardano (ADA). Recovery depends on the era your wallet was created in, because the recovery phrase format changed over the years.
What you are actually dealing with
- Recovery phrase: native Daedalus wallets use 12 words for Byron or 24 for Shelley; older Daedalus paper wallets use 27. A 15-word phrase is associated with Yoroi, rather than the native Daedalus Shelley format. Identify the wallet that created the backup and select a compatible restoration option.
- Spending password: Daedalus encrypts the local wallet with a spending password, but the phrase overrides it — restore from the phrase and choose a new password on the spot; you never need the old one.
- Local files: the wallet data (including encrypted keys) lives in Daedalus' data directory on your computer. If the phrase is lost, these files are the only remaining material.
- Wrong network or account view: restoring with the wrong phrase format, or pointing the wallet at the wrong network, hides your balance without any error — the ADA is exactly where you left it.
When professional recovery is the right call
- The phrase is partial, has unreadable words, or the order is uncertain.
- The spending password is forgotten and no phrase exists, but intact local Daedalus files remain on an old computer or drive — recovery may be possible from the encrypted files with a password search.
- If Daedalus only exists on an old drive or a dead computer, treat that as a data-recovery job first and a wallet-recovery job second — image the drive, then look for the data directory on the image.
What is impossible
- No phrase, no wallet files and no backup: without any key material, the ADA cannot be accessed.
- A wallet whose files were deleted and overwritten, with no phrase anywhere.
Practical notes
- Do not reinstall Daedalus or reset the machine before confirming whether the data directory still holds the wallet.
- Never enter a Cardano recovery phrase into a website; restore happens inside wallet software on your own device.