Import an existing wallet
Intended reader: someone moving an existing wallet into Universe Wallet, or adding a second one. Goal: your existing addresses and balances visible, at the same addresses you had before. Prerequisites: the recovery phrase or private key, and knowledge of which wallet it came from. Safety: typing a phrase is the moment you are most exposed. Confirm you are in the real extension first.
What you can import
Section titled “What you can import”| Source | Supported |
|---|---|
| 12 or 24-word BIP-39 recovery phrase | Yes |
| BIP-39 passphrase, sometimes called a 25th word | Yes, entered alongside the phrase |
| Custom derivation path | Yes |
| Private key, WIF or hex | Yes, as a single-key wallet |
| An address only, with no key | Not through this flow. See Watch-only wallets. |
Derivation presets
Section titled “Derivation presets”The same phrase produces different addresses under different derivation paths, which is why an imported wallet can look empty when nothing is wrong. Universe Wallet offers presets that match how other wallets derive.
| Preset | Address types it offers |
|---|---|
| Unisat Wallet | Native SegWit, Nested SegWit, Taproot, Legacy, and two BIP-44 compatibility variants |
| Sparrow Wallet | Legacy, Native SegWit, Nested SegWit, Taproot |
| Xverse Wallet | Nested SegWit, Taproot |
| Ordinals Wallet | Taproot |
| Other wallet | All six variants |
Universe Wallet scans the candidate paths and shows which of them have a balance or history, so you can pick the one that matches your old wallet rather than guessing.
- Open the extension from your pinned icon.
- Choose to import a wallet.
- Enter the recovery phrase, in order. Add the BIP-39 passphrase if your old wallet used one.
- Choose the preset for the wallet it came from, or set a custom derivation path.
- Compare the addresses shown against an address you already know is yours.
- Select the matching address type and finish.
Expected result
Section titled “Expected result”At least one address matches an address you used before, and the balance and history you expect appear against it.
How to verify
Section titled “How to verify”Take one address you have used in the past, and find it in the imported wallet. That single match proves the phrase, the passphrase, the path, and the address type are all correct together. A balance alone does not prove it, because a wrong path can still show an empty but valid wallet.
Common failures
Section titled “Common failures”| What you see | Most likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Wallet imports but shows zero balance | Wrong derivation path or address type | Try the preset for your old wallet, then the other address types. |
| One word is not accepted | It is not in the BIP-39 word list | Check spelling. Many words differ only in the last letters. |
| Addresses are close but not the same | A BIP-39 passphrase was used and is missing | Enter the passphrase. Without it, this is a different wallet entirely. |
| Balance appears but assets do not | Asset data comes from indexers, which can lag | Wait, then check Troubleshooting. |
Recovery path
Section titled “Recovery path”Importing is non-destructive to the source wallet. Your phrase still works everywhere it worked before. If the import looks wrong, remove the imported wallet from Universe Wallet and try a different path or address type. Nothing about a failed import can move your coins.