How to Recover Electrum Wallet: Restore Electum from Seed

Blog » How to Recover Electrum Wallet: Restore Electum from Seed
Updated on Apr 12, 2025
Author: Robbert Bink
Illustration of a wizard recovering an Electrum Lightning Wallet using a lightning bolt and mnemonic seed words

You can recover an Electrum Wallet using the original seed phrase. Moreover if the seed is correct, you can fully restore all your private keys, wallet addresses, and past transactions as well. That’s why it’s so important to store your seed phrase safely.

In this article, we’ve gathered the most common reasons people reach out for Electrum recovery services.
It’s possible to go through the process manually using our step-by-step guide — or, if you’d rather not risk it, you can always turn to us, Crypto Recovers, for help.

What is Electrum Wallet & How It works

Electrum wallet, created by Thomas Voegtlin in 2011, is one of the first Bitcoin wallets ever developed. Its longevity is a sign of reliability and security. Unlike full-node wallets like Bitcoin Core, Electrum doesn’t download the entire blockchain, which makes it super lightweight and fast.

Electrum wallet keeps your funds safe with features like two-factor authentication (2FA), multi-signature support, and encryption.

When you log in, two-factor authentication (2FA) asks both your password and a second code, usually sent to your phone or generated by an app. Instead of just one person having control, multiple people or devices must sign off on a transaction to complete it. While Encryption makes sure that even if someone gets your wallet file, they can’t access your funds without the password.

The good news is, when you create an Electrum wallet, you get a 12-word recovery phrase (BIP39 or Electrum’s custom seed format) for Electrum restoration. Advanced users can even create custom seed phrases or add entropy for extra security.

How to Recover an Electrum Wallet from Seed

With an Electrum seed phrase, you can recover your entire Bitcoin wallet, including all addresses, private keys, transaction history, and even multi-signature setups.

In order to restore your wallet with the seed phrase, first, make sure it’s correct and valid.

You can recover your Electrum BTC wallet from the seed in few steps:

  • Download and install Electrum on your new device.
  • Open Electrum and select “Restore” an existing wallet.
  • Choose between electrum multisig or standard wallet type.
  • Choose “I already have a seed”.
  • Enter the seed phrase exactly as you received it (12, 18, or 24 words).
  • Set a new password for your wallet.
  • Confirm details. Electrum will synchronize with the blockchain, which may take minutes.
  • Access your funds.

Contact Crypto Recovers if errors happen during verification or your seed phrase is incomplete or corrupted.

Troubleshooting Electrum Recovery Issues

Having trouble with Electrum recovery? You might face issues like not connecting, export errors, or multi-signature mistakes.

  • What to do if Electrum Wallet isn’t syncing?
    Check your server connection by selecting a different server under Tools > Network. You can also try restarting Electrum to trigger resynchronization, and ensure your internet connection is stable and not blocking connections.
  • How to export Electrum Wallet private keys?
    Go to Wallet > Private Keys > Export to view and export your private keys. You may need to enter your wallet password to unlock them.
  • What to do if Electrum balance isn’t showing?
    Check your network connection and try syncing with a different server by going to Tools > Network. You can also rescan the blockchain from Wallet > Information to force Electrum to update your balance.
  • What to do if Electrum wallet files are corrupted? If Electrum wallet files are corrupted, restore your wallet using the original seed phrase. Open Electrum, select “Restore a wallet”, and enter the 12- or 24-word seed. This process regenerates wallet data, including addresses and balances, independent of the corrupted file. Reconnect to your own server. Also, check if your firewall or antivirus is blocking Electrum.

Back up your wallet regularly to avoid losing your funds. If you can’t fix the problem, reset the app or reach out to Crypto Recovers for help.

Can you Recover Electrum Wallet without Electrum Software?

Yes, you can recover an Electrum wallet without Electrum software by importing the original seed phrase into any compatible Bitcoin wallet that supports BIP39 or BIP32 standards. However, it may be tricky since address formats and derivation paths may differ, which may affect compatibility and access to funds. Crypto Recovers will make this process smooth and flawless.

Recovering Electrum Wallet on Trezor or Ledger

Although Electrum supports both Trezor and Ledger hardware wallets, Electrum recovery depends on how your wallet was set up in the first place.

There are two common scenarios:

  • Restoring your wallet using the seed phrase (if it’s a software-only wallet).
  • Connecting your hardware wallet to Electrum if it was used in the first place.

Important to understand, If you created your Electrum wallet using a hardware device, you must use the same device to access it. If you’re recovering from a lost Electrum software wallet, you need the Electrum seed, and you can only use it inside Electrum.

Follow this algorythm if your wallet was BIP39-compatible:

  1. Open Trezor Suite or Ledger Live.
  2. Choose Recover from seed (using 12, 18, or 24-word phrase).
  3. After recovery, check if your Bitcoin address matches the one from your Electrum wallet.

For faster solutions contact Crypto Recovers.

Can I Recover Electrum Wallet?

This table shows the main cases if an Electrum wallet can be recovered — and why.

What You HaveCan You recover Electrum Wallet?Why
Seed phrase onlyYesElectrum Seed is enough to restore wallet on any device.
Wallet file onlyYesYou can open the wallet if no password is lost.
Both seed phrase and wallet fileYesFull access and backup available.
No Electrum seed phrase, no wallet fileNoNothing to recover from; all data is lost.
Lost seed phrase, have wallet fileMaybeContact Crypto Recovers for help.

In conclusion, a valid seed phrase is the key to restoring your Electrum wallet. But if your seed is corrupted or incomplete, don’t panic — Crypto Recovers may have specialized solutions to help you recover access to your wallet.

Recover Electrum Wallet FAQs

What should I do if my Electrum wallet is not syncing?

If your Electrum wallet is not syncing, switch to a different server by going to Tools → Network, unchecking “Select server automatically,” and choosing a reliable server manually. Ensure you have the latest Electrum version, disable any interfering firewall or VPN, and check your internet connection.

What can I do if my Electrum wallet balance is not showing?

If your Electrum wallet balance is not displaying, ensure you are connected to a reliable server via Tools → Network and manually select one. Refresh the wallet by entering wallet.synchronize() in the console. Additionally, update Electrum to the latest version and verify transaction confirmations in the History tab.

How can I recover my Electrum wallet private key?

To recover your Electrum wallet private key, open Electrum, go to Wallet → Private Keys → Export, and enter your wallet password. If you lost access, restore the wallet using your 12- or 24-word seed phrase, which regenerates all private keys. Without the seed, recovery is impossible.

Where does Electrum store wallet files?

Electrum stores wallet files in the user’s home directory. On Windows, they are located in %APPDATA%\Electrum\wallets, while on macOS and Linux, they are in ~/.electrum/wallets. The wallet file contains encrypted private keys, addresses, and transaction history.

What coins does Electrum Wallet support?

Electrum natively supports Bitcoin (BTC). However, there are Electrum forks for other cryptocurrencies, such as Electrum-LTC for Litecoin and Electron Cash for Bitcoin Cash. These forks maintain the same lightweight and security-focused design but are specific to their respective blockchains.

How to recover a lost Electrum Wallet password?

To recover a lost Electrum wallet password, restore the wallet using the original 12- or 24-word seed phrase. Open Electrum, select “Restore a Wallet,” and enter the seed phrase to regain access. Without the seed phrase, password recovery is not possible.

How to enable 2FA in Electrum Wallet?

To enable two-factor authentication (2FA) in Electrum, create a new wallet and select the “Standard wallet with two-factor authentication” option. This requires a Google Authenticator or Electrum-provided service to approve transactions. The feature enhances security but requires a third-party provider for verification.

How to find your Electrum Wallet address?

To find your Electrum wallet address, open the Electrum application, go to the “Receive” tab, and copy the address displayed. This address is used to receive Bitcoin. Multiple addresses may be generated, as Electrum supports hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets.

How to fix Electrum Wallet not connecting

If Electrum is not connecting, switch to a different server under “Tools” → “Network” and disable “Select server automatically.” Ensure the latest Electrum version is installed, firewall settings allow connections, and the internet connection is stable. Using a VPN or Tor may also resolve connectivity issues.
Robbert

Robbert Bink

Founder & CEO

Robbert Bink is the founder and CEO of Crypto Recovers, the leading crypto recovery service in the Netherlands. With over 15 years of programming experience, he has been helping individuals and businesses recover lost or locked crypto wallets since 2019.

Other Blogs by Crypto Recovers