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What is Keystore and How to Recover a Wallet by Importing Keystore

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Consenlabs
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What is Keystore?

The Keystore file, in JSON format, serves to store private keys in a wallet. It's encrypted with a user-defined password, providing protection whose effectiveness hinges on the strength of the chosen password. For instance, passwords like "123456" offer minimal security.

When working with Keystore, it's important to keep two things in mind:

  • Encrypt the Keystore file with a password that's unique and as complex as possible.
  • Remember the password used for encrypting the Keystore file. If you forget it, you'll lose access to the Keystore, and imToken won't be able to help you recover it. So, make sure to securely store both the Keystore and its password.

Note: Users can import the plaintext private key into imToken to change the password for the corresponding wallet.

If you remove a wallet or change your mobile device, you can recover the wallet by importing the Keystore.

How to import a wallet?

Choose the instructions that match your situation.

If you've just installed the app

  1. Open imToken and click "Import existing Wallet"
  2. Choose "Keystore" in the import method.
  3. Enter the Keystore and its corresponding password.
  4. Set the wallet name.

   5. Add Account: Check the chain and network you want to add, and complete the import. For example:

  • To recover an Ethereum account, check Ethereum and add it.
  • To recover a TRON account, check TRON and add it.

After importing the account, you will be taken to the wallet page. To switch between accounts, click on the account name in the top left corner to access the "Select Account" page.

If you already have a wallet in the app and want to import another one

  1. Open imToken and click "My Profile" - "Manage wallets".
  2. Click "+ Add Wallet" at the bottom, then choose "Import existing wallets" - "Keystore".
  3. Enter the Keystore and its corresponding password.
  4. The remaining steps, including setting the wallet name and adding accounts, are the same as steps 4 and 5 above. Follow the instructions to complete the import.

Note:

  • A Keystore file can only recover a single account and requires its password. To recover and manage multiple accounts under the same wallet, use your mnemonic phrase instead.
  • The Keystore you imported is wrong if the recovered address is not the same as your original one. Please re-import the correct Keystore.
  • Leaking your Keystore and password can lead to theft of your tokens. Please be sure to keep your Keystore properly. Click here to learn how to backup a wallet