PolkaGate is a Polkadot wallet developed and maintained by PolkaGate Foundation. It is an open-source browser extension available for Mozilla Firefox and Chromium-based browsers, funded by the Kusama Treasury. PolkaGate is compatible with many DApps and tools in the ecosystem.


In this article, we'll show how to restore your Polkadot account in PolkaGate with either its mnemonic phrase or JSON backup file and password.


ℹ️ GOOD TO KNOW

If you have any questions about PolkaGate, or run into any issues and require further assistance, feel free to ask our AI chatbot or contact us.

Alternatively, you can contact the PolkaGate team directly and receive specialised assistance from the team that developed the wallet. You can contact PolkaGate support on Element or at polkagate@outlook.com


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Restore your first account

The next step is common for both the mnemonic phrase and the JSON file restoration process. Once completed, you can proceed using your preferred method.


‼️ IMPORTANT

PolkaGate is a non-custodial wallet, which means that only you have access to your accounts. For this reason it is imperative that you keep your mnemonic phrase and backup file with a password safe. Without either of these, it is impossible to restore your account if you ever lose access to it.

1. If you don't have any accounts yet on PolkaGate, click "Already have an account":



From a mnemonic phrase


To restore your first account using the mnemonic phrase, first complete the steps in the section "Restore your first account", then follow the steps below:


1. All the recovery options will be displayed. Select "Import from Recovery Phrase": 



2. A new tab will open in your browser. Enter your mnemonic phrase (typically, 12 or 24 words), and click "Continue":




ℹ️ GOOD TO KNOW

Your mnemonic phrase will appear invalid until all words are entered. If your mnemonic phrase is still invalid after you enter all the words, check this article for troubleshooting steps.


3. Name your account. The name is only used locally for your convenience and doesn't appear on-chain. Set a good password for your account and confirm it, then click "Import":



4. That's it! Your restored account will appear in the list of accounts in PolkaGate.


From the JSON file


To restore your first account using the JSON file, first complete the steps in the section "Restore your first account", then follow the steps below:


1. All the recovery options will be displayed. Select "Restore from file":



2. A new tab will open in your browser. Drag your JSON file or click on the "Browse" button to select it:



3. Once the file has been uploaded, enter the password of the file, and click "Restore":



4. That's it! Your restored account will appear in the list of accounts in PolkaGate.

Restore additional accounts

If you want to restore additional accounts in PolkaGate, follow the steps below. After that, continue with the specific restoration method.


1. Click the PolkaGate extension icon and enter your password to unlock it:



2. Once you've unlocked PolkaGate, click the settings icon:



3. Under settings, you need to click "Account Settings":



4. Now, click "Import Account":



From the mnemonic phrase


To restore your additional accounts using the mnemonic phrase, first complete the steps in the section "Restore additional accounts", then follow the steps below:


1. All the available recovery options will be displayed. Click "Import from Recovery Phrase":



2. A new tab will open in your browser. Enter your mnemonic phrase (typically, 12 or 24 words), and click "Continue":



3. Name your account. The name is only used locally for your convenience and doesn't appear on-chain. Set a good password for your account and confirm it, then click "Import":



4. That's it! Your restored account will appear in the list of accounts in PolkaGate.


ℹ️ GOOD TO KNOW

If your JSON backup file is for a specific account, like the example above, its password typically matches the account password.

If you have a batch JSON backup file that can contain multiple accounts, its password is unrelated to the passwords for the accounts in it, even if it contains just one account. It is the password you set when you created the file.



From the JSON file


To restore your additional accounts using the mnemonic phrase, first complete the steps in the section "Restore additional accounts", then follow the steps below:


1. All the available recovery options will be displayed. Click "Restore from File":



2. Drag your JSON file or click on the "Browse" button to select it:



3. Once the file has been uploaded, enter the password of the file, and click "Restore":



4. That's it! Your restored account will appear in the list of accounts in PolkaGate.