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What Is a Mnemonic Phrase?

A mnemonic phrase (also called a seed phrase or recovery phrase) is a sequence of 12 words that encodes your wallet’s private key. It is the single most important piece of information associated with your wallet — anyone who has it can fully reconstruct your wallet and access all your funds. KaleidoSwap generates a mnemonic when you create a new wallet. You must back it up before proceeding. In-app recovery on a new device uses your encrypted backup file, but the mnemonic remains the ultimate backup of your wallet keys — without it, and without a backup file, your funds cannot be recovered.
Back up your mnemonic phrase immediately. Write it down on paper and store it somewhere safe and offline. If you lose your mnemonic and cannot access your device, your funds are permanently unrecoverable. KaleidoSwap has no way to retrieve it for you.

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Generating and Saving Your Mnemonic

1

Generate Mnemonic

During wallet creation, the app displays your 12-word mnemonic phrase. This is generated locally on your device — it is never sent to any server.
2

Write It Down

Write each word in order on paper. Double-check spelling carefully — a single incorrect word will prevent recovery.Best practices:
  • Use paper and pen, not a digital document or screenshot
  • Store the written copy somewhere physically secure (e.g., a safe)
  • Consider making a second copy stored in a different location
  • Never store it in cloud storage, email, or messaging apps
3

Confirm Your Mnemonic

The app will ask you to confirm the phrase by entering selected words. This step verifies that you have correctly recorded your mnemonic before proceeding.

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What Happens If You Lose Your Mnemonic?

If you lose your mnemonic and can no longer access the device where the wallet is installed:
  • Your on-chain Bitcoin funds are permanently unrecoverable
  • Your Lightning channel funds may also be lost unless you have a channel backup
If you still have access to your device and remember your password, the app will continue to work normally. The mnemonic is only needed when restoring to a new device or after reinstallation.

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Restoring an Existing Wallet

Importing a wallet directly from a 12-word mnemonic is not currently supported. To recover an existing wallet, choose Restore Wallet during the setup flow and provide your encrypted backup file along with the node password used to create it. Keep your mnemonic backed up regardless — it remains the root of your wallet keys.

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