Samourai Wallet has included some debugging tools in the Settings menu. You can use these tools to test your passphrase and the status of your current backup file. It is recommended to run this diagnostic periodically.
Press the PayNym Icon in the top-left corner, tap Settings and then tap Troubleshoot.
Tap Passphrase/backup test to begin the test.
You will be asked to enter your passphrase. Upon success you will be notified and prompted to proceed to the next test.
Press OK to start the backup test. This will simply double check that the latest auto backup on the device is valid with the passphrase you provided.
This is risk-free and will not lock you out if the passphrase is incorrect. If the test fails you should try again taking care to make sure the passphrase is entered exactly as when you first created the wallet including any special characters or white space.
Samourai Wallet automatically saves a copy of your encrypted backup periodically while the wallet is open. If you would like to manually export an encrypted backup of your wallet you can do so anytime from within the wallet.
When you first created your wallet, you defined a custom passphrase, we will use this passphrase in combination with an encrypted backup to restore a Samourai Wallet with all meta-data.
The encrypted backup on the device it will automatically be detected and an option to restore it will be displayed on the bottom of the screen. Simply tap RESTORE and input the wallet passphrase that you chose when you created the wallet.
On the main screen of an uninitalized Samourai Wallet press the Restore an existing wallet then tap I have a Samourai backup file
If the encrypted backup is located on your mobile device filesystem, press the Choose File and navigate to the location of the file using the Android file system navigator.
If the encrypted backup is in the contents of your clipboard press the Paste button.
Enter your wallet passphrase and press Next at the bottom of the screen. If your wallet passphrase is correct and your backup is successfully decrypted you will be asked to enter your wallet PIN code.
When you first created your wallet, you were provided 12 Recovery Words and asked to create a paper backup of these words. We will use these words in combination with your passphrase to restore your wallet.
We highly recommend first trying to restore by automatic backup before following this guide.
On the main screen of an uninitalized Samourai Wallet press the Restore an existing wallet then tap I have a Samourai paper wallet
On the first line enter your 12 words.
Press the Add BIP39 Passphrase button and enter it carefully.
You will now be asked to create and confirm a PIN code between 5 and 8 digits long.
A successful restore will display the expected balance of your wallet and a complete transaction history. If the restore is unsuccessful a 0 balance and empty history would be displayed.
In the case of an unsuccessful restore try the above steps again taking care to make sure the recovery words are correct and if there is a BIP39 passphrase, it is correctly entered.
You can import and restore wallet seeds that were created in any wallet that follow the following bitcoin standards at minimum:
BIP39,BIP44. In addition we also fully supportBIP49,BIP84segwit standards. Check with your external wallet provider to determine if they follow these Bitcoin standards.
On the main screen of an uninitalized Samourai Wallet press the Restore an existing wallet then tap I have an external wallet
On the first line enter your wallet's secret words. Depending on the wallet you are restoring from this may be 12 or 24 words.
If your wallet has a BIP39 Passphrase press the Add BIP39 Passphrase button and enter it carefully. Many wallets do not have one of these, so if you are unsure leave it blank.
You will now be asked to create and confirm a PIN code between 5 and 8 digits long.
A successful restore will display the expected balance of your wallet and a complete transaction history. If the restore is unsuccessful a 0 balance and empty history would be displayed.
In the case of an unsuccessful restore try the above steps again taking care to make sure the recovery words are correct and if there is a BIP39 passphrase, it is correctly entered.
These paths may be useful for restoring your Samourai Wallet into another Bitcoin Wallet application.
m/44'|49'|84'/0'/0'm/84'/0'/2147483644'm/84'/0'/2147483645'm/84'/0'/2147483646'm/84'/0'/2147483647'SettingsWallet then Show mnemonic. Write these words down.Settings then tap TroubleshootPassphrase/backup test then enter your passphrase. You should then see a confirmation that your entry is correctNew Wallet > Standard WalletI already have a seedOptions and tick both boxes BIP39 Seed + Extend this seed with custom wordsnextDetect Existing AccountsAfter three unsuccessful PIN code attempts you will be asked to enter your wallet passphrase. If the passphrase is correct you will be presented with your code PIN. You may then use your PIN code to enter your wallet as normal.
If you forget your 12 Recovery Words you can easily review them again from within the Samourai Wallet.
Remember that you also need your passphrase in addition to your 12 recovery words in order to successfully restore your wallet.
A forgotten passphrase is very serious as your passphrase is directly tied to your secret private keys that allow access to your funds.
If you currently have access to your wallet via PIN code you should immediately send your coins out of the wallet into another wallet you control. It is not safe to keep your bitcoin in Samourai if you do not know your passphrase.
Once your bitcoins are in another wallet that you control, you may erase Samourai wallet and create a new wallet. When you create a new wallet you will need to define a new passphrase and write down new secret words.
If you have forgetten your PIN code and can no longer access your wallet you must remember that Samourai does not store your passphrase for you, as such it cannot reset lost or forgotten passphrases.
If you can no longer authenticate into your Samourai wallet and you do not have your passphrase follow the directions below to help yourself regain access to your wallet:
Do NOT create a new wallet
Locate your auto backup file
StorageExploreDownloadSamourai.txtSave your auto backup file
Try restoring your wallet
Once this backup file is saved you can uninstall and reinstall the Samourai Wallet app. Follow the directions for restoring your wallet by automatic backup trying different possible passphrases that you may have used.
Keep calm, remember you are the one who created this passphrase so there is a good chance you will remember it.
Make sure your keyboard isn't autocorrecting any words, or autocapitalizing any characters.
Keep trying different variations until you figure it out.