Coinbase · Wallet versus account
Coinbase Wallet (not the exchange): I lost access, what do I do?
Before spending an hour looking for help, work out which of the two products you have. The difference is not a detail: one has a support team that can give you access back, the other has no such thing, and no company and no recovery service can change that.
How to tell which one you have
| Sign | Product |
|---|---|
| You logged in with email and password plus a code | Coinbase account (exchange) |
| You were given 12 words when you started | Coinbase Wallet (self-custody) |
| You could buy with a card or bank transfer inside it | Coinbase account (exchange) |
| It was a separate app or a browser extension | Coinbase Wallet |
| They asked for your ID document when you signed up | Coinbase account (exchange) |
If it is the exchange account
Good news: there is a company holding your funds and a recovery procedure. It is done with them, through their official channels, usually with identity documents. No outside service can speed it up or bypass it, and anyone offering to is scamming you. It is not my job and I don’t charge for it: your route is their official support, reached by typing their website by hand in the browser.
If it is Coinbase Wallet
Then you are in self-custody: the twelve words you were given are the only key, and Coinbase holds no copy. There is no account recovery, no identity check that helps and no support that can get in. What there is, is whatever you still hold.
- You have the twelve words: restore it yourself, in the Coinbase Wallet app or in any other compatible wallet.
- You are missing a word: that is the typical recovery case and it usually has a way out.
- You only forgot the app password or PIN and it is still installed: there is something to work with, because the secret is on your device.
- No phrase, no app, no device: nothing is left. Not for me and not for anyone.
If you are not sure which situation you are in, self-custody versus exchange explains the difference calmly, and first steps after losing access covers what to do in the first few hours.