How to install the Coinbase Wallet extension
A safe, ordered walkthrough — from the download link you click to the first transaction you approve. Most of the risk in a browser wallet is decided in these ten minutes, so it is worth doing in order.
Before you start
The extension runs in Chromium-based desktop browsers — Google Chrome, Brave, Microsoft Edge, Opera and others built on the same engine. Mobile browsers do not run extensions, so on a phone you would use the Coinbase Wallet mobile app instead.
Have these ready before you install anything:
- An up-to-date Chromium browser on a computer you own and trust.
- Ten minutes without interruptions, so you are not tempted to rush the backup.
- A pen and paper, or a metal recovery-phrase plate, for the twelve words.
- The official Coinbase Wallet page open in front of you — that is the only place you should be starting from.
The one mistake that costs people everything
Counterfeit extensions are bought as advertisements and pushed to the top of search results. They look nearly identical to the real listing, and once installed they can drain a wallet. Install from the official page or a bookmark you made yourself — never from an ad, an email link or a direct message.The installation steps
Work through these in order. Steps 5 to 7 are the ones that decide whether you can ever recover the wallet.
- 1
Open the official source
Go to the official Coinbase Wallet page and follow its browser link. Once you are on the real listing, bookmark it — future you should never have to search for a wallet download again.
- 2
Check the listing before you install
Look at the publisher name, the number of installs and the rating count. If the numbers look implausibly small for a product this widely used, close the tab and start again from your bookmark.
- 3
Add it to the browser and read the permissions
Approve the installation, then open the permissions summary. A browser wallet normally needs to see page content on the sites you visit, because that is how it offers a wallet connection to an app. The exact wording varies by browser — read it rather than clicking through.
- 4
Pin it to the toolbar
Use the browser's extensions menu to pin the wallet. A pinned icon is easier to recognise, and it means you can spot a fake window that is pretending to be your wallet.
- 5
Create a new wallet, or import an existing one
Create new generates a fresh recovery phrase and gives you a clean start. Import accepts a 12-word phrase you already own, so this browser can spend the same funds.
Import only on a computer you fully trust. If you are unsure, create a new wallet and send funds to it deliberately.
- 6
Set a strong, unique password
Use a password you do not use anywhere else. It encrypts the wallet on this device only: it does not protect you on another computer, and it cannot restore a wallet you have lost.
- 7
Back up the recovery phrase offline
Write the twelve words in order, on paper or metal, and check them twice against the screen. Store the copy somewhere a burglar and a hacker cannot both reach — two locations is sensible, three is not paranoid.
Then test your backup: read the words back and make sure they match. A backup you have never verified is a guess.
- 8
Test with a small amount, then connect a dApp
Send a small amount from an exchange or another wallet and confirm it arrives. Only then move anything larger, and only then connect to a site you trust — reading the network, amount and recipient in the confirmation window before you approve.
Three checks after installing
- Open the wallet and confirm the address matches your backup process. The receiving address shown by the wallet is the one you will use — check the first and last four characters every time you copy it.
- Look at the connected sites list. It should be empty, and it is the list you will use to disconnect anything you stop using.
- Know where your phrase is. If you cannot say right now where the written copy is, stop and sort that out before you fund the wallet with anything meaningful.
Your first month with a wallet
Browser wallets get easier once you have a routine. Keep a small balance in the extension for everyday connections and approvals, and keep savings somewhere less exposed — a separate wallet, or a hardware wallet connected to it for the amounts you would hate to lose.
Review connected sites and token approvals every month or two. Revoking an approval costs a small network fee and closes a door you are not using. Our security guide covers approvals, phishing patterns and what to do after a compromise, and the features page explains what the extension does with networks, swaps and NFTs.
Setup questions
Common questions while installing
Which browsers support the Coinbase Wallet extension?
It is built for Chromium-based desktop browsers, which includes Google Chrome, Brave, Microsoft Edge and Opera. Support lists do change, so check the official Coinbase Wallet page before assuming a particular browser version is supported.
Can I import an existing wallet instead of creating a new one?
Yes. When you first open the extension you can either create a brand new wallet, which generates a new recovery phrase, or import a wallet you already own by entering its 12-word recovery phrase. Importing gives the extension access to the same on-chain funds as your other wallet, so only do it on a device you trust.
Where is my recovery phrase stored?
Only on your device, encrypted behind the password you set, and anywhere you deliberately wrote it down. Coinbase does not keep a copy, so nobody at Coinbase can restore your wallet. If you lose the device and the phrase, the funds in that wallet are permanently unreachable.
What should I do if the extension stops working or a site will not connect?
Most problems are solved by unlocking the wallet, reloading the page, checking that the extension is enabled in your browser, and confirming the site is asking the right network. Our troubleshooting page walks through the common fixes in order, and the official Coinbase Wallet help centre covers account-specific issues.
More answers on the full FAQ page.
Next: lock it down
Installing is the easy part. Spend five minutes on the habits that stop the two big risks — phishing and careless approvals — before you fund the wallet.
About this guide
Wallet Extension Guide is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Coinbase. Buttons and links to Coinbase properties go to the official site, and product details change over time — always confirm the current steps on the official Coinbase Wallet page.