A brief history of the Hedera Wallet

Long before open access of the Hedera mainnet on September 16th, 2019, Hedera recognized it would need to build initial software to help the ecosystem get its footing until it was strong enough to support itself. This initial software includes the open-source Hedera Wallet, available in the iOS and Android app stores and on GitHub.

The Hedera Wallet was built with minimum viable functionality to support the needs of early users. As part of the “community testing” program, early users received hbars to test the network and used the Hedera Wallet to set up and access their accounts. It was also used by SAFT (simple agreement for future tokens) holders to create their Hedera mainnet accounts and access/control their hbar distributions. The Hedera Wallet software was open-sourced, which helped developers create their wallets or integrate support for hbars into more robust third-party wallets.

There are many ecosystem wallets that offer network account creation and import, as well as support for tokens created using Hedera Token Service — these wallets range across hardware, desktop, mobile, and custodial solutions. Passing wallet responsibilities to the cryptocurrency ecosystem ensures that hbars holders have the best wallet experience. In addition, it enables Hedera to focus on building network services and software to support its thriving developer community.

On May 31st, Hedera will officially remove the Hedera Wallet from the Google Play and iOS app stores. If you’re using the Hedera Wallet, please follow the instructions found below. If you are not using the Hedera Wallet, then no action is required.

[Action Required] Document your public/private key, mnemonic phrase, and account ID.

All Hedera Wallet users must securely document their public/private key, account ID, and mnemonic phrase in order to control their Hedera account with any wallet. Hedera does not have these credentials and cannot restore Hedera accounts for anyone; you are the only person who has access to this information and must keep it safe.

[Action Required] Using third-party wallet with your existing Hedera account. Or create a new Hedera account and transfer your hbars.

Import your existing Hedera account into a third-party wallet by following the instructions in ‘Option 1’. Or create a new Hedera mainnet account and transfer hbars from your existing account by following the instructions in ‘Option 2’.

If you are a Hedera SAFT holder, you will have received an email many weeks ago regarding your instructions. If you have questions, please reach out using your SAFT email address to the official SAFT email address.

Option 1 | Existing Hedera Account Import: Do not delete your Hedera Wallet application until you have tested access to your existing Hedera mainnet account using a third-party wallet. You can use your existing Hedera mainnet account with any third-party wallet listed below that’s labeled Existing Hedera Account import. Follow the instructions within that wallet’s section to learn how to import your existing Hedera account.

It is safe to delete the Hedera Wallet application only after you’ve imported your existing account into a third-party wallet and tested it. You can test access by refreshing your balance and transferring a single hbar to another account.
Option 2 | New Hedera Account Creation: Do not delete your Hedera Wallet application until you’ve tested access to your Hedera mainnet account — this can be done by refreshing the balance or optionally sending a small payment (less than 1 hbar) to another account. You can instantly create a new Hedera mainnet account using the wallets found below. You’ll need to transfer hbars from your existing Hedera account to your new account. It is safe to delete the Hedera Wallet application only after you’ve transferred your hbars to the newly created Hedera account.

Third-party wallets & instructions

Found below are third-party wallets which support hbars across mobile (iOS / Android), desktop, hardware, and custodial.

These wallets allow for instant Hedera account creation and transfer of hbars. Certain wallets labeled below offer the ability to import an existing Hedera account using the mnemonic phrase or private key, found in your Hedera Wallet.

Hedera does not endorse or recommend any specific wallet provider — every known provider can be found on this page at Hedera.com: https://hedera.com/buying-guide

If you experience any difficulty extracting your private key, mnemonic recovery phrase, and account ID, you may reach out to [email protected] for support; please note that response times may be long. However, please be aware in advance that it was your obligation to securely back up your recovery credentials and Hedera does not have this information and cannot restore Hedera accounts for anyone.

If you experience any difficulty in importing your account ID or creating a new account ID with a third-party provider, please contact the provider directly. Hedera staff is not able to assist with technical issues on third-party products.