BasicsStorage providersNodesNetworksSmart contractsReference

Metamask setup

MetaMask is a popular browser extension that allows users to interact with blockchain applications. This guide shows you how to configure MetaMask to work with the Filecoin

Using ChainID

ChainID.network is a website that lets users easily connect their wallets to EVM-compatible blockchains. ChainID is the simplest way to add the Filecoin network to your MetaMask wallet.

  1. Navigate to chainid.network.

  2. Search for Filecoin Mainnet.

  3. Click Connect Wallet.

  4. Click Approve when prompted to Allow this site to add a network.

  5. Click Switch network when prompted by MetaMask.

  6. Open MetaMask from the browser extensions tab.

  7. You should see Filecoin listed at the top.

You can now use MetaMask to interact with the Filecoin network.

Manual process

If you can't or don't want to use ChainID, you can add the Filecoin network to your MetaMask manually.

Prerequisites

Before we get started, you’ll need the following:

Steps

The process for configuring MetaMask to use Filecoin is fairly simple but has some very specific variables that you must copy exactly.

  1. Open your browser and open the MetaMask plugin. If you haven’t opened the MetaMask plugin before, you’ll be prompted to create a new wallet. Follow the prompts to create a wallet.

  2. Click the user circle and select Settings.

  3. Select Networks.

  4. Click Add a network.

  5. Scroll down and click Add a network manually.

  6. Enter the following information into the fields:

Field
Value

Network name

Filecoin

New RPC URL

Either: - https://api.node.glif.io/rpc/v1 - https://filecoin.chainup.net/rpc/v1 - https://rpc.ankr.com/filecoin

Chain ID

314

Currency symbol

FIL

  1. Pick one block explorer from the Networks section, and enter the URL into the Block explorer (optional) field.

  2. Review the values in the fields and click Save.

  3. The Filecoin network should now be shown in your MetaMask window.

  4. Done!

You can now use MetaMask to interact with the Filecoin network.

Ledger hardware wallet

MetaMask is compatible with the Ledger hardware wallet. There are 2 options for Ledger apps that support Filecoin:

  • Filecoin Ledger App - compatible with MetaMask or the Glif.io wallet

  • Ethereum Ledger App - currently deprecated for Filecoin as of v1.15.0 (previous versions will work) until Ledger releases their upcoming Dynamic Networks feature

Note on Filecoin EVM vs Filecoin Native addresses

Note that MetaMask supports Filecoin EVM addresses that follow the Ethereum 0x format (see this section for more info on address types). To use native Filecoin address types that begin with f, you can use:

  • Glif.io wallet (also compatible with the Filecoin Ledger App),

  • Ledger Live and the Filecoin Ledger App or

  • Filecoin MetaMask Wallet installable from the right menu in Metamask under Snaps

Some exchanges only support specific address types (see this table on FilecoinTl;dr for more info). Which address types are best to use may depend on your use case and goals.

Install the Ledger app

Follow these instructions to connect your Filecoin addresses within MetaMask to your Ledger wallet. This guide assumes you have Ledger Live and MetaMask installed on your computer.

Before you can connect MetaMask to your Ledger, you must install the Filecoin Ledger App on your Ledger device.

  1. Open Ledger Live and navigate to My Ledger.

  2. Connect your Ledger device and unlock it.

  3. Confirm that you allow My Ledger to access your Ledger device. You can do that by clicking both buttons on your Ledger device simultaneously.

  4. Go back to Ledger Live on your computer.

  5. In My Ledger, head over to App catalog and search for Filecoin.

  6. Click Install.

For more details on the official Filecoin Ledger app, check out the Ledger documentation.

Enable expert-mode

MetaMask requires that the Filecoin app on your Ledger device is set to Expert mode.

  1. Open the Filecoin app on your Ledger device.

    A Ledger with the Filecoin app open.

  2. Use the buttons on your device to navigate to Expert mode.

    A Ledger showing the expert mode option.

  3. Press both buttons simultaneously to enable Expert mode.

Connect to MetaMask

Once you have installed the Filecoin app on your Ledger device and enabled expert mode, you can connect your device to MetaMask.

  1. Open your browser and open the MetaMask extension.

  2. In the Accounts menu, select Add hardware wallet.

    MetaMask with the 'Add hardware wallet' option highlighted.

  3. Select Ledger

    MetaMask showing the available hardware wallet options.

  4. A list of accounts should appear. Select an 0x... account.

    MetaMask showing multiple accounts from a Ledger device.

  5. Done!

That's it! You've now successfully connected your Ledger device to MetaMask. When you submit any transactions through MetaMask using this account, the Filecoin Ledger app will prompt you for a confirmation on the Ledger device.

You may see a blind signing warning on your MetaMask device. This is expected, and is the reason why Expert Mode must be enabled before you can interact with the Filecoin Ledger app.

A Ledger device showing a blind signing warning.

Was this page helpful?

PreviousWalletsNextGet FIL

Last updated

Was this helpful?