Exodus is asking for a password you can't remember, and there's nobody to call. Exodus has no account, no username, and no "forgot password" email, because it never had your password in the first place. That's frustrating, but it also means the wallet is still sitting on your computer, encrypted, waiting for the right password. This guide covers what works on Exodus Desktop and Exodus Mobile, what you must not do, and what to try when your own guesses run out.
This guide is for a forgotten password. If you've lost your 12-word secret key (recovery phrase) or it won't restore, read our Exodus 12-word phrase guide instead.
We recover crypto wallets for a living, so we'll tell you what's realistic.
First, which Exodus are you locked out of?
The answer changes everything, because Exodus works differently on each platform:
- Exodus Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux). The password encrypts your wallet on your computer. If you've forgotten it, the encrypted wallet is still there, and that's the case this guide spends most of its time on.
- Exodus Mobile (iPhone, Android). Exodus Mobile no longer has its own passcode. It unlocks with your phone's passcode, Face ID, or fingerprint. If you're locked out, the problem is really your phone's lock. Jump to the mobile section below.
- Exodus Web3 Wallet (browser extension). Exodus discontinued the extension on October 1, 2026. If it's still installed and you can open it, use it to view your 12-word secret key, then restore that key in Exodus Desktop or Mobile. Don't uninstall it first.
Have your 12-word secret key? You don't need to recover anything
If you still have your 12-word secret key, this is easy. Exodus's official fix for a forgotten password is to restore the wallet from the key:
- Open Exodus Desktop and choose Restore at the password prompt.
- Enter your 12 words in order.
- Once the wallet loads, set a new password from the backup settings.
Restoring replaces the old password. Your funds come back because they live on the blockchain, not in the app. Exodus says plainly that its support team can't unlock a wallet for you, so this is the only official route.
No key? Keep reading, and don't restore anything yet.
How Exodus Desktop stores your wallet and password
Exodus Desktop keeps your wallet encrypted in its data folder on your computer. You can open that folder from inside Exodus through the Developer menu (Data Folder, then Open Data Folder). The password is what locks that encrypted wallet.
A few details matter here:
- The password is set during backup. Exodus Desktop doesn't ask for a password when you first install it. You choose one when you go through the backup steps. If you never did, your wallet may have no password at all.
- There's no lockout. Exodus Desktop lets you try as many passwords as you like. Wrong guesses don't lock or wipe anything, so you can test candidates safely.
- Uninstalling usually doesn't delete the wallet. Removing the Exodus app generally leaves the data folder in place. Reinstalling Exodus on the same computer often brings the same locked wallet straight back.
- Exodus never sees the password. Your password encrypts the wallet locally. Exodus can't reset it, look it up, or bypass it.
That last point is why this is recoverable at all. The encrypted wallet on your computer is locked by your password and nothing else, and a locked file can be worked on offline.
Don't make it worse: what not to do
Before you try anything else, avoid the steps that destroy the wallet you're trying to recover:
- Don't use "delete wallet and start over". It erases the encrypted wallet from your computer.
- Don't delete or "clean up" the Exodus data folder, and don't wipe or sell the computer.
- Don't restore a different 12-word key on that computer. Exodus archives the old wallet when you do, but only for 90 days.
- Don't uninstall the Exodus browser extension before you've viewed your 12-word key in it.
- Don't factory-reset your phone until you've confirmed you have your 12-word key or a passkey backup. A reset wipes Exodus Mobile.
Before you start: what you need
- The computer where Exodus Desktop is installed (or was installed, if you haven't deleted its data folder).
- Your best password guesses: passwords you reuse, variations of them, and anything you wrote down when you set Exodus up.
- Your password manager and browser autofill. Check them first.
- Your old email. If you created your Exodus wallet before 2019, look for a backup email (more on that next).
You won't need your 12-word key for any of this. Password recovery works on the encrypted wallet.
Check your inbox for an old Exodus backup email
Exodus used to send an encrypted backup of your wallet by email. It stopped issuing these links in early 2019, but Exodus still honors them. If your wallet dates from 2018 or earlier, search your email for the subject line "Exodus Backup Link" from [email protected].
Two things to know about that link:
- It needs the password your wallet had when the email was sent, not your current one. If you've changed your password since, try the old one.
- Exodus can't resend it, so if you find it, keep it. And if your wallet had no password when the link was created, anyone who can read that email can open the wallet, so move your funds to a fresh, properly backed-up wallet once you're back in.
DIY recovery, step by step
1. Search your saved passwords
Look through your password manager, browser autofill, and notes apps for "Exodus" or "wallet." People often find the password there and save themselves the trouble.
2. Confirm the wallet is still there
If Exodus Desktop opens to a password prompt, the encrypted wallet is still on that computer. That's the file recovery works from.
3. List your password building blocks
Write down the base words you reuse (names, pets, places, teams), the numbers and symbols you tend to add, your capitalization habits, and the passwords you were using around the time you set up Exodus. Note every variation you can think of.
4. Turn them into a testing plan
Combine those pieces into a structured list: each base word with each set of numbers and symbols, in the orders you usually use. Most forgotten passwords are your usual pattern with one detail out of place, and a methodical list catches that far more often than random guessing.
5. Test the list in Exodus
Since Exodus Desktop has no lockout, you can work through your list in the app. Cross off each attempt so you never repeat one.
Typing guesses by hand gets you through dozens, maybe a few hundred. If the right password is one of thousands of variations, that's where offline recovery comes in.
Locked out of Exodus Mobile?
On a phone, Exodus has no password of its own anymore. It uses your phone's lock. So:
- If you know your phone's passcode but Face ID or your fingerprint stopped working, enter the passcode. Exodus turns biometric unlock off when your phone's biometrics change, so you may simply need to switch it back on.
- If you've forgotten your phone's passcode, that's a matter for Apple or Google, not Exodus. Before you reset the phone, make sure you have your 12-word key or an Exodus passkey backup in iCloud or Google Drive. Resetting the phone erases Exodus along with everything else.
- If you have a passkey backup, you can restore it on a new device of the same type (iPhone to iPhone, Android to Android) using your passkey.
We'll be honest about the limit here: there's no practical way to pull an Exodus wallet off a locked phone and crack it. If your only copy of the wallet is on a phone you can't unlock, and you have no 12-word key or passkey backup, password recovery can't help.
When DIY isn't enough: professional recovery
If you still have your Exodus Desktop wallet and the password won't come back, this is the work we do. Crypto Asset Recovery uses secure, offline password cracking to recover access to encrypted Exodus Desktop wallets. You send us the encrypted wallet and your list of password candidates. We run the cracking on offline, air-gapped machines, so your keys are never exposed online.
You only pay if we succeed. Completely risk-free.
Exodus deliberately makes each password guess slow to check, which protects you from thieves but means good guesses matter more than raw speed. Tell us as much as you can about how you build passwords and when you set up the wallet. If you'd rather not share every password you use, give us close variants or only the ones you think are relevant. That lowers the odds somewhat, and it's your call.
Found an old Exodus backup email but can't remember the password it needs? Tell us about that too.
When recovery is not possible
If you have no 12-word key, no Exodus Desktop data folder, no backup email, and no passkey backup, there's nothing left to recover from, and the funds are likely gone. The same goes for a mobile-only wallet on a phone that has been reset. Self-custody has no master key, which is the trade-off for nobody else being able to take your crypto.
Watch out for fake "Exodus support"
When you're locked out, searching for help can lead you to scammers. Exodus has no phone support and no Telegram support. Pages listing an "Exodus support number" are fake, and some are planted on hijacked university and government websites to look official. Exodus's real channels are the in-app chat, in-app email, and [email protected], and Exodus never asks for your 12-word key or your password.
Curious how Exodus holds up on security once you're back in? Read our Exodus wallet safety review.
Why Choose Crypto Asset Recovery to Recover Your Exodus Wallet?
- Secure, offline recovery. The cracking runs on air-gapped, offline machines, so your keys are never exposed online.
- Thousands of wallets recovered across Exodus, MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Blockchain.com, and more.
- Success-based pricing. You only pay if we get you back in.
- Talk to a real person. Reach out any time, and you can get on a Zoom with our founders, the father-and-son team Chris and Charles.
- Featured in BBC, Forbes, Vice, The Block, and Business Insider.
Frequently asked questions
Can I reset my Exodus password without the 12-word secret key? No. Exodus can only replace your password when you restore the wallet from your 12-word key. Changing the password inside the app also requires the current one. Without the key, your options are remembering the password or recovering it from the encrypted wallet on your computer.
Does Exodus have a username or login? No. Exodus has no account to log into. On desktop you unlock the wallet with a password (if you set one), and on mobile with your phone's passcode or biometrics.
What are Exodus's password requirements? Exodus doesn't publish a minimum. It recommends a long password, 16 characters or more, kept in a password manager. Knowing roughly how long your password was helps narrow a recovery search.
Can Exodus support recover my password? No. Exodus never has your password, so its support team can't reset or retrieve it. Anyone claiming to be Exodus support who offers to do so is a scammer.
I forgot my phone passcode. Can I get into Exodus Mobile? Exodus Mobile uses your phone's lock, so you'll need to regain access to the phone itself. Before resetting the phone, confirm you have your 12-word key or a passkey backup, because a reset erases the wallet.
Why doesn't my Exodus wallet have a password after restoring? Restoring from your 12-word key replaces the old password, and the restored wallet has none until you set one. Set a new password in the backup settings right away.
How long does recovery take? Anywhere from about 20 to 30 minutes to, in our longest case, over two years. Most of that time is passive. You send us your encrypted wallet and your best guesses, we run the recovery on our own machines, and we come back to you for fresh guesses each time we finish a batch. Once we've looked at your case, we'll give you a straight read on your odds.
Is it safe to send you my wallet file? Crypto Asset Recovery is a registered company in New Hampshire, run by a public father-and-son team, Chris and Charles. We work from your encrypted wallet file and your password guesses, and the file alone can't move your funds. Most people's real worry is whether a recovery service is a scam. We operate in the open, you can talk to the founders on Zoom before sending anything, and misusing a client's wallet would land us in court fast.
