How to Use Your Guarda Wallet on Different Devices
Want to use your Guarda Wallet on another device? You can access the same wallets on Guarda Mobile, Desktop, or Web without moving your crypto anywhere. What you need to bring to the new device is your wallet access information instead.
In most cases, this means using your current Guarda backup and its password. Guarda Web Wallet and the browser extension work a little differently when used together, which we'll cover below.
How Guarda Works Across Devices
Think of Guarda on each device as a separate installation. Your Mobile app, Desktop app, and Web Wallet don't continuously sync their wallet data with each other. If you set up Guarda independently on two devices, Guarda treats them as separate setups with their own storage. This means that simply using the same password on another device won't restore your existing wallets there. The password decrypts your backup; it doesn't work as a cloud account login that downloads your wallet data. All data is stored locally.
To reproduce your Guarda setup on another device, you need:
Guarda backup + the password for that backup
The backup contains encrypted recovery information for the supported wallets included in your Guarda setup. Once you import it on another device and enter the correct password, Guarda can restore access to those wallets there.
How to Restore Your Guarda Wallet on Another Device
- Once you have the backup, open Guarda on the other device.
- Click “I already have a wallet.”
- Drag and drop your backup TXT file, then enter the password associated with it. The backup restores the supported wallets contained in that particular backup.
After the import, both devices can access the same blockchain wallets included in that backup. This doesn't mean the two Guarda installations now continuously sync with each other. They still use separate storage. For example, if you later add a new wallet to your Guarda setup on one device, that change doesn't automatically appear in the other installation. Your backup reflects your Guarda setup at the time it was created, which is why keeping an updated backup matters.
How to Get Your Guarda Backup
On the device where you already use your wallet:
- Open “Settings.”
- Select “Download backup.”
- Download your backup as a TXT file or copy the backup.
- Transfer the backup securely to the device where you want to use your wallet.
Your backup is encrypted, but it still contains sensitive recovery information. Don't send it to other people or store it somewhere publicly accessible.
Keep your backup and password separately. Guarda Support will never ask you to send your backup, password, recovery phrase, or private keys.
If you've made changes to your Guarda setup since you last downloaded a backup, use the latest backup that reflects the wallets you currently want to restore. For more details, see What Is a Backup File, and Why Should I Save It Regularly?
What About Guarda Web Wallet and Browser Extension?
Guarda Web Wallet and the browser extension work differently when you use them as a pair. Unlike independent mobile, desktop, and web installations, the Web Wallet and extension can share connected session behavior. Basically, they can't be open at the same time. If you're using Guarda Web and log in through the extension, Guarda Web logs out. If you log in to Guarda Web, the extension logs out.
What If I Only Want to Check a Wallet on Another Device?
You don't always need to transfer your full Guarda setup. If you only want to monitor a wallet's balance and activity on another device, you can use a watch-only wallet instead. A watch-only wallet uses the public wallet address. It lets Guarda display information associated with that address without importing the private key that controls the funds. This is useful if, for example, you want to follow a wallet from another device but don't need to send funds from that device.
Importing a backup or private key gives the device access to manage the wallet. A watch-only wallet lets the device monitor the address without giving it the information required to sign transactions.
- Open Guarda and click “Create new or connect hardware.”
- Select “Watch only.”
- Choose the coin and paste the address of the wallet you want to watch.
- Click “Add.” Now you can find it easily in the “Watch only” tab on your wallets’ page.
Backup, Private Key, or Watch-Only?
The right option depends on what you're trying to do.
| What you want to do | What to use |
|---|---|
| Restore your Guarda setup with its supported wallets on another device | Backup + password |
| Import one particular wallet | Private key |
| Monitor a wallet without access to its funds | Watch-only |
Just remember that importing a backup isn't the same as turning on automatic synchronization. Your Guarda installations still use separate storage, so keep your backup updated as your wallet setup changes.