🦊How to install and use Metamask?

What is MetaMask?

Installing MetaMask on Chrome

Go to the download page, and hit the download button at the button. It will auto-detect the browser.

MetaMask Browser Extension

Let's demonstrate this with the chrome browser. Visit the download page and Click Install MetaMask for Chrome to visit the MetaMask extension page on the chrome web store.

Install and pin that to make it available in your browser toolbar. This process is similar to installing any browser extension on chrome.

MetaMask Wallet Registration

Finally, you will be greeted with this. Now click Get Started to begin the registration process.

The subsequent screen will give you the option to Import Wallet, or you can Create a Wallet. Click the latter option to register a new one.

Next, you can choose to share some anonymous data with MetaMask to jump on to the following screen. You can click No Thanks for complete peace of mind–it won’t hamper your user experience with MetaMask. Select accordingly and proceed.

Now Create a strong password on the following screen.

Next, you’ll see the MetaMask team trying to emphasize the importance of the secret recovery phrase with a short video. Better watch it and click Next.

Now it’s time to save the secret recovery phrase. You can uncover the secret phrase and download it as a text file.

It is strongly recommended to write the secret recovery phrase down on paper and keep it in a safe place. Don't show it to anyone！

Then click Next to proceed.

MetaMask goes to lengths to ensure you remember this important phrase as they don’t store it for you. So you see a word puzzle to rebuild that phrase, exactly the way it was. Unless you get it right, the Confirm button at the end won’t get activated, and you can’t proceed.

And if you’ve missed remembering or saving it, there is a back button under the MetaMask icon at the top. That will take you to the previous page to download and memorize it.

Finally, click the All Done on the congratulations page to enter into your wallet dashboard.

Using MetaMask

Now that you’ve MetaMask with you–let’s explore this a bit.

Public and Private Keys

These terms get thrown around a lot. In brief, the public key is for receiving funds. But you’ll be needing your private key if you want to access those.

A private key is your proof that the funds in a wallet are actually yours. It’s also needed in every transaction you make.

In MetaMask, you can get your public key right from your user dashboard. Just hover over the account name, and a Copy to clipboard will appear. Now click to copy your public key.

A private key is, let’s say–an extremely private affair.

Never share your private key with anyone. If you do, your account is there’s. A private key holder can transfer the account (and/or funds) from a wallet (say MetaMask) to any other wallet of their choice.

To export your private key, click the three vertical dots to enter into your Account Details. Select Export Private Key on the next screen.

Enter your password and click Confirm to reveal your private key. I have censored my private key just to emphasize its secrecy.

It’s strongly recommended to keep your private key in a physical form rather than as a text file in your Google Drive or anywhere online. Keeping it online will only add to the security risks of an already vulnerable hot wallet.

Multiple Accounts

You can add multiple accounts to your MetaMask wallet.

Notably, each account will have its own pair of public-private keys. But your secret recovery phase is the master key to all of your accounts. While a private key can be used to import an account, a secret recovery phrase (aka seed phrase) can be used to access all accounts at once.

To create an additional count, click your avatar in the MetaMask pop-up. Next, select the +Create account. Name it, and you’ll see that under your other accounts.

Account Import

This function will import an account and not the entire wallet. And since the wallet is not native to MetaMask, you’ll need to import it for every instance separately.

To import, click your avatar and then select Import Account. Enter the private key of the subject account, and click Import.