← All posts

Monero Balance Shows Zero After a Restore? How to Fix It

Monero balance shows zero after a restore? The restore date is likely too late. Here is the fix for any wallet and the steps in Monero One.

By , founder of Monero One

Your Monero balance shows zero after a restore, and you know the wallet holds XMR. Your XMR is still on the blockchain, and your seed still controls it. In most cases, the wallet scans from a date after your first payment, or the scan is still running. This guide gives the fix for any Monero wallet, then the steps in Monero One for iPhone and Android.

You fix a zero balance inside your wallet app. Type your seed only in that app. Never type it into a website, a chat or a support ticket. A person who asks for your seed to "fix" your balance wants to take your XMR.

We make Monero One. The general fix below works in any Monero wallet.

How We Checked

On October 17, 2026, we read the Monero docs on restore height and the Polyseed specification. For Monero One, we read the app source code at the versions in the stores: iOS 1.0.9 (10) and Android 1.0.9 (15). We quote the app's own labels.

Why a Monero Balance Shows Zero After a Restore

A restored wallet must find its own payments on the blockchain. It scans each block from a start point, the restore height, up to the newest block. The Monero docs say the restore height option tells the wallet to "Only scan for transactions later than specific blockchain height." They add: "The optimal value should match the day you originally created the wallet (but cannot be later)."

These are the usual causes:

  • The restore date is too late. The wallet skips every block before that date. A payment from an earlier day stays outside the scan.
  • The scan is still running. The balance grows as the wallet reaches the blocks with your payments.
  • The node is slow or offline. The sync stalls, and the balance stays at zero.
  • The seed opened a different wallet. Some seed formats work only in the app that made them. The same words can open an empty wallet in another app.
  • The XMR is still on its way. A swap or an exchange withdrawal can take time. New XMR also needs 10 confirmations before you can spend it.

How to Fix a Zero Balance in Any Monero Wallet

  1. Wait for the sync to end. Check the sync status in your wallet, and keep the app open until it shows synced.
  2. Check the address. Compare the wallet's main address with the main address from your old wallet. A different address means the seed opened a different wallet.
  3. Lower the restore height. Pick a date before your first payment. If you are unsure, pick an earlier date. The docs say raising the value "makes wallet restoration radically faster." So a lower value takes longer, and it covers more of your history.
  4. Scan again from the new height. Then wait for the sync to end.
  5. Try another node. If the sync stalls, pick another node in the wallet's settings.

A 16-word Polyseed seed stores the wallet's birthday. The Polyseed specification lists an "embedded wallet birthday to optimize restoring from the seed." Monero One for iPhone restores Polyseed and reads that date, so it skips the date step. A 24-word or 25-word seed leaves out the date, so the wallet asks you for one.

Fix a Zero Balance in Monero One

1. Check the Sync

Open Settings, then Sync Settings. The top of the screen shows the sync progress, with the percent complete and the blocks remaining. Wait until the status reads Synced.

2. Lower the Restore Height

On iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings, then Sync Settings, then Restore Height.
  2. Pick an earlier date in Wallet Birthday. The sheet shows the new Restore From Block and the Blocks to Scan.
  3. Tap Update Restore Height, then tap Update.

On Android:

  1. Go to Settings, then Sync Settings, then Restore Height. The row shows the current date and block, or "From beginning (full scan)."
  2. Pick an earlier date and tap OK.
  3. Tap Update.

Before the change, both apps name the new start block and say: "Earlier transactions won't be found." Update starts the new scan right away. Change the restore height here, in Sync Settings. You keep one copy of the wallet in the app.

After a restore from a 24-word or 25-word seed, both apps can show a banner when the scan finds zero payments. It reads "No transactions found since block" and the block number. It adds: "If this wallet is older, lower the restore height in Settings › Sync Settings and reset the sync data." The Update button above does both.

3. Switch the Node If the Sync Stalls

If the status stays at Connecting... or the percent stops, pick another node. Go to Settings, then Sync Settings, then Remote Node, and tap a node. Our guide to what a Monero node sees explains the node list.

4. Check the Address

Tap Receive and pick Main Address. Compare it with the main address of your old wallet. If the two differ, the seed opened a different wallet.

Monero One restores 25-word and 24-word seeds on iPhone and Android, plus 16-word Polyseed seeds on iPhone. A 24-word seed from another app can open a different wallet. A 13-word MyMonero seed stops at the first screen. Our guides to Monero seed words and restoring a MyMonero wallet explain each format.

5. Reset the Sync Data

If the balance still looks wrong after a full sync from the right height, scan again from the same height. On iPhone, Reset Sync Data is near the bottom of Settings. On Android, it is under Danger Zone in Settings.

Both apps warn you first. The new scan removes the transaction keys for your past sends. A transaction key proves a payment you sent. To keep one, open the transaction and copy its Transaction Key first. Then tap Reset. Leave the row below it, Remove All Wallets from Device, alone.

6. Wait for New XMR to Unlock

New XMR shows as Pending first. The Monero project says: "Newly received transactions require 10 confirmations on the blockchain before being unlocked." A new block comes "once every 2 minutes," so this takes about 20 minutes. Until then, the app shows the funds as locked.

If you are waiting on a swap, check the order page with your order ID. Our guide on how to swap crypto to Monero covers stuck swaps.

FAQ

Is my XMR gone?

No. Your XMR stays on the blockchain, and your seed controls it. A zero balance means the wallet still has to find your payments.

What restore date should I pick?

Pick the day you created the wallet, or any day before it. The Monero docs say the value "cannot be later" than that day. If you are unsure, pick a date before you first got XMR.

How long does a full scan take?

It depends on your phone, your node and the number of blocks. The getmonero.org FAQ says that with a remote node, a wallet "still needs to request a copy of all the outputs, which can take several hours." The blocks remaining count in Sync Settings shows how much is left.

I moved my wallet from iPhone to Android, and the balance is zero. Why?

Monero One for Android restores 24-word and 25-word seeds. To move a Polyseed wallet from iPhone, you back it up on iPhone as Legacy (25 words). Those 25 words leave out the date. On Android, pick a Wallet Birthday on or before the day you created the wallet. You can also lower the restore height after the restore.

Can support fix my balance if I share my seed?

Keep your seed to yourself. A zero balance is a scan setting, and you fix it in the app. Anyone who asks for your seed can take your XMR.

New to Monero One? The FAQ covers sync times and more. To pick a wallet, see our guide to the best Monero wallets.

Sources

Read on October 17, 2026.