How to set up Cake Wallet

Quick steps

1. Install the real app. Get Cake Wallet from the App Store, Google Play, Accrescent, Cake's own F-Droid repository or the official GitHub releases, starting from cakewallet.com typed in yourself. Check links and APK hashes with the Frosting Guide download checker.
2. Set a PIN. Open the app and tap Set a PIN. The default is 4 digits; you can switch to a 6-digit PIN before confirming. Continuing means you accept Cake's terms of service.
3. Create a new wallet. Tap Create New Wallet, choose the coin (for example Monero or Bitcoin) and give the wallet a name that only you will see.
4. Choose the seed type if asked. For Monero the default is a 16-word Polyseed. Pick a 12-word BIP39 phrase instead only if you want one phrase for several coins in a wallet group.
5. Write down the recovery phrase. Tick the acknowledgements, reveal the words and write them on paper in order. Do not take a screenshot or paste them into a notes app.
6. Verify the phrase. Tap the requested words in the order the app asks. This confirms your written copy is correct.
7. Send a small test amount. Tap Receive, copy or scan the address, send a small amount first and wait until the wallet shows it before moving larger sums.

Cake Wallet is a free, open-source, self-custody wallet: your keys stay on your device and nobody, including Cake Labs, can recover them for you. Setting it up takes about five minutes. The step list above is the short version; this page explains each choice and the settings worth changing on day one. (Cake Wallet is not PancakeSwap's CAKE token or Cake DeFi.)

Before you start

• Use an official download. Fake wallet apps and look-alike sites are the most common way people lose money. Start from cakewallet.com typed into the address bar or from a bookmark, and check any link with our download checker. Platform details are in how to download Cake Wallet.
• Pick your device. Cake Wallet runs on Android (8.0 or later), iPhone and iPad (iOS 15 or later), Mac and Linux. New Windows releases are paused while the desktop app is redesigned, so Cake recommends the mobile app (Cake Wallet docs, 2026).
• Have pen and paper ready. You will write down 12 to 25 words. Do it somewhere private, away from cameras.

The PIN: what it does and does not do

The first screen asks you to Set a PIN. The default is 4 digits; the docs show a "Switch to 6-digit PIN" option, and a 6-digit PIN is the better choice. A forgotten PIN cannot be recovered, but that is not fatal: you can reinstall the app and restore from your recovery phrase.

The PIN only protects the app on this one device. It is not a backup. If the phone is lost, broken or reset, only the recovery phrase (or keys) can bring the wallet back (Cake Wallet docs, 2026).

Creating the wallet

After the PIN you choose between Create New Wallet and Restore Wallet. If you already have a seed from another wallet, follow how to restore a wallet instead.

When creating a wallet you pick one coin. Each coin is its own wallet inside the app, and you can add more at any time from the Wallets tab. The name you type is only a label on your device.

Which seed type to choose

For most people the defaults are right. Choose a BIP39 Monero seed only if you want Monero in a wallet group, where one 12-word phrase backs up one wallet per coin. Polyseed and 25-word Monero wallets cannot join a group (Cake Wallet docs, 2026). There is also an optional passphrase under advanced settings. It creates a completely different wallet, and if you forget it the funds are gone, so skip it unless you know why you need it.

Our seed phrase backup guide explains each type and what else to write down.

Saving and checking the recovery phrase

Since version 6.4.5 (September 2026) the app asks you to tick three statements before it shows the words: the phrase is the only way to recover the wallet, you will store it offline, and you will never share it. Then it reveals the words and quizzes you on some of them.

There is a "Skip this step" option. Avoid it. If you do skip, back up as soon as possible from the wallet's settings under Recovery & Keys and do not deposit anything until you have.

• Write the words by hand, numbered, in order. Check the spelling against the screen.
• Store the paper somewhere safe from fire, water and other people. A second copy in another place protects against loss.
• If you prefer digital storage, Cake's docs suggest an end-to-end encrypted password manager, never screenshots, plain notes apps or unencrypted cloud folders.
• Cake Wallet never asks for your recovery phrase and never messages you first. Anyone who does is a scammer.

First settings worth checking

None of these are required, but a few minutes here saves trouble later. Setting names can move between versions, so look for them in the app's settings menu.

• Biometrics and PIN timeout. Under the security settings you can allow fingerprint or face unlock and choose how long the app stays unlocked (the default is 10 minutes). Viewing the recovery phrase always needs the PIN.
• Cake 2FA. An optional extra code from an authenticator app before sensitive actions. It needs an app that supports 8-digit SHA-512 codes, which some popular authenticators do not. The app warns that if you lose your 2FA app or secret you lose access to the wallet and must restore it from the seed, so save the secret carefully.
• Backup file. An encrypted file of all your wallets and settings. It is a convenience, not a replacement for the recovery phrase.
• Privacy. Built-in Tor, Tor-only modes for price and swap lookups and your own node are covered in privacy and Tor settings.

Receiving your first coins

Tap Receive on the home screen to see a QR code and address. Cake Wallet creates a fresh address after each use by default, and old addresses keep working. Monero subaddresses start with 8 and the main address with 4; Bitcoin addresses start with bc1q by default.

Before receiving, let the wallet finish syncing: the sync area at the top of the home screen is empty, or shows "SYNCHRONIZED", when it is done. A Monero wallet must sync before balances are correct. If it stays on "Connecting" or "Attempting Sync", see Cake Wallet not syncing.

Send a small amount first. Make sure the sender uses the right network: a Bitcoin address cannot receive Litecoin, and tokens such as USDT exist on several chains. Our address checker checks the format of Monero, Bitcoin and Litecoin addresses in your browser.

What to expect

Cake Wallet does not charge a fee to send or receive; you pay network fees, and swap or buy providers inside the app build their costs into the rate they quote (Cake Wallet docs, 2026). See Cake Wallet fees. The trade-off of self-custody is responsibility: there is no password reset, no chargeback and no one who can undo a mistaken send.

Frequently asked questions