Privacy Best Practices

At MetaMask, user privacy is a top priority. We completely understand wanting to use MetaMask in the most privacy-preserving way; we’ve put together a couple of best practices to ensure your blockchain activities remain private.

During onboarding

Initiating your journey with MetaMask, there are a few points you should keep in mind when getting started with MetaMask. Consider the following steps:

Choose a strong password

Your password is the first line of defense for others wanting to access your MetaMask interface. Opt for a complex and unique password that is difficult to guess, and avoid using simple or reused passwords that you already use for other services.

Back up your Secret Recovery Phrase, securely

Your Secret Recovery Phrase controls all of your accounts and all of your funds. If someone has your Secret Recovery Phrase, they have complete access to your entire blockchain identity and funds. We highly recommend reading our article on Basic Safety and Security Tips for MetaMask, which contains essential information about safely storing your Secret Recovery Phrase.

Set up your privacy preferences

After you’ve successfully set up your wallet, you have the ability to set up various privacy settings before you actually start using MetaMask. On both MetaMask Extension and Mobile, simply hit the ‘Manage default settings’ button.

Here you can configure MetaMask’s default settings according to your preferences.

Configure your privacy settings

If you’ve already set up your MetaMask instance and wish to adjust your privacy settings, you absolutely can. Read more about adjusting your MetaMask privacy settings.

Only connect to websites you trust

The decentralized web is vast, and not every site has your best interests at heart. Be mindful of the websites you connect to, and only interact with reputable platforms to avoid phishing attempts and malicious contracts. If in doubt, do some research to confirm the legitimacy of the dapp.

Set up auto-lock

By setting up an auto-lock timer on your MetaMask wallet, you ensure that your interface automatically locks after a period of inactivity

You can set up auto-lock by going to Settings > Advanced:

Run your own node

Nodes serve as the backbone of the network. Each individual node keeps a record of each block and every transaction sent. If you’d like to learn more about how MetaMask connects to a blockchain network, check out this article.

For those who are technically inclined, running your own node offers the highest level of privacy and control. By connecting MetaMask to your personal node, you bypass third-party infrastructures, keeping your transactions and interactions within the blockchain even more private.

If you’d like to learn more about running your own (Ethereum) node, the ethereum.org website contains a comprehensive guide on getting started. After setting up your personal node, you can learn more about adding your local node to MetaMask.