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tip

Calibnet and mainnet wallets are mostly interchangeable; under the hood they have the same private key. You can export a calibnet wallet and import it into MetaMask, then switch to mainnet in MetaMask and it will work just fine. The only difference is that calibnet wallets start with t prefix and mainnet wallets start with f. Some tools might reject t... addresses when mainnet is selected, some will happily accept either.

Exporting a Forest Wallet to MetaMask

This guide walks you through exporting a Forest wallet (f4 address) to MetaMask, allowing you to manage your Filecoin account through the MetaMask browser extension.

Prerequisites​

  • A Forest wallet with an f4 address (EVM-compatible address)
  • MetaMask browser extension installed
  • Command-line tools: forest-wallet, xxd, jq, and base64

Step 1: Export the Private Key​

info

You can list your wallets and their balances using forest-wallet list. Make sure to identify the correct f4 address you want to export. Refer to the wallets guide for more details on managing wallets in Forest.

To export your wallet's private key in a format compatible with MetaMask, use the following command:

forest-wallet export f4... | xxd -r -p | jq -r '.PrivateKey' | base64 -d | xxd -p -c 32

Replace f4... with your actual f4 address.

This command will output a hexadecimal private key that can be imported into MetaMask.

danger

Keep your private key secure! Never share your private key with anyone. Anyone with access to your private key has full control over your funds. Make sure to run this command in a secure environment and clear your terminal history afterward.

Step 2: Add Filecoin Network to MetaMask​

Before importing your account, you need to add the Filecoin network to MetaMask:

For Mainnet​

Visit Chainlist - Filecoin Mainnet and click "Connect Wallet" to automatically add the network configuration to MetaMask.

For Calibnet​

Visit Chainlist - Filecoin Calibration Network and click "Connect Wallet" to automatically add the network configuration to MetaMask.

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You can also manually add the network in MetaMask by going to "Networks → Add a Custom Network" and entering the network details from Chainlist.

Step 3: Import the Account into MetaMask​

  1. Open MetaMask in your browser
  2. Click on the account icon in the top-right corner
  3. Select "Add wallet"
  4. Choose "Import an account"
  5. Paste the hexadecimal private key from Step 1
  6. Click "Import"

Your Forest wallet should now be accessible in MetaMask!

Step 4: Verify the Import​

  1. Switch to the Filecoin network in MetaMask (mainnet or calibnet, depending on which you added)
  2. Verify that the account address matches your original f4 address. MetaMask will display the address in Ethereum format (0x...), but it corresponds to the same account on the Filecoin network - by, e.g., going to a block explorer like Blockscout and searching for your f4 address, then comparing the 0x address shown in Blockscout with the one in MetaMask. You can also use the Beryx address converter tool.
  3. Check that your balance is displayed correctly

Security Best Practices​

  • Never share your private key with anyone or any service
  • Use a hardware wallet for large amounts of FIL
  • Test with small amounts first on calibnet before using mainnet
  • Keep backups of your wallet in a secure location

Troubleshooting​

My balance doesn't appear in MetaMask​

Ensure you've switched to the correct Filecoin network (mainnet or calibnet) in MetaMask. The network must match where your funds are located.

MetaMask shows a different address format​

MetaMask displays addresses in Ethereum format (0x...). This is normal - it's the same account, just displayed in a different address format. The f4 address and the 0x address represent the same account on the Filecoin network.