Skip to main content

What is a private key and how to protect it

Understanding what your private key is and how to keep it safe.

Written by Klutch

Your fomo wallet is non-custodial, which means you are the only person who can access it. The private key is what gives that access. Anyone who has your private key has full control of your wallet and every token in it.

Where to find it

Only you can view your private key. On the mobile app, open the Portfolio tab, tap the gear icon, then Profile and Account, then Export keys. Tick the two boxes and slide to export; that opens the export page at https://fomo.family/export-key in your browser.

On the web app, open your account menu, then Manage account, then Export keys.

Before the keys appear, you confirm that you understand the risks, and then the export page asks a few short questions. They are there to make sure nobody is talking you into handing over your key.

Answer in your own words, for example that you are importing the key into your own wallet or trading app, and the export buttons follow.

You then choose which key to export, the Solana key or the EVM key, and each one opens on its own screen. Each key controls the wallet on its own network.

The export page keeps its own sign-in. Sign in there with the same Apple ID or Google account you use in the app. If your browser is signed in with a different account, the page shows a different wallet, not yours.

Keep it safe

Never share your private key with anyone. No one from fomo will ever ask for it. Never store it on any digital device, take a screenshot of it, or paste it into a website. If someone asks you for your private key, it is a scam.

Using your key in another wallet

The most common reason to export your key is to access the same wallet in an external app. Any non-custodial wallet you trust can import the matching key: the Solana key for Solana, or the EVM key for Base, BNB Chain, Monad, Ethereum, Robinhood Chain, and Arc.

This can be useful for burning Solana tokens that hold no value, general wallet cleanup, or managing tokens you transferred in that fomo does not currently support. Importing your key does not create a new wallet, it just opens the same wallet in a different app.

If you are unfamiliar with private key management or are not sure about any of these steps, reach out to the fomo support team and we can walk you through it.

Did this answer your question?