How to register and start using MetaMask

Why do you need MetaMask ?

MetaMask allows you to connect to decentralized applications (DApps) directly from your browser (or through a mobile app). You can make transactions without intermediaries, playing games with fully transparent source code.

In this article, we've put together a guide for you so that you can work with the extension today without any difficulty or unnecessary questions.

What is MetaMask ?

MetaMask is an open-source Ethereum wallet that supports all kinds of Ethereum-based tokens (e.g. ERC-20 compliant tokens and non-interchangeable tokens, i.e. NFT). In addition, you can get them from other users of the network, or buy/exchange them using the built-in integration with Coinbase and ShapeShift.

Installing MetaMask

You can install MetaMask Wallet in Google Chrome, Firefox and Brave. It is also available for iOS and Android.

Go to the official metamask.io download page. Select your browser, and then you will be redirected to the Chrome online store or Firefox add-on website. Click the install button for the extension. You may need to give it some permissions before launching it. Make sure you're comfortable with the browser access requirements - and if so, start registering.

How to register MetaMask

The process of registering a new cryptocurrency wallet can be divided into 3 main steps.

Step 1 - download the app

In the App Store or Google Play, find the MetaMask cryptocurrency wallet. Then click "Install" and wait for it to complete.

Step 2 - Create a MetaMask Wallet

To verify, open the app and click "Create a new wallet".

Enter your password and confirm your consent to use biometric data, wait 10-30 seconds.Next, press the "Start" button. After that, on the screen should appear a secret phrase of 12 words. It is imperative to write it down because if you lose it, access to the wallet will be denied forever.

At the end of the registration, enter the seed phrase. Important nuance: It is not allowed to rearrange the words! If all steps have been performed consistently and correctly, you will get access to the wallet.

Step 3 - add tokens

By default, only Ethereum is added to the cryptocurrency wallet. So choose a coin to be sent to the created wallet. If everything is successful, then there are a few simple steps left:

• On the main page, click the "Add tokens" button;
• Search for a coin by its ticker and click on "Add Token";
• Refresh the page;

The tab with the desired asset will be added to your wallet menu.

As a new cryptocurrency wallet user, you want to add more coins, so we found a simple video for you to learn how to use the wallet without questions and learn all the subtleties and secrets.Creating a wallet

Filling your wallet

In this tutorial, we use the Ropsten test network. This network functions much like the real Ethereum network, but its coins have no value. To connect to the Ropsten Test Network, click Main Ethereum Network in the upper right corner and select Ropsten Test Network.

To get test funds for the game, we will use the faucet. Go to this page in a browser with MetaMask installed.

You can click on the little fox icon at any time to display a pop-up window with your MetaMask account information. Just hover your mouse over "Account 1" and click to copy your Ethereum address to the clipboard. Paste it into the form and click "Send me a test either."

Access to the decentralized network

Since we are in a test network, we don't have that many choices of applications to interact with. A full list of decentralized apps on the main network can be found at State of the DApps or Dappradar. You can play games, buy unique assets, or bet on markets.

We use the DApp we demonstrated earlier. Uniswap is a decentralized exchange (DEX) where you can place trades without relying on intermediaries. You can access Uniswap here. In the upper right corner you'll see a request to "Connect to Wallet". This prompt will appear on all MetaMask compatible sites, because the extension does not connect automatically for security reasons. Click on it, and you will be prompted to select a wallet. If you were not redirected to another page, that wallet will be MetaMask.

When the site tries to connect for the first time, a MetaMask dialog box will appear asking you to confirm the action. Here you can select an account, and then see what permissions you're going to give the site. In this case, as in many others, the site asks for information about your account's wallet address.

MetaMask and Privacy

Some people prefer to share their addresses to prevent any overlap, while others don't care about these risks (after all, blockchain is public). The level of privacy you want to achieve is up to you. A general rule of thumb: don't provide access to your data to sites you don't trust.

Where are my tokens stored ?

Your ether is gone, but the new tokens don't show up in your account? Don't panic - you just need to add them manually.

If they are popular tokens, select "Add Token" and start searching by name or ticker. If you have exchanged less popular (or those in the test network), you need to add manually the contract address - the identifier that MetaMask gives you where to look for our balance.

• Open the wallet by clicking on the extension
• Click on the three dots in the top bar
• Select "Look at Etherscan."
• Under "Overview," click on the "Token" drop-down list and select DAI
• Under "Profile Summary," you'll see the contract address. Copy the address by hovering over it.
• Go back to MetaMask and click on "Add Token".
• Click on the "User token" tab
• Paste the copied address into the "Token Contract Address" form
• The other fields should be filled in automatically. Click "Next" followed by "Add tokens"
• Go back to the home screen to view your full balance

Congratulations! You just used your first DApp, securely exchanging ether for DAI. Everything you've learned can now be done on the real network. When you're ready to use the main network applications, don't forget to switch from Ropsten to the main network.

What else do I need to know about MetaMask ?

MetaMask has many other useful features that we haven't talked about here. For example, you can connect a hardware wallet, create a contact list, and receive/send funds like a regular wallet. You can customize the extension to suit your needs.

In addition, the usual security principles apply: MetaMask is a hot wallet, i.e. it runs on a device connected to the Internet. This puts you at more risk than using a cold wallet, which is offline in order to minimize the attack vector surface.

Finally, using MetaMask you need to know which sites you are providing access to.

The MetaMask application

The MetaMask app for Android/iPhone is a convenient solution for interacting with Web3 applications inside your smartphone. The app, which has essentially the same functionality as the extension, has a built-in DApp browser, so you get one-touch access to various decentralized apps.

Working in the app is very similar to working with a browser extension. You can directly transfer ether or tokens from your wallet or even interact with Uniswap.

If you need additional information, here is some more useful information that you may find useful.

• How to load money into Metamask purse from a card
• How to load Metamask wallet from Binance

We were happy to help. If you still have any questions, you can find all the useful materials in our social networks. Our team is online and already preparing cool updates for you.