A restore height tells a Monero wallet where to begin its transaction scan. Choose a block before the wallet’s first incoming payment, and it can find the payment without scanning older blocks. A block is one recorded batch of Monero transactions.
- Set the height at or before your wallet’s first incoming XMR.
- If unsure, choose an earlier height; scanning takes longer, but funds won’t be skipped.
- A high restore height can hide older payments until you scan again from lower down.
Restore height sets the start of the wallet scan
Why does a wallet need this setting? Monero transaction details are encrypted, so a wallet scans the blockchain with its private view key, which lets it find transactions for that wallet. The restore height tells it where to start looking.
If you are restoring a wallet to receive XMR from another cryptocurrency, prepare the Monero wallet to scan from before its first incoming payment. An XMR bridge is one way to swap value into Monero; the restore height determines whether a restored wallet can find the XMR it receives.
The height refers to Monero’s blockchain, not the chain used by the coin you swap from. A height on BNB Smart Chain, for example, cannot tell a Monero wallet where to start scanning.
Choose a height before the first incoming payment
What number should you enter? Use the block that contains your first incoming transaction, or an earlier block. If you know the transaction ID, a Monero block explorer can show which block included it. Otherwise, use the wallet’s creation date as an estimate and choose a date slightly earlier.
For example, suppose you created a wallet in 2022 and first received XMR in 2023. Set the restore date near the wallet’s 2022 creation date, not the later payment date. Starting earlier may add scan time, but it gives the wallet a chance to find every incoming payment.
The common mistake is entering the date of a recent payment because it is the only date you remember. If the wallet was used earlier, that setting skips older transactions and can show a lower balance than expected. Lower the restore height to before the earliest possible payment, then let the wallet scan again.
Use the seed type and scan result to decide what to do
Does your recovery phrase already contain the wallet’s birthday? Some newer Monero wallets use Polyseed, a seed format that stores an approximate creation month. Older 25-word seed phrases generally do not include that date, so you may need to supply an estimate when restoring.
For a command-line restore, Monero’s wallet software accepts a start height with the --restore-height option. In a wallet app, look for its restore date or height field. If the restored wallet finishes scanning but misses an expected payment, set an earlier height and rescan; a high starting point is the key thing to check.
In practice, I’d choose a safely early date over a precise guess that might be too late. The extra scan covers older blocks, while a height after the first payment can leave it undiscovered. Keep the recovery phrase private: it can restore access to the wallet.