Metamask Extension | private keys keeping

MetaMask is a web browser extension and mobile app that allows you to manage your Ethereum private keys. By doing so, it serves as a wallet for Ether and other tokens, and allows you to interact with

Metamask Extension | private keys keeping

Extension permissions

When adding MetaMask to your browser, you may ask why you’d have to approve an extension to “read and change all your data on the websites you visit”. Get ready, the answer is technical:

In order to enable dapps (decentralized applications) to access the blockchain, MetaMask needs to inject a Web3 JavaScript object into each page. By doing so, it will not change the website, but merely allows it to access the network. For a fuller explanation of this, see here.

If you are still not convinced, a good way to experiment and manage your browser is to sandbox your MetaMask: create a separate browser profile so that MetaMask is only installed there. This will let you get used to MetaMask and Web3 in an environment that's separate from your existing web identity.

That said, MetaMask is safe for browsing. Welcome — you're joining over 30 million MetaMask users all over the world!

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Articles in this section

• Learn the basics of blockchains and Ethereum (miners and validators, gas, cryptocurrencies and NFTs, block explorer, networks, etc.)

• How to contact MetaMask Support

• What is a browser extension, and why is MetaMask one?

• What is a signature in MetaMask?

• What is MetaMask Flask, and how is it different from normal MetaMask?

• How to use the MetaMask Mobile Browser

• I can't access the 'Start a Conversation' button on the Support page

• How does MetaMask connect to a blockchain network?

• The Ethereum address format and why it matters when using MetaMask

• How to check the status of an open Support ticket