Start by finding out what actually happened. Open the transaction in History and read its Network line. On a network where Activity is not available yet, look the transaction up on that network's block explorer instead.
The address is yours on that network
This is the common case between EVM networks. Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Polygon, BNB Chain and the others share one address format, and your recovery phrase gives you the same address on all of them. The tokens are at your address, on a network you were not looking at.
- 01Make sure that network is being checked. Some networks are checked every minute and the rest a few times a day; Settings → Networks → Check every network now asks all of them at once.
- 02Open the asset in your list. The network holding it appears under it.
- 03If the token still does not appear, add it by searching for it or pasting its contract address — see my token does not show up.
- 04To move it on, you need a little of that network's own coin for the fee — see balance is too low to cover the network fee.
The address belongs to someone else
An exchange deposit address, or another person's wallet. Then only they can return the tokens.
- An exchange may be able to recover a deposit made on a network it does not support — sometimes for a fee, sometimes not at all. That decision is theirs. Contact them with the transaction hash.
- A person who uses a self-custody wallet has the tokens at their own address on that network, and can send them back from there.
Networks that do not share addresses
Bitcoin, Solana, TON and the other non-EVM networks each have their own address format. Smartable checks a recipient against the network you are sending on and refuses an address that does not fit, before anything is sent.
A transfer sent from somewhere else that did go through landed at whatever that string means on the network it was sent on. Usually that is nobody's address, and nothing can bring it back.
Before the next transfer
Confirm the network with the recipient first, and send a small test amount when the sum matters. Which address do I give them? covers the receiving side.
What the app shows
- “That is not a valid Solana address. Addresses from other chains can look correct and still be unspendable.”
Security note
Never share your recovery phrase, private key, password or device PIN. Smartable will never ask for them or ask you to sign a transaction to “verify” or “recover” your wallet.
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