<p>To unlock your wallet:</p>
<h3>Option 1: Introduce password in prompt that opens when you send coins</h3>
<h3>Option 2: Console (Help &gt; Debug window &gt; Console)</h3>
<p>Type the following:</p>
<pre><code>walletpassphrase &quot;passphrase&quot; timeout
</code></pre>
<p>Where passphrase is your password and timeout is the number of seconds you want the wallet unlocked (i.e. 120 = 2 min). This is option is the only one when you want to do something that requires unlocking but you don't want to send coins (like dumping a private key) or when you plan to leave the wallet open and fear forgetting to lock it again.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-05-11T20:57:25.323Z
2018-02-05T21:09:43.680Z
2020-06-16T11:10:03.350Z
Fernando Gutierrez
<p>It unlocks when you need to spend.  If you try to send money to an address, it'll ask you for a password.  You don't need a password to receive bitcoins.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-06T16:12:38.993Z
2013-04-06T16:12:38.993Z
Eyal
<p>How do I unlock a bitcoin-qt wallet? I know my passphrase and all.
It says that my wallet is encrypted and locked for now so how do i unlock it?</p>

<wallet>
Unlock a Bitcoin-qt wallet
user3994
# Unlock a Bitcoin-qt wallet

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-04-06)

How do I unlock a bitcoin-qt wallet? I know my passphrase and all.
It says that my wallet is encrypted and locked for now so how do i unlock it?

**Tags:** wallet


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-05-11. Score: 4

To unlock your wallet:
Option 1: Introduce password in prompt that opens when you send coins
Option 2: Console (Help > Debug window > Console)
Type the following:
walletpassphrase "passphrase" timeout

Where passphrase is your password and timeout is the number of seconds you want the wallet unlocked (i.e. 120 = 2 min). This is option is the only one when you want to do something that requires unlocking but you don't want to send coins (like dumping a private key) or when you plan to leave the wallet open and fear forgetting to lock it again.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2013-04-06. Score: 2

It unlocks when you need to spend. If you try to send money to an address, it'll ask you for a password. You don't need a password to receive bitcoins.


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