Don't panic. Your signature request is not lost—your phone just didn't automatically send you back to the DApp page. It's still waiting in your wallet for you to act. You just need to switch back manually.
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MetaMask has a known behavior change on iOS 17 and above—after signing, it no longer automatically jumps back to the browser. Instead, you need to tap "Return to app" yourself. This is not a bug; it's a system-level change. So "can't get back" is an illusion. You can get back, but you have to do it manually.
Case A: You already tapped "Sign" or "Confirm" in the wallet
[What to do]: Finish the wallet action, then manually switch back to the DApp.
[How to do it]:
- In the wallet app, check the signature request box. Make sure the content you are signing is correct, then tap "Sign" or "Confirm."
- After tapping, press your phone's multitasking button (swipe up from the bottom or double-tap the Home button). Find your browser app (Safari/Chrome) in the app card list and tap it to switch back.
[Done when]: After switching back to the browser, the spinning status on the DApp page disappears and it shows "Signature successful" or moves to the next step. If the page does not respond, refresh it manually once.
One detail: On iOS 17, MetaMask shows a "Return to app" prompt inside the app after signing. But many users think it is just a notification, so they don't tap it and switch screens instead, which causes them to get stuck. The correct way is to tap "Return to app" first, then switch back to the browser.
Case B: The wallet opened, but no signature request appeared
[Common reason for failure]: The DApp did not prepare the signature request before redirecting, or the wallet's deep link (Universal Link) configuration is broken.
[How to do it]:
- First close the DApp page, then open it again—not refresh, but close the tab and reopen it.
- Go through the connection flow again. After connecting successfully, trigger the signature separately—split "connect" and "sign" into two steps. Don't trigger the signature immediately after connecting.
- If it still doesn't work, go to the wallet settings and find the "Connected sites" list. Delete the current DApp entry, reconnect, and then sign.
[Done when]: The wallet app shows a signature confirmation box with the message content you are signing.
Risk warning: If the DApp asks you to sign a message that looks like a string of unreadable hexadecimal characters (random text starting with 0x), do not sign it. A legitimate DApp signature message should be readable English text or clear transaction details. Signing a message you can't understand means authorizing an unknown operation.
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Case C: After switching back to the browser, the DApp shows "Disconnected" or asks to reconnect
This means the WalletConnect WebSocket session dropped during the redirect. This usually happens when the phone locks or the app stays in the background for more than 20–30 seconds. The WebSocket connection enters an unrecoverable state.
[How to do it]:
- Go back to the DApp page and tap the "Disconnect" button if there is one.
- Go to the wallet's "Connected sites" list and manually disconnect the current DApp session.
- Then scan the QR code again or tap "Connect wallet" and go through the full flow once more.
[Done when]: Your wallet address appears again in the top right corner of the DApp page, and the signature request can pop up and return normally.
How to verify the operation is complete: After tapping sign in the wallet, switch back to the DApp page. The "Signing…" spinner should disappear, and you should see a "Signature successful" message or be moved to the next step. If the page keeps spinning for more than 10 seconds, refresh the DApp page—this is the most effective trick. After refreshing, the DApp will query the signature status again and usually update right away.
