You've been standing there for three minutes. The phone you scanned with keeps showing "Loading..." and the QR code on your computer hasn't changed. Let me tell you: if your first reaction is to frantically hit refresh, you might actually make things worse.
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Many wallets bind the QR code and connection session as a one-time pair. If you refresh, the session key generated by the backend becomes invalid — but your phone may still be trying to pair with the old key. The two sides no longer match, and the connection gets stuck even worse.
Step 1: Don't touch the QR code yet — check your phone first
If nothing happens after scanning with your phone, 80% of the time it's because the phone never actually initiated the pairing request.
Case A: You're using a standalone app like Trust Wallet or TokenPocket
Open the app and make sure you are on the Assets page or Home page, and that your wallet is unlocked (you can see your balance). Then tap the "Scan" icon in the top right corner to scan. After scanning, your phone screen must show a confirmation popup asking if you allow this DApp to connect.
If nothing happens after scanning — not even a popup — check whether camera permission is disabled. Go to your phone's system settings and enable camera access for the app.
Case B: You're using the "WalletConnect" feature in MetaMask
Open MetaMask, switch to the "Browser" or "Settings" tab at the bottom, and find the "WalletConnect" entry. Note: do not scan with your system camera directly. You need to scan from inside the wallet's built-in scanner. After scanning, a signature confirmation popup will also appear.
Success criteria: Your mobile wallet clearly shows a connection confirmation screen asking you to tap "Connect" or "Confirm." If this step does not happen, refreshing the QR code is useless.
Step 2: Check if the QR code has "gone cold"
If you've confirmed that the phone scanned and you tapped confirm, but the computer page still shows no response — the QR code may have expired.
What to do:
First check if there is a countdown or "validity" notice below the QR code on the computer. Most WalletConnect QR codes are valid for 3–5 minutes.
If it has timed out, the page usually shows "QR code expired" or the code turns gray. Only then should you refresh the page to generate a new code.
If the QR code looks normal but there is no countdown, refresh once as a last resort — not as your first move.
High-risk warning: After scanning to connect your wallet on a public computer (like an internet cafe or shared office machine), always manually disconnect from the wallet's "Connected Sites" list. Otherwise, the next person using the same computer and opening the same DApp may be able to operate your account directly. Many people overlook this.
Step 3: Check the network environment on both phone and computer
You scanned, the confirmation popup appeared, you tapped connect, but the page is still spinning — this means the handshake failed.
What to do:
Turn off WiFi on your phone and switch to 5G/4G mobile data, then try again. Some public WiFi networks or corporate networks block WalletConnect handshake requests (which use WebSocket long connections).
If your computer has a VPN or proxy enabled, temporarily turn it off. If the network environments on both sides are too different (for example, phone on a domestic network, computer on an overseas node), pairing messages may be delayed or routed incorrectly.
Success criteria: The computer page changes from "Connecting…" to showing your wallet address (starting with 0x), or the word "Connected" appears.
Step 4: Check your wallet app version
You scanned, tapped confirm, switched networks, and it still doesn't work — an outdated wallet app may not recognize the newer WalletConnect protocol.
What to do:
iOS: Go to the App Store, search for your wallet's name, and check if there is an "Update" button.
Android: Do the same in your app store. If the version number is older than one released in early 2025, update it directly.
Success criteria: After updating, restart the app and go through the scanning process again.
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If all four steps above still don't work
The problem is most likely on the DApp backend, not with your wallet. In this case, refreshing the QR code or reinstalling your wallet won't help.
Wait 15–30 minutes and try again, or check the DApp's official Twitter/Discord for any service outage announcements. If no one can connect, it means their WalletConnect Relay Server is down.
How to verify: After a successful connection, the top right corner of the computer page or the wallet icon area should show your full Ethereum address (usually truncated as 0x1234...5678). If there is no address and only a "Connect Wallet" button, you are not connected. Go through Step 2 again (refresh the QR code) and retry immediately.
