How to Set Up a Solana Testnet Wallet

How to Set Up a Solana Testnet Wallet

Jul 25, 2022

7 min read

How to Set Up a Solana Testnet Wallet

We are inviting up to 1000 people to participate in our Solana-based Gamified Yield Aggregator Testnet. To incentivize participation, we will be awarding Solana NFTs and cash prizes each week. This will require users to use our platform and provide feedback to help improve Nezha.

In order to join our Gamified Yield Aggregator Testnet, you will need to apply and have Nezha USDC tokens sent to your Solana wallet. In this article, we will go over how to set up a Solana Wallet and configure it to use the Testnet network.

Before starting, you will need to install a Chromium-based browser or use the Firefox browser to install the Solana wallet extensions from this article.

Installing a Solana Wallet Browser Extension

There are two main wallet options on Firefox & Chromium Browsers for the Solana Blockchain. In this tutorial, we will go over both options. These options are Phantom and Solflare. We recommend navigating to these websites via our links or the official Firefox extensions or Google Web Store as there are often malicious third-party extensions.

Install Phantom Wallet on Firefox

Installing Phantom on Firefox is incredibly easy. You will need to install the Phantom extension by clicking “Add to Firefox”.

Once you have clicked to add this wallet to Firefox, you should see a prompt appear asking for permission to add this extension, select “Add”.

This should only take a few seconds. However, once installed, your browser will redirect you to your new Phantom Wallet. It’s important that this is set up now and not later, as closing this tab is known to cause some issues and will require you to remove and reinstall your extension.

Install Solflare Wallet on Firefox

Installing Solfare on Firefox is incredibly easy. Much like the Phantom wallet, you will need to install the Solflare extension by clicking “Add to Firefox”.

Once you select “Add to Firefox”, you should see a prompt requesting permission to add the extension to your browser. If this isn’t done correctly, you may need to reload the Firefox extension page in question to try again.

Once installed, the wallet won’t automatically open. You should see a symbol in the top right for the Solflare wallet. If you don’t see this, make sure you have extensions enabled.

Install Phantom Wallet on Google Chrome / Opera / Microsoft Edge / Brave

You can install the Phantom plugin on Chromium-based browser very quickly, you will need to install the Phantom extension by clicking “Add to Chrome”.

You may be prompted with an option to verify this, simply click on “Add Extension”.

Once you add the Phantom Wallet extension, the wallet onboarding page will automatically open. If this does not happen, you should see the Phantom Wallet icon in the top right of your browser window. Simply click on the icon, and you will be shown the onboarding page.

Install Solflare Wallet on Google Chrome / Opera / Microsoft Edge / Brave

Solflare does require a few extra steps but is an incredibly easy wallet to install on your Chromium-based browser. 

Once you add Solflare Wallet to your Chrome installation, you will be prompted to verify the installation, simply click on “Add Extension”.

How to create a Phantom Wallet

If you already have a Phantom wallet but don’t know how to set up the Solana Testnet, you can skip to here. Otherwise, click on “Create a new wallet”, and ensure you have either a pen and paper or a secure data storage application to hand as you will need to write down your recovery data. Follow the steps as per the images below, as this part will be quite self-explanatory. 

Note: Ensure this password is unique and recoverable, you will need to keep this information completely secure. NEVER give these details to anyone who asks.

Once you have input a password, you will be provided with a Secret Recovery Phrase. This secret recovery phrase will be unique to your wallet, so you will need to keep this data secure and confidential. If a third party were to find these credentials, your account can be recovered and funds inside the wallet stolen.

Unlike other wallets, you will not be asked to re-enter this to ensure you have these phrases. Upon checking the “I saved my Secret Recovery Phrase” and clicking “Continue”, you will have officially set up your Phantom wallet on the Solana Mainnet. Changing this to Testnet is done within a few clicks.

How to swap to the Testnet using Phantom

In the top right of your Firefox browser, you should now see an additional icon for Phantom. This icon will be a ghost inside a purple circle. Click this icon and select the Gear in the bottom right. Some users have expressed issues with this loading, so once you click and open the wallet, give it around 20 seconds to load thoroughly.

Once the settings panel of your wallet loads, you will want to scroll down to “Change Network”. If you click or scroll with your mouse, not in the extension window, the window may close, resulting in having to reload the wallet and waiting again.

You will be presented with 4 options under the Change Network tab. Click on “Testnet”, and this will change your wallet. If you want to change it back to the Mainnet, you will need to go through the prior steps again, however, select “Mainnet Beta”. 

Changing your network does not remove/lose funds from your wallet. It simply acts like a different wallet in a different environment.

How to create a Solflare Wallet

Once you open the Solflare extension, you will be presented with a multitude of options. These will vary based on what you need or how you want to set this up if you already have a Solflare wallet and need to know how to swap to the Testnet, skip ahead. 

Create a new Solflare Wallet – This is for users who don’t have any wallet at all. This is a great option if you’re new to the Solana ecosystem or don’t have a hardware wallet.

I already have a wallet – This will run you through the recovery stage for connecting your Solflare wallet, you will need your recovery phrase for this step.

Ledger – If you have a hardware wallet, this option will go through the steps of setting up Solflare to work directly with that wallet. Keeping your funds offline is a great way to stay secure but may make using dApps slightly harder.

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Keystone – Much like Ledger, this is another branded hardware wallet that utilizes QR codes to help with connections and transactional data

This next part is crucial, you will need to keep your recovery phrases secure and safe. You can use an offline data storage app or a pad and paper, but make sure it is SECURE. You will be asked for these Recovery Phrases on the next page, do be sure to download/copy them.

Simply paste in the recovery details you were supplied, if you didn’t keep a record of them, close out your browser and start from the first steps again.

You will now be prompted to enter a passcode, this can use symbols, numbers, and letters. Be sure to use something safe and not something you use regularly. Apps like LastPass or 1Password can help keep these secure should you need to keep a record of a randomized password.

Once you hit continue, you will have your wallet set up! Congratulations!

How to swap to the Testnet using Solflare

The next few steps will assist you in configuring your wallet to use the Testnet rather than the Mainnet. Simply click on the “Settings” option in the top right of your screen. This will bring down a multitude of options. From here, select “NETWORK: MAINNET”.

Once you have selected the Network options, you will be presented with 3 choices in a list, it’s important that you select “Testnet” and not “Devnet” as they are two separate entities.

Congratulations! You’ve gotten the Testnet on Solflare set up! Should you wish to change back to Mainnet, simply follow the prior steps again and select Mainnet.

Your Solana Mainnet wallet contents and Solana Testnet wallet contents will be different, so don’t panic if they look like they’ve gone missing!