How to check ETH balance on MetaMask?

Accessing Account Information

1. Open the MetaMask browser extension and ensure it is unlocked using your password.

2. Confirm that the active network matches the one where your ETH balance resides—mainnet, Sepolia, or another EVM-compatible chain.

3. Locate the primary account display area at the top of the interface; it shows the connected wallet address and associated balance.

4. Tap or click on the account name to open the account details panel, revealing full address, network context, and native token balance.

5. The displayed balance defaults to ETH units, but users can toggle between ETH, gwei, and wei by clicking the unit label beside the numeric value.

Using the Ethereum Object in Console

1. Navigate to any dApp page with MetaMask injected, such as a decentralized exchange or contract interaction UI.

2. Open browser developer tools and switch to the Console tab.

3. Type ethereum.request({ method: 'eth_accounts' }) and press Enter to retrieve the currently connected account address.

4. Execute ethereum.request({ method: 'eth_getBalance', params: [accountAddress, 'latest'] }) to fetch raw balance in wei.

5. Convert the returned hexadecimal string to decimal and divide by 10¹⁸ to obtain ETH value for verification purposes.

Verifying Balance via Block Explorers

1. Copy the wallet address shown in MetaMask’s top bar.

2. Paste it into a compatible block explorer URL—for example, sepolia.etherscan.io for Sepolia testnet or etherscan.io for mainnet.

3. Wait for the page to load the address summary, which includes total ETH balance, transaction history, and token holdings.

4. Cross-check the “Balance” field against what appears inside MetaMask to confirm synchronization status.

5. Note discrepancies may indicate pending transactions, RPC node lag, or incorrect network selection within the wallet.

Common Issues and Resolutions

1. If balance shows zero despite prior activity, verify whether MetaMask is connected to the correct network—switching from Sepolia to mainnet will reset displayed balances.

2. A grayed-out balance or loading spinner suggests RPC connection failure; try toggling between default and custom RPC endpoints in Settings > Networks.

3. Missing tokens after adding custom ERC-20 contracts often stem from incorrect contract address input or unsupported decimals configuration.

4. Balance inconsistencies across multiple devices occur when only one instance has imported the seed phrase—always restore all devices from the same 12-word recovery phrase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Why does MetaMask show a different ETH balance than Etherscan?A1: This usually results from unsynced RPC nodes or cached local state. Force-refresh MetaMask by toggling the network off and on again, then compare values after full reload.

Q2: Can I see my ETH balance without connecting to any dApp?A2: Yes. The balance is visible directly in the MetaMask extension popup without visiting external sites or interacting with smart contracts.

Q3: Does MetaMask display staked ETH or liquid staking derivatives automatically?A3: No. Native ETH balance reflects only transferable, non-staked tokens. Staked ETH (e.g., via Lido or Rocket Pool) appears only if the corresponding token contract is manually added to the asset list.

Q4: Is balance data stored locally or retrieved live from the blockchain?A4: MetaMask fetches real-time balance data from its configured RPC endpoint each time the interface loads or refreshes—not from local storage.