How to fix a stuck transaction in MetaMask? How to cancel a pending transaction?

Understanding Stuck Transactions in MetaMask

1. A stuck transaction occurs when an Ethereum-based transaction remains in a pending state for an extended period due to insufficient gas price or network congestion.

2. MetaMask displays such transactions under the activity tab with a “Pending” label, and they may persist for hours or even days if not addressed.

3. The Ethereum mempool holds these unconfirmed transactions until miners include them in a block or they expire — though expiration is rare without manual intervention.

4. Users often misinterpret stuck status as a failure; however, the transaction remains valid and broadcast until replaced or dropped by the node.

5. Network-wide spikes in transaction volume—such as during NFT mints or token launches—frequently cause delays, especially for low-fee submissions.

Identifying Pending vs. Failed Transactions

1. A pending transaction retains its original nonce and has not yet been included in any block, visible via Etherscan using the wallet address.

2. A failed transaction appears confirmed on-chain but with a status of “Fail” or “Reverted”, consuming gas and leaving the nonce incremented.

3. MetaMask does not auto-detect failure until the transaction receives finality; users must manually verify status through blockchain explorers.

4. Nonce mismatches arise when multiple pending transactions exist and one confirms, causing subsequent ones to stall until their nonce aligns with the current account state.

5. Confirmed-but-reverted transactions cannot be canceled—they are immutable once mined—even if logic within the smart contract rejects execution.

Canceling a Pending Transaction

1. Open MetaMask and navigate to the “Activity” tab to locate the pending transaction.

2. Click the three-dot menu next to the transaction and select “Cancel” — this option only appears if the transaction is still unconfirmed and uses EIP-1559 fee structure.

3. MetaMask will automatically generate a new transaction with the same nonce but zero-value ETH transfer to your own address, effectively replacing the original.

4. Set the priority fee slightly higher than the base fee suggested to ensure prompt inclusion, especially during high congestion.

5. Confirm the cancellation transaction in the popup; once mined, the original pending entry disappears from the activity feed.

Speeding Up a Stuck Transaction

1. Locate the pending transaction in MetaMask’s Activity tab and click the “Speed Up” option if available.

2. MetaMask constructs a replacement transaction using the identical nonce but increases maxFeePerGas and maxPriorityFeePerGas.

3. The new gas parameters must exceed those of the original by at least 10% to meet miner incentives and avoid rejection.

4. Users can manually adjust fees using the “Edit” button before confirming, referencing real-time data from GasNow or EthGasStation.

5. Speed-up attempts fail silently if the original transaction confirms mid-process, resulting in two confirmed transactions with sequential nonces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I cancel a transaction after it has been confirmed? No. Once a transaction receives block confirmation on Ethereum, it becomes irreversible. Cancellation is only possible while in pending status.

Q: Why does MetaMask sometimes not show “Cancel” or “Speed Up” options? These controls require EIP-1559 compatibility and depend on the RPC endpoint’s support for transaction replacement. Legacy gas models or custom networks may disable them.

Q: What happens if I send two cancel transactions with the same nonce? Only the one with the higher fee gets processed. The lower-fee version drops from the mempool and never confirms.

Q: Does resetting my account in MetaMask clear pending transactions? No. Account reset only clears local cache and interface history. Pending transactions remain in the network mempool until mined or evicted by nodes.