NOVA identifies recoverable wallets
The app includes active and archived software wallets backed by a recovery phrase or raw private key. It excludes hardware and watch-only wallets.
Official recovery explainer
How NOVA iCloud wallet backup and recovery works
NOVA encrypts recoverable software-wallet secrets before writing one current recovery record to the app's iCloud key-value store. A matching PIN or pattern is required to restore. Hardware and watch-only wallets are not included.
Backup flow
What happens when you create a backup
Your code derives the encryption key
You choose a four-digit PIN or a pattern of at least four points. NOVA derives an encryption key on-device and encrypts each wallet secret and the local keystore password with authenticated encryption.
The app writes and reads back one record
NOVA saves one current record in its iCloud key-value container, requests synchronization, then reads the record back and checks its ID, timestamp, and wallet count. A failed write-time check restores the prior record.
Data boundary
What is encrypted, readable, rebuilt, or excluded
| Data | Current treatment | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Recovery phrase or raw private key | Encrypted by NOVA before iCloud storage. | This is the signing material used to recreate a recoverable software wallet. |
| Local keystore password | Encrypted by NOVA before iCloud storage. | Used to reopen the restored local keystore. |
| Wallet name, ID, type, order, pinned/archive state, account addresses, and some derivation metadata | Readable inside NOVA's iCloud record; not covered by NOVA's per-secret encryption layer. | This metadata helps reconstruct the wallet list and account context but can reveal wallet organization and public addresses. |
| Balances, prices, token lists, charts, transactions, and caches | Not backed up; rebuilt from local or network sources. | A recovery backup is not a full device image or portfolio-history archive. |
| Watch-only wallets | Excluded. | They contain public addresses rather than recoverable signing secrets; re-add them separately. |
| Hardware wallets | Excluded. | The signing key remains with the hardware device; reconnect it separately after restore. |
New-device recovery
How to restore recoverable wallets
- Install or open the official NOVA - Solana Wallet app while signed into the iCloud account that holds the backup.
- During wallet import, choose iCloud. If NOVA is already set up, open Settings → iCloud Backups → Restore Wallets.
- Choose the same code mode used to create the backup—PIN or pattern—and enter the matching four-digit PIN or pattern.
- Review the restored count, wallet names, public addresses, and current wallet before moving funds. Existing wallet IDs can be skipped rather than duplicated.
- Reconnect hardware wallets and re-add watch-only addresses separately.
If the iCloud store is unavailable, no record is found, the code is wrong, or individual secrets cannot be imported, NOVA reports a failure or partial restore instead of inventing wallet state. This source review did not execute a new-device restore.
Keeping it current
One current record, not an unlimited history
Current format
NOVA's V3 format maintains one current recovery record to stay within iCloud key-value storage limits. The app can still read older V2 and legacy full-backup formats during migration.
Automatic refresh
When backup is enabled and the code remains available locally, NOVA can refresh the current record after wallet changes. Check the latest backup timestamp in Settings instead of assuming a recent import was uploaded.
Write-time verification
The read-back check catches many immediate failures. It does not prove that every future device, iCloud state, app version, or recovery attempt will succeed.
FAQ
Common NOVA backup questions
Is my recovery phrase uploaded in plain text?
No. The current implementation encrypts each recovery phrase or raw private key before writing the iCloud record.
Is every field encrypted by NOVA?
No. Wallet-list and account metadata remains readable inside the app's record. The page distinguishes that metadata from encrypted signing secrets.
What if I forget the backup PIN or pattern?
The current encrypted record cannot be decrypted with a different code. Use your independently stored recovery phrase or private key to import the wallet manually.
Does backup include Ledger or watch-only wallets?
No. Reconnect a hardware wallet using its own device and recovery model; re-add a watch-only wallet using its public address.
Evidence and corrections
Proof boundary for this guide
This page was derived from the current NOVA 4.2.0 backup service, storage format, iCloud Backups settings UI, wallet-import restore flow, and associated source-level contracts on August 29, 2026. Source inspection establishes intended implementation behavior; it is not a cryptographic audit, App Store review, iCloud-provider guarantee, simulator run, or physical-device restore.
- Official NOVA U.S. App Store listing
- Fuse, Glow, and NOVA recovery comparison
- Public review and proof methodology
Send factual corrections or a reproducible recovery issue to hi@nshield.org. Never include a seed phrase, private key, PIN, pattern, or unredacted backup record.