Finding a transaction stuck in “pending” status inside MetaMask can feel like time has frozen on your wallet. I’ve been there. One morning I clicked send for what should have been a simple transfer, and by the next day, MetaMask still showed my transaction as pending — while everything else in my day went on without a hitch. It was confusing and frustrating.
Over months of using MetaMask for Ethereum, BNB Smart Chain, Polygon and other EVM chains, I’ve learned there are real, legitimate ways to handle this safely — without risking your funds or trusting sketchy “auto-fix” tools online.
In this in-depth blog post, I’ll walk you through why transactions get stuck, how to diagnose the situation, and the safest ways to fix a stuck pending transaction using built-in MetaMask features and trusted techniques.
Let’s demystify this issue — step by step.
Why MetaMask Transactions Get Stuck Pending
When you send a transaction with MetaMask, it goes to the blockchain network and waits in a queue until miners/validators include it in a block. That “pending” status simply means the transaction hasn’t been confirmed by the network yet.
A few common reasons this happens:
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You chose a low gas fee, and the network is too busy to process your transaction at that price. Even though MetaMask gives gas suggestions, they’re sometimes outdated by the time the transaction reaches the mempool.
There’s network congestion, especially during NFT mint drops or major DeFi activity.
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Something went wrong at the network layer — you ran out of native token (ETH/BNB/MATIC) to pay gas or used a low gas limit.
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MetaMask itself synced improperly and shows a bogus pending status even if the transaction cleared long ago.
Knowing this helps ground the solution in how Ethereum-style mempools actually work: the pending status isn’t just MetaMask “hanging”; it’s the network waiting for gas price incentives.
First Things First: Confirm the Status on Chain
Before trying anything else, open a blockchain explorer like Etherscan (for Ethereum), BscScan (BNB Chain), Polygonscan (Polygon), etc.
Paste your transaction hash or wallet address into the search bar and look for:
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“Pending” — the network still hasn’t processed it.
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“Success” — it may already be confirmed even if MetaMask doesn’t reflect that.
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“Failed” — something was wrong with the transaction logic or gas.
This step is crucial. MetaMask’s display isn’t always up-to-date with the actual blockchain state.
What Not to Do (Safety First)
I can’t stress this enough: never enter your Secret Recovery Phrase (seed phrase) into any website or tool to fix a transaction. MetaMask or trusted explorers will never ask for this. Anyone who does is almost certainly trying to steal your funds.
Also avoid random “connect wallet and fix your pending transactions” sites — these are classic phishing traps.
Safe Ways to Fix a Stuck Pending Transaction
Below are the legitimate, trusted methods used by seasoned users — including me.
1. Speed Up the Transaction
MetaMask has a Speed Up button right inside the pending transaction screen. It lets you re-submit the same transaction with a higher gas fee without creating a new logical transaction, because it uses the same nonce.
Think of nonce as your transaction’s unique place in the queue. Increasing the gas fee boosts its priority in the mempool, helping it get picked up faster by miners.
I personally have done this a few times during peak traffic, and it usually works — you’ll pay a bit more for gas, but you don’t lose the original amount.
How to do it:
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Open MetaMask and find the stuck transaction in Activity.
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Click Speed Up.
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Increase the gas price based on what you see in a gas tracker like Etherscan’s.
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Confirm.
It’s simple, direct, and official MetaMask documentation recommends it.
2. Cancel the Transaction
If you don’t want to wait or spend more gas, you can cancel the transaction — but only if it’s still pending on the network. You can’t cancel a confirmed transaction.
MetaMask provides a Cancel button on the pending transaction screen.
The cancellation is itself a transaction with the same nonce but a higher gas fee, designed so the network accepts it instead of the original.
It helps clear the queue and lets you start fresh.
3. Customize the Transaction Nonce (Advanced)
If the MetaMask Cancel / Speed Up buttons don’t help — especially in queues with multiple pending transactions — you can manually replace the stuck transaction using a custom nonce.
This is a bit more advanced, but still safe if done carefully:
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In MetaMask settings under Advanced, enable Customize Nonce.
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Find the nonce of the stuck transaction (via the explorer).
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Create a new transaction to yourself (send 0 ETH), set the same nonce, and increase gas fees.
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Confirm.
Because the blockchain only accepts one transaction per nonce, if your replacement gets mined first, the original pending transaction is effectively cancelled.
I’ve used this method when multiple transactions were stuck — it took a few tries, but it works.
Important: This doesn’t cost you the original ETH amount — only gas.
4. MetaMask Activity Tool
MetaMask provides an official MetaMask Activity tool (activity.metamask.io) where you can paste your transaction hash and see whether it’s truly pending, confirmed, or failed. It can suggest steps based on your status.
I recommend this as a diagnostic before trying more advanced techniques — it gives clarity based on on-chain data.
5. Reset Account / Clear Activity (Use With Caution)
MetaMask has a Reset Account feature that wipes your transaction history and the local record of pending transactions — but it does not touch your funds or keys. It just clears the local queued data inside MetaMask.
This can fix ghost pending transactions that are already confirmed on chain but still show as pending in the UI.
Important:
Only reset your account after checking on the explorer. If the transaction truly hasn’t been confirmed, resetting will only hide it temporarily.
Preventing Stuck Transactions in the Future
Learning from past frustrations, here’s how I handle transactions now to minimize stuck situations:
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Always verify current gas fees before submitting — tools like Etherscan’s Gas Tracker are super helpful.
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When trading during peak times, I bump the gas price above MetaMask’s default.
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If I know I want a fast transaction, I pick a custom gas price rather than the automated suggestion.
Over time, this reduces the number of pending queues dramatically.
Final Words
Stuck pending transactions in MetaMask are rarely a dead end — they’re just a mismatch between what your wallet submitted and what the blockchain is willing to process at the price you offered.
By checking the transaction on-chain, using Speed Up / Cancel, or carefully doing a custom nonce replacement, you can usually resolve the issue safely and without losing funds.
And remember — never share your seed phrase and always use official MetaMask interfaces for fixes. Scammers thrive on panic and confusion in moments like this.
If you found this guide useful, bookmark it — or better yet, try these methods the next time MetaMask throws you that pending status.
Happy transacting!