If you gave a dApp permission to move tokens from your account (a token approval or token allowance), that “approval” stays on-chain until you revoke it. Short version: approvals can be revoked, but MetaMask’s extension and mobile app don’t always expose every on-chain allowance in a single built-in list. So you’ll often use an on-chain approval manager or call the token contract directly (approve(spender, 0)).
I’ve made the mistake of approving an unlimited allowance for a token I barely used. I revoked it the next day, but paid the gas fee — and learned to check allowances more often. You should check yours regularly too.
Why does this matter? Because even if you disconnect a dApp from MetaMask, the on-chain approval remains. Disconnecting is not revoking. (Yes, people confuse that frequently.)
MetaMask shows connected sites and session permissions in the extension and the mobile app. That helps you remove a dApp’s connection (so it can’t request new signatures). But removing a connection does not automatically remove token allowances on-chain.
In my experience the extension makes disconnecting easy. But if you want a full audit of who can spend your tokens, use an approval scanner or do a contract call. For details on connected dApps and permissions see Connect to dApps and for token UI tips see Token management.
Below are three safe methods. Pick one depending on your comfort with on-chain tooling.
Notes:
This is more hands-on. Use it if you don’t want to connect to third-party approval sites.
Caveat: Some tokens implement different allowance patterns (increaseAllowance/decreaseAllowance). If you don’t see approve, check the contract’s functions first.
| Feature | MetaMask UI (connected sites) | Approval manager (third-party) | Manual via block explorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lists token allowances | Partial (permissions only) | Yes — scans on-chain | Yes — manual lookup |
| Revoke in-app | Disconnect only (not full revoke) | Yes — single-click revoke | Yes — call approve(spender, 0) |
| Requires third-party connection | No | Yes | Sometimes (connect to explorer) |
| Gas cost | No (disconnect) | Yes | Yes |
| Risk of phishing | Low if used alone | Higher if you connect to unknown sites | Low if you verify addresses |
Revoking costs gas. On Ethereum mainnet that can be non-trivial; on L2s it’s cheaper. If you have many approvals you’ll pay multiple fees. Want fewer transactions? Smart contract wallets can batch calls; MetaMask with a software account cannot.
Tip: if you plan to move all funds anyway, moving tokens to a fresh address can be faster than revoking every allowance — but that still costs gas and doesn’t fix the approvals on the old address (they remain if someone still controls it).
For gas tuning and EIP-1559 priority fees, see Gas fees and EIP-1559.
But don’t panic if you see lots of approvals. Most are from DEX routers or bridge contracts you actually used. Review, then act.
Who this helps:
Who should look elsewhere:
Q: Is it safe to keep crypto in a hot wallet? A: Hot wallets are convenient. They are also more exposed than hardware wallets. Regularly revoke unnecessary approvals and use hardware keys for large balances.
Q: How do I revoke token approvals in MetaMask? A: Use an on-chain approval manager (connect MetaMask and revoke) or call approve(spender, 0) on the token contract via the explorer. See the step-by-step above and how to revoke approvals for more detail.
Q: What is a MetaMask unlimited allowance? A: It’s an on-chain approval for a very large (effectively infinite) token amount. Convenient for repeated swaps, but higher risk if the approved contract is compromised.
Q: What happens if I lose my phone? A: If you stored your seed phrase safely you can restore the wallet. But any approvals granted from the lost device remain on-chain. See Backup and recovery options.
Token approvals are an under-appreciated attack surface. Check allowances regularly, revoke unlimited approvals you no longer trust, and prefer hardware confirmations for sensitive transactions. In my experience, a monthly scan after using new dApps prevents small mistakes from becoming big losses.
Next steps: run an approvals scan, revoke what you don’t recognize, and read the linked guides for deeper security and recovery procedures: Contract approvals, Token management, and Security best practices.
If you want a walk-through for a specific chain or a screenshot-guided how-to, see how-to-revoke-approvals or open the mobile guide at WalletConnect and mobile browser.
Stay practical. Stay skeptical. And check those allowances.