Adding a new network to MetaMask can feel fiddly the first time you do it — a chain ID here, an RPC URL there, and one wrong digit can leave you staring at a wallet that shows nothing. Metis is no exception, but the process is straightforward once you know exactly which details belong where.
In this guide, you’ll learn what Metis is and why you might want it in your wallet, how to add the Metis Andromeda network to MetaMask with a one-click method and a manual method, how to verify the setup worked, and which mistakes to avoid so you don’t fall for a phishing lookalike along the way.
id=”what-is-metis”>What Metis Is (and What Andromeda Means)
Metis is an Ethereum Layer 2 network — a blockchain that runs on top of Ethereum to make transactions faster and cheaper, while inheriting much of Ethereum’s security. It uses optimistic rollup technology, which bundles many transactions together, processes them off the main Ethereum chain, and posts the results back to Ethereum for settlement. In plain terms: you get Ethereum-style wallets and tools, but with noticeably lower fees and quicker confirmations.
One thing that trips people up is the naming. “Metis” is the ecosystem, and “Andromeda” is the name of its main production network — the one most users actually interact with. When a guide says “add Metis to MetaMask,” it almost always means adding the Metis Andromeda Mainnet. In 2026, the Metis ecosystem has also been developing a second network called Hyperion, aimed at high-performance and AI-optimized workloads. That’s a separate chain with different network details. For everyday use — swapping tokens, using DeFi apps, bridging — Andromeda is the network you want, and it’s what this guide covers.
Metis is also known for its focus on decentralized autonomous companies (DACs) — on-chain organizations with tooling for governance, reputation, and coordination. You don’t need to understand DACs to use the network, but they explain why Metis built features that go beyond simple token transfers. The native currency of the network is METIS, which you use to pay gas fees on Andromeda, the same way ETH pays for gas on Ethereum mainnet.
It’s worth knowing that the network’s token economics have evolved over the years. METIS started life as an Ethereum-based ERC-20 token and later became the native gas token of the Andromeda network. When you bridge METIS from Ethereum to Andromeda, it becomes the currency your wallet uses for transactions there. This matters for one practical reason: if you add the network to MetaMask but hold no METIS on it, you won’t be able to send transactions — the same as having an empty gas tank.
Why Add Metis to MetaMask?
The most common reason is simple: you want to use something that lives on Metis. Maybe a friend sent you tokens on the Metis network, you bridged assets over from Ethereum, or a DeFi app you want to try only runs on Andromeda. MetaMask doesn’t include Metis by default, so until you add the network details, those tokens are effectively invisible to your wallet — even though they’re sitting safely at your address on-chain.
That’s an important distinction to internalize. Adding a network to MetaMask doesn’t move any funds or create a new wallet. Your existing Ethereum address works on every EVM-compatible network, including Metis, because they share the same address format. Adding the network just teaches MetaMask how to talk to that chain so it can display your balances and let you transact.
Another reason is cost. Ethereum mainnet gas fees can make small transactions uneconomical, and during busy periods even simple actions get expensive. Layer 2 networks like Metis were built specifically to relieve that pressure. If you find yourself priced out of mainnet activity, doing the same things on a Layer 2 can be dramatically cheaper — though you should always compare the current fees yourself rather than taking anyone’s word for it, since conditions change.
Finally, some users add Metis out of curiosity or because an airdrop or reward program requires interacting with the network. That’s perfectly fine, but it’s also where scammers concentrate their efforts: fake airdrop announcements are one of the most common ways people are tricked into connecting wallets to malicious sites. If an airdrop is what brought you here, read the phishing section later in this guide before you click anything.
What You Need Before You Start
Before adding any network, get three things in order. First, install MetaMask from the official source — type the address into your browser yourself rather than clicking a link someone sent you — and make sure your wallet is set up and unlocked. Second, back up your secret recovery phrase somewhere safe and offline if you haven’t already. Adding a network never asks for your recovery phrase; if any site or popup does, close it immediately.
Third, decide which method you’ll use. The one-click method is faster but requires you to be on a trustworthy page. The manual method takes a couple of minutes longer but gives you full control over every value you enter. Both end up in exactly the same place. If you’re unsure, the manual method is the better teacher — you’ll understand what each field means, which makes troubleshooting much easier later.
One more honest note: network details can change. RPC endpoints get updated, explorers get rebranded, and new networks launch. The values in this guide are correct as of this guide’s writing, based on Metis’s official documentation and widely used chain directories. Before you approve anything, cross-check the chain ID and RPC URL against Metis’s official docs or a reputable chain directory by typing the address yourself. A thirty-second check beats hours of cleanup.
Method 1: The One-Click Add
The fastest way to add Metis Andromeda is to let a trusted site do the typing for you. Several reputable chain directories and the official Metis block explorer offer an “Add to MetaMask” button that fills in every field automatically. MetaMask then shows you a confirmation screen with all the details before anything is added — you still get the final say.
Here is the process: open MetaMask and unlock your wallet. Navigate to the chain directory or explorer page you trust (type the URL yourself). Find the Metis Andromeda entry and click the add button. MetaMask will pop up asking for permission to add the network, showing the network name, RPC URL, chain ID, currency symbol, and explorer. Read those details carefully — they should match the table in the next section — then click Approve, and optionally switch to the new network right away.
The main risk with this method is the page itself. Scam sites imitate chain directories precisely so they can feed your wallet a malicious RPC endpoint, which can redirect your transactions or harvest data. Only use pages you’d bet money on: the official Metis site, its official explorer, or a well-known chain directory you’ve used before. If the page arrived via a DM, an ad, or a link in a comment section, don’t trust it.
Method 2: Add Metis Manually, Step by Step
Manual setup takes about two minutes and removes all doubt about what went into your wallet. Open MetaMask, click the network dropdown at the top (it probably says “Ethereum Mainnet”), and select Add network, then Add a network manually. You’ll see a form with fields for the network name, RPC URL, chain ID, currency symbol, and block explorer URL.
Fill in the form with the Metis Andromeda details below. These values are drawn from Metis’s official documentation and widely used chain directories, and are correct as of this guide’s writing — still, give them a quick cross-check before you save.
| Field | Value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Network name | Metis Andromeda Mainnet | The label MetaMask shows in your network list |
| RPC URL | https://andromeda.metis.io/?owner=1088 | The server MetaMask talks to for this chain |
| Chain ID | 1088 | The chain’s unique number — MetaMask’s main safety check |
| Currency symbol | METIS | The token used for gas fees on Andromeda |
| Block explorer URL | https://andromeda-explorer.metis.io | Where you can look up transactions on this chain |
Enter the chain ID as the plain decimal number 1088 — MetaMask also accepts the hexadecimal form 0x440, but decimal is less error-prone for most people. The currency symbol is METIS with 18 decimals, which MetaMask usually fills in by default. The block explorer field is optional, but filling it in means you can click through to view any transaction directly from your wallet’s activity tab, which is genuinely useful.
Once every field is filled, click Save. MetaMask will add the network and ask whether you want to switch to it. Say yes, and you’ll see “Metis Andromeda Mainnet” in the network dropdown at the top of your wallet.
| One-click add | Manual add | Chain aggregator | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | Seconds | A few minutes | Seconds |
| Typo risk | None | Low if careful | None |
| Trust required | High — the page fills the fields | Low — you enter everything | Medium — aggregator lists the chain |
| Best for | Trusted pages only | First-timers and the cautious | Adding several networks at once |
| Learning value | Low | High | Low |
If you’re new to this, you may also want to read our guide on how to switch networks in MetaMask safely — switching between Ethereum, Metis, and other chains is where most “my tokens disappeared” panics actually start, and they’re almost always just a wrong-network display issue.
How to Verify You Did It Right
Adding a network is only half the job; the other half is confirming your wallet is actually talking to the real Metis chain. Start with the obvious: click the network dropdown and confirm “Metis Andromeda Mainnet” is listed and selected. Then open the network’s settings in MetaMask (Settings, then Networks, then the Metis entry) and check that the chain ID reads 1088 and the RPC URL matches the one from the table above.
Next, do a live check. Paste your wallet address into the block explorer — type the explorer address yourself rather than clicking a link — and confirm the page loads and shows the Metis Andromeda network. You can also ask a friend to send you a tiny amount of METIS, or bridge a small test amount yourself, and watch it arrive in MetaMask with the Metis network selected. If the balance shows up, the connection is good.
Watch for the classic false alarm: switching to Metis and seeing a zero balance where your Ethereum tokens used to be. That’s normal. Balances are per-network — your ETH on Ethereum mainnet doesn’t appear when you’re viewing Metis, and vice versa. Switch the network dropdown back and forth to confirm your funds are exactly where you left them. This single misunderstanding accounts for a large share of support questions, and knowing about it in advance saves a lot of adrenaline.
7 Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Approving a lookalike network. Scam sites create entries named “Metis Andromeda” with a different chain ID and a malicious RPC. MetaMask’s approval screen shows the chain ID prominently — if it isn’t 1088, decline. This is the mistake everything else in this section is trying to prevent.
2. Typing the chain ID wrong. A single wrong digit points your wallet at a completely different chain (or nowhere at all). Copy-paste the value rather than typing it from memory, then read it back before saving.
3. Using an RPC from a random forum post. RPC endpoints are just servers, and a malicious one can log your activity or serve you false data. Stick to the official Metis RPC or a reputable provider you’ve verified. If a site insists you must use its “special” RPC, that’s a red flag, not a feature.
4. Confusing Andromeda with the testnet. Metis also runs a Sepolia testnet (chain ID 59902) for developers. Testnet tokens have no value. If someone sends you “free METIS” and your wallet is on the testnet, you’ve received play money — and the setup may be bait for a follow-up scam.
5. Expecting ETH to pay for gas. On Metis Andromeda, gas is paid in METIS, not ETH. If your transactions keep failing with insufficient-funds errors despite holding tokens, check that you actually hold METIS on the Metis network. Bridging a small amount over first is the standard fix.
6. Adding the network twice. If you use the one-click method and then the manual method, you can end up with two Metis entries and confusion about which one is active. Pick one method, and if you see duplicates, remove the extra entry from MetaMask’s network settings.
7. Panicking over a “missing” balance. As covered above, balances are per-network. Before assuming funds are lost, check which network is selected in the dropdown and look your address up on the correct explorer. Nine times out of ten, the funds were there all along.
For more practice with the same workflow on other chains, our Polygon setup guide and Soneium setup guide walk through identical steps with different network details — the pattern is the same every time, which is exactly what makes it worth learning once.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
Adding Metis to MetaMask is a two-minute task once you know the details: chain ID 1088, the official RPC, METIS as the gas token, and a quick verification on the block explorer. The manual method is the best default for most people because it teaches you what each field does, and that understanding protects you on every network you’ll ever add.
The real lesson isn’t Metis-specific. Every “add network” flow in MetaMask follows the same pattern, and the same safety rules apply everywhere: verify the chain ID, type URLs yourself, and never share your recovery phrase. Learn it once here, and you’ll never be nervous about it again.
This guide is for education only — not financial advice.
