Guide · facts checked October 18, 2026
Monero GUI wallet: set it up and fill it with XMR
The Monero GUI wallet is the official desktop wallet from getmonero.org. This guide covers setting it up, finding your receive address, and the fastest way to get XMR into it: swap the crypto you already hold and have the XMR sent straight to your GUI wallet.
Quick answer
- What it is: the official Monero desktop wallet for Windows, macOS and Linux. The latest release is v0.18.5.4, from 17 October 2026.
- Set up: download it from getmonero.org, verify the file, create a wallet and write the 25-word seed on paper.
- Fill it: copy an address from the Receive tab, swap BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC or SOL to XMR here, and paste that address as the destination. No account needed.
- Spend it: received XMR unlocks after 10 blocks, about 20 minutes.
Order
Send exactly
on the network to:
- You get (quoted)
- Rate
- Quote valid
- Your address
- Payout transaction
- Created
- Send the exact amount above from your wallet.
- We check the deposit wallet, and once your deposit confirms we send the amount quoted above to your address, even if the price has moved since. The quote holds for deposits sent within 30 minutes; a deposit sent later gets the market rate when it is processed.
- This page updates by itself. Keep your order ID to check later on the Track order page.
Questions? Email service@silentxmr.com with your order ID.
Download and verify the GUI wallet
The GUI wallet is published at getmonero.org/downloads for Windows (installer or zip), macOS (Intel and Apple silicon) and Linux 64-bit. On 18 October 2026 the current version was v0.18.5.4, released on GitHub on 17 October 2026.
getmonero.org strongly advises verifying what you downloaded. It publishes a hashes file signed with a GPG key, and two guides: a beginner one for Windows and an advanced one for every system. In short: check the signature on the hashes file, then compare the SHA-256 hash of your download with the one listed.
Simple, bootstrap or advanced mode
The first-run wizard asks how the wallet should connect to the Monero network:
- Simple mode connects to a remote node run by someone else, so the blockchain is not downloaded. It is the quickest start, for sending, receiving and basic use.
- Simple mode (bootstrap) downloads the blockchain to your computer and uses a remote node until your own copy is ready. The GUI guide says the download can take several hours or even days.
- Advanced mode lets you choose a local or remote node and adds extra features such as mining and message verification.
getmonero.org's FAQ gave the full blockchain as about 225 GB in 2024, and about 86 GB pruned. With a remote node, the FAQ says the node operator can see the IP address a transaction comes from, but not the recipient or the amount.
Create your wallet and save the seed
- Name the wallet and choose the folder it is saved in.
- Write down the 25-word seed on paper, in order. The wizard says not to store the words digitally and never to share them with anybody, especially strangers offering technical support. Anyone with the seed can spend your XMR.
- Note the restore height the wizard shows with the creation date. It makes syncing much faster if you ever restore the wallet.
- Confirm the seed by filling in the missing words, then set a strong password for the wallet file.
Wallet ready? Fill it with XMR now.
- Kraken's live price minus 0.5%. You see exactly what you get before you send.
- Your rate is locked for 30 minutes from the moment you create the order. Send in time and the amount is yours.
- BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC or SOL in, XMR out to your address. Or the other way round.
Find your receive address
Open the Receive tab. Monero addresses are 95 characters long and start with 4 or 8. Your primary address starts with 4, and subaddresses start with 8. The Monero docs say a subaddress is what you should use by default to receive, and the GUI guide suggests a new subaddress for every person, company or exchange you receive from. They all belong to the same seed.
The Receive tab also shows a QR code for the selected address, which you can scan from a phone.
Fill your GUI wallet: swap to XMR and send it straight there
If you already hold BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC or SOL, you don't need an exchange account to get XMR into your GUI wallet. Swap it here and use your GUI address as the destination:
- Copy a subaddress from the Receive tab of your GUI wallet.
- Pick the coin you hold in the swap card on this page and enter the amount. You see the XMR you'll get, at Kraken's last price minus 0.5%.
- Paste your GUI address and create the order. The amount is locked for 30 minutes from that moment.
- Send the exact amount to the deposit address on your order, from your own wallet or straight from an exchange. Keep your order ID.
- Watch it arrive. Once your deposit confirms, the XMR is sent to your GUI wallet by hand and the payout transaction appears on your order page. The GUI shows it once your wallet is synced, and it becomes spendable after 10 blocks.
Swap to XMR, straight into your GUI wallet.
- Kraken's live price minus 0.5%. You see exactly what you get before you send.
- Your rate is locked for 30 minutes from the moment you create the order. Send in time and the amount is yours.
- BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC or SOL in, XMR out to your address. Or the other way round.
Sending XMR from the GUI wallet
Open the Send tab, paste the address and enter the amount, or use All to send your whole unlocked balance. Then choose a priority. The GUI offers Automatic, Slow (0.2× fee), Normal (1×), Fast (5×) and Fastest (200×): a higher priority confirms sooner and costs more. Check the address and confirm.
XMR you receive, and the change from XMR you send, can be spent again after 10 blocks. Monero's block time is 2 minutes, so that is about 20 minutes. Want to move XMR back into BTC or USDT? Use the XMR to BTC or XMR to USDT swap and send from the Send tab.
Restoring the GUI wallet from its seed
On the start screen choose Restore wallet from keys or mnemonic seed, enter the 25 words, then the restore height or the date you created the wallet (YYYY-MM-DD). getmonero.org says not to leave the restore height empty: too low only makes the first sync slower, but too high can make the balance wrong.
The GUI also works with hardware wallets. The downloads page lists Ledger Nano S, Nano S Plus and Nano X, and Trezor Model T, Safe 3 and Safe 5.
Get Monero in your own wallet. No account, no ID.
- Kraken's live price minus 0.5%. You see exactly what you get before you send.
- Your rate is locked for 30 minutes from the moment you create the order. Send in time and the amount is yours.
- BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC or SOL in, XMR out to your address. Or the other way round.
Questions
How do I get XMR into the Monero GUI wallet?
Copy an address from the Receive tab, then swap BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC or SOL to XMR on SilentXMR with that address as the destination. No account is needed and the minimum is $50.
Which address do I give for a swap?
Any address from the Receive tab. A subaddress (starting with 8) is the default the Monero docs recommend; your primary address starts with 4. SilentXMR accepts both.
What is the latest Monero GUI version?
v0.18.5.4, released on 17 October 2026 (checked 18 October 2026). Download it only from getmonero.org and verify the hash.
Do I have to download the whole blockchain?
No. Simple mode uses a remote node and downloads no blockchain. Bootstrap and advanced modes can run your own node, which needs the full or pruned blockchain on your computer.
Why is part of my balance locked?
Received XMR, and the change from a payment you sent, unlock after 10 blocks, about 20 minutes. The GUI shows how long until your whole balance is spendable.
Can I swap XMR from the GUI wallet back to bitcoin?
Yes. Create an XMR to BTC swap here, then send the exact XMR amount from the Send tab to the deposit address on your order. Questions go to service@silentxmr.com.
What if I lose my computer?
Restore the wallet on any computer with your 25-word seed and the restore height. Without the seed, the XMR cannot be recovered.
Sources
Pages we checked on October 18, 2026. Apps, exchanges and services change, so check the current version before you rely on a detail.
- getmonero.org: downloads www.getmonero.org/downloads
- Monero GUI release v0.18.5.4 (GitHub) github.com/monero-project/monero-gui/releases/tag/v0.18.5.4
- getmonero.org: verify binaries on Windows (beginner) www.getmonero.org/resources/user-guides/verification-windows-beginner.html
- getmonero.org: verify binaries (advanced, all systems) www.getmonero.org/resources/user-guides/verification-allos-advanced.html
- Monero GUI guide (linked from getmonero.org) github.com/monero-ecosystem/monero-GUI-guide/blob/master/monero-GUI-guide.md
- Monero GUI source: wallet mode selection github.com/monero-project/monero-gui/blob/master/wizard/WizardModeSelection.qml
- Monero GUI source: create wallet (seed and restore height) github.com/monero-project/monero-gui/blob/master/wizard/WizardCreateWallet2.qml
- Monero GUI source: send page (priorities) github.com/monero-project/monero-gui/blob/master/pages/Transfer.qml
- getmonero.org: restore a wallet from its seed www.getmonero.org/resources/user-guides/restore_account.html
- Moneropedia: address www.getmonero.org/resources/moneropedia/address.html
- Monero docs: subaddresses docs.getmonero.org/public-address/subaddress
- Monero docs: remote nodes docs.getmonero.org/interacting/remote-nodes
- getmonero.org: FAQ www.getmonero.org/get-started/faq
- Monero source: spendable age and block time (cryptonote_config.h) github.com/monero-project/monero/blob/master/src/cryptonote_config.h