MetaMask Transaction Stuck Pending: How to Fix It

Why Transactions Get Stuck

A pending MetaMask transaction means your transaction was submitted to the network but has not been included in a block yet. This almost always happens because the gas fee you set was too low relative to current network demand. Miners/validators prioritize transactions by gas fee — yours is sitting in the mempool waiting to be picked up.

Option A: Speed Up the Transaction

1. In MetaMask, find the pending transaction in your Activity tab.
2. Click the transaction → click Speed Up.
3. MetaMask will show a higher gas fee suggestion. Accept it.
4. This submits a new transaction with the same nonce but a higher gas fee, which replaces the stuck one. The higher fee version will be mined first.

Option B: Cancel the Transaction

1. In the Activity tab, click the pending transaction → click Cancel.
2. MetaMask sends a zero-ETH self-transfer with the same nonce and a higher gas fee.
3. This “cancellation” transaction is mined first, invalidating the original. Note: cancellation is not guaranteed if the original is already being mined.

Option C: Manual Nonce Override

1. Go to MetaMask Settings → Advanced → enable Customize transaction nonce.
2. Start a new simple ETH transfer to yourself (0.0001 ETH is enough).
3. On the confirmation screen, manually enter the nonce of the stuck transaction.
4. Set the gas fee well above current network price (check ethgasstation.info).
5. Confirm. This transaction mines first, making the original stuck transaction invalid.

How to Avoid This in the Future

• Always check current gas prices at etherscan.io/gastracker before transacting.
• During high-traffic events (NFT drops, DeFi launches), use at least the “Fast” gas price.
• MetaMask’s gas estimator can be inaccurate — verify against a live tracker.

Related Guides

For more crypto troubleshooting, see our crypto transaction failed guide and our Trust Wallet balance not showing fix.