To check a shielded Zcash transaction or balance, use your own wallet: shielded activity is private by design, so a block explorer cannot show it. An explorer can look up a transparent address (t1 or t3) or the public data of a transaction ID, and a viewing key can show a shielded account to someone you choose. Never type a recovery phrase into a "checker".
Status as of October 12, 2026
Sources are Zcash's documentation and Zodl's Help Desk articles (dates given below), read on October 12, 2026. Wallet menus change, so the steps are described by purpose and the help articles are linked. We did not test every wallet: the wallet steps come from Zodl's own documentation.
Which way works for which address
| What you have | Who can check it | How |
|---|---|---|
| Transparent address (t1 or t3) | Anyone | Paste it into a block explorer such as our Zcash Explorer |
| Shielded address (zs1) | Only the wallet that owns it, or someone with its viewing key | Your wallet |
| Unified address (u1) | Same as shielded, because it can contain shielded receivers | Your wallet |
| Transaction ID (TXID) | Anyone, but only public data is shown | Block explorer; your wallet for the full record |
Zcash's documentation describes the two address types and says transactions between two transparent addresses "work just like Bitcoin." If you are unsure which type you hold, see Zcash address types explained and the glossary entries for a transparent address and a shielded address.
Transparent addresses: the explorer does it
For a transparent address, paste it into the Zcash Explorer: the balance and history are public. Our explorer guide explains each field and the limits. If you paste a shielded or Unified address, the explorer only tells you the address is valid; no explorer can show a shielded balance. The rest of this guide is about the cases where the explorer cannot help.
Check your balance in your wallet
A wallet that holds shielded funds has to scan the chain for payments addressed to you, so the first rule is to let it finish syncing before you trust the number (see light wallet). Two details from Zodl's Help Desk are worth knowing, whatever wallet you use:
- Total versus spendable. Zodl's article "When are funds spendable?" (last updated April 7, 2026) says incoming transactions need 10 confirmations before spending and change from your own spends needs 3, which it states as about 12.5 and 3.75 minutes at 75-second blocks. Until then the total balance can be higher than what you can send. Block times may change with a future upgrade; see our network upgrade tracker.
- Transaction details look wrong. "Refreshing transaction data" (last updated April 4, 2026) describes a tool that re-fetches and reprocesses one transaction by its ID. For a balance that is incorrectly reflected, "Resyncing Zodl on Android" (last updated June 7, 2026) describes a full reset and restore from the recovery phrase, which can take from minutes to hours. The same article warns that funds are lost if the backed-up recovery phrase is not the one currently shown in the wallet, so check the backup first. Other wallets have their own procedures.
For a step-by-step setup of that wallet, see how to use Zodl. If a balance is missing after a restore or a long sync, the troubleshooting guide goes through the causes.
Check a transaction
- In your wallet's activity list, open the transaction and copy its transaction ID (TXID).
- Paste the TXID into the Zcash Explorer.
- Read the result for what it is: for transparent parts the explorer shows the data recorded publicly; for shielded parts it can display only what Zcash makes public, never sender, recipient or amount.
For a payment you sent or received, your own wallet's record is the complete one. An explorer cannot confirm a shielded amount for a third party.
Showing a shielded payment to someone else
A block explorer cannot do it. The options are narrower:
- A viewing key lets its holder see the activity of an account without spending from it, but it reveals more than one payment, so share it deliberately. Our viewing key guide explains full and incoming keys and the risks, and the glossary has the short definition of a viewing key.
- A payment disclosure is meant to prove a single payment. ZIP 311 for payment disclosures is still marked Draft, and wallet support is not something we verified.
- Exporting wallet data is a different thing: Zodl's "Exporting and viewing private data" (last updated September 21, 2026) says the export contains no recovery phrase or private key but "highly sensitive information" that can reveal your transaction history, so it should be stored securely and deleted when you are done.
For the privacy trade-offs in general, see shielded vs. transparent transactions.
Safety rules for balance checks
- Never enter a recovery phrase or private key into a website, a "checker" tool or a chat. A public lookup needs only a transparent address; everything else happens inside your own wallet.
- Treat anyone who offers to "verify" or "recover" your balance for a phrase as a scam.
- A transparent address you reuse publicly is public history. If that matters, read shielded vs. transparent transactions first.
What we could not verify
- Wallet menus other than Zodl's. We describe Zodl's documented behaviour only.
- Confirmation counts in other wallets. The 10 and 3 figures are Zodl's, not a protocol rule.
- Payment disclosure support. ZIP 311 is Draft; we did not check which wallets implement it.
- Whether future upgrades change the times. The minutes quoted assume today's 75-second blocks.
Sources
Zcash documentation: basics, Zodl Help Desk: When are funds spendable?, Refreshing transaction data, Resyncing Zodl on Android, Exporting and viewing private data and ZIP 311: Zcash Payment Disclosures.