Umbrel Web‑UI flow to recover LND using a Lightning seed + Static Channel Backup (SCB)

(Written as if you are sitting at the browser, clicking through Umbrel, with no SSH and no guesswork.)

This manual covers two cases:

1. Normal failure recovery (most common)

2. Full re‑install / new device (clean slate)

What you must have before you start

✅ Lightning seed (24 words)

✅ channel.backup file

✅ Access to Umbrel UI umbrel.local or IP)

If you are missing either the seed or SCB, stop — recovery cannot be done safely.

CASE 1 — Umbrel is running, LND data is lost or broken

(This includes corrupted Lightning DB, failed updates, or stuck LND.)

Step 1 — Open Umbrel dashboard

• Go to: http://umbrel.local

• Log in

You should see the main app grid.

Step 2 — Open Lightning (LND) app

Click Lightning (or LND if named explicitly)

If LND detects missing data, you may immediately see a *recovery prompt

If not, continue manually.

Step 3 — Trigger recovery mode

Click Settings ⚙️ inside the Lightning app

Choose Restore Wallet or Recover Wallet

• Wording may vary by Umbrel version

• This option appears only when LND is uninitialised or reset

Umbrel now switches into Lightning wallet setup mode.

Step 4 — Choose Restore existing wallet

When prompted:

Select “Restore existing Lightning wallet”*

* NOT “Create new wallet”

Step 5 — Enter your Lightning seed

You will see a seed entry screen.

Do the following:

Enter all 24 Lightning words

• Ensure correct order

• Confirm spelling carefully

Click Continue.

✅ At this moment:

• Your Lightning node identity is restored

• No channels are restored yet

• Funds are not touched

Step 6 — Import channel backup (SCB)

Next screen:

• Upload channel.backup

• Choose the SCB file you previously saved

Click Import.

✅ Umbrel will confirm:

• Backup imported successfully

• Number of channels detected

Step 7 — Confirm force‑close recovery

Umbrel now warns you (wording varies):

> “Channels will be force‑closed and funds recovered on‑chain”

You must:

✅ Acknowledge this

✅ Confirm recovery

Click Start Recovery / Confirm.

There is no alternative path — this is intentional.

Step 8 — LND restarts automatically

Umbrel will:

• Restart Lightning

• Begin peer recovery connections

You may see:

• “Recovering channels”

• “Waiting for force‑closes”

This phase:

• May take minutes to hours

• Requires Bitcoin node connectivity

Step 9 — Monitor recovery

Inside Lightning app:

• Channels appear as pending close

• Status messages update automatically

Nothing else to click.

Step 10 — Funds return on‑chain (after timelocks)

After force‑closes confirm:

• Funds appear in the on‑chain wallet used to fund channels (Bitcoin Core on Umbrel, or whatever external wallet originally funded the channels)

• Timelock period applies (often \~1–2 weeks)

✅ Recovery complete

❌ Channels are permanently gone (expected)

CASE 2 — Full Umbrel reinstall or new device

(This is the more common true disaster scenario.)

Step 1 — Install fresh Umbrel

• Install Umbrel on new disk/device

• Complete initial setup

• Log into the dashboard

Do not install apps yet.

Step 2 — Install Lightning (LND) app

• Open App Store

• Install *Lightning

Umbrel launches Lightning in uninitialised mode.

Step 3 — Choose Restore wallet

You will be prompted:

Select Restore existing wallet

NOT “Create new wallet”

Step 4 — Enter Lightning seed

Same as Case 1, Step 5:

• Enter all seed words

• Confirm order

Step 5 — Import channel backup

Same as Case 1, Step 6:

• Upload channel.backup

• Confirm import

Step 6 — Confirm recovery + force‑close

Same as Case 1, Step 7.

Umbrel/LND now:

• Connects to former peers

• Requests force‑close of all channels

Step 7 — Wait for on‑chain settlement

Nothing else to do in the UI.

Lightning app will show:

• Recovering → Closed channels

• After timelock: zero channels, full balance on‑chain

What you should never see in Umbrel UI (by design)

The following actions are intentionally impossible in Umbrel, because they would be unsafe if channel state has been lost:

❌ “Restore channel balances”

❌ “Resume channels”

❌ “Undo force‑close”

❌ “Restore Lightning DB”

If you ever see claims suggesting otherwise, something is wrong.

Quick visual checklist (mental)

Correct recovery flow always looks like:

Install LND

→ Restore wallet

→→ Enter Lightning seed

→→→ Import channel.backup

→→→→ Confirm force‑close

→→→→→ Wait

→→→→→→ Funds on‑chain

If any step is skipped, recovery is unsafe.

Why Umbrel UI is intentionally strict

Umbrel intentionally:

• Forces seed first

• Forces SCB second

• Forces destructive recovery

This prevents:

• Accidental stale‑state broadcasts

• Channel penalty loss

• User‑error recoveries

Safety > convenience.