What Is Revoking a Token Approval?
Revoking is the act of cancelling a permission you previously granted a smart contract or dApp to spend tokens from your wallet. When you interact with DeFi or a DEX, you often sign a token approval; revoking removes that authorization so the contract can no longer move your tokens.
Revoking is one of the most important ongoing security habits in self-custody. Old approvals — especially unlimited ones — remain active indefinitely, so clearing out ones you no longer need reduces your risk.
Why Should You Revoke Approvals?
Limit exposure — fewer active approvals means fewer ways funds can be drained.
Protect against exploits — if a contract you approved is later hacked, an active approval could be abused.
Clean up unused permissions — dApps you no longer use shouldn't keep spending rights.
Respond to threats — revoke immediately if you suspect a contract is malicious.
How Does Revoking Work?
You review the list of approvals your wallet has granted.
You select the approval you want to remove.
You sign a revoke transaction (which costs a small gas fee).
The contract's permission to spend that token is removed.
To use that dApp again later, you'd grant a fresh approval.
Approve vs Revoke
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Approve | Grants a contract permission to spend a token |
| Revoke | Removes that permission |
Together, approving and revoking let you manage exactly which contracts can access your tokens — a core part of DeFi security hygiene.
When Should You Revoke?
After using a one-time dApp or mint.
When you've granted an unlimited approval you no longer need.
If a project shows signs of being compromised or malicious.
As a periodic security check on your active approvals.
Revoking and Trust Wallet
Trust Wallet is a non-custodial wallet, so you control every permission your wallet grants. Periodically reviewing and revoking token approvals you no longer use is a smart way to protect your funds across 100+ blockchains. Because only you hold your keys, managing approvals — granting them carefully and revoking them when they're no longer needed — keeps you firmly in control of your assets.
