How to Add a Network to MetaMask: Arbitrum, Base, BNB, Polygon

By Step Exchange Research · October 22, 2026 · 2 min read

How to Add a Network to MetaMask: Arbitrum, Base, BNB, Polygon

To add a network to MetaMask, open the network selector, click Add network and choose it from the popular networks list: Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, BNB Chain, Polygon, Avalanche and others are there. If a network is missing, add it through Chainlist (chainlist.org) or manually with five fields: network name, RPC URL, chain ID, currency symbol and block explorer URL. Your 0x address stays the same on every EVM network.

Key Takeaways

  • Fastest: the built-in popular networks list.
  • Chainlist: connect MetaMask, search the network, click Add.
  • Manual: five fields; MetaMask checks that the chain ID matches the RPC.
  • Same address on all EVM networks; balances are per network.
  1. Open MetaMask and click the network selector at the top.
  2. Click Add network (or “Add a custom network” in newer versions).
  3. Pick the network from Popular networks and approve.

Method 2: Chainlist

  1. Open chainlist.org and click Connect Wallet.
  2. Search the network, for example “Base”, and turn off testnets.
  3. Click Add to MetaMask and approve in the wallet.

Check that the network has the expected chain ID (see the table) to avoid look-alike networks.

Method 3: Manual RPC

In Settings → Networks → Add network → Add a network manually, enter:

NetworkRPC URLChain IDSymbolExplorer
Arbitrum Onehttps://arb1.arbitrum.io/rpc42161ETHhttps://arbiscan.io
Basehttps://mainnet.base.org8453ETHhttps://basescan.org
Optimismhttps://mainnet.optimism.io10ETHhttps://optimistic.etherscan.io
BNB Chainhttps://bsc-dataseed.bnbchain.org56BNBhttps://bscscan.com
Polygon PoShttps://polygon-rpc.com137POLhttps://polygonscan.com
Avalanche C-Chainhttps://api.avax.network/ext/bc/C/rpc43114AVAXhttps://snowtrace.io

These are public RPCs published by the networks; they can be rate-limited at busy times. More on IDs in what is a chain ID.

After Adding the Network

  • Get gas: each network needs its native token; see gas tokens by chain.
  • Import tokens: if a token does not show, add it by contract address from the official explorer.
  • Bridge funds: to bring ETH or USDC to the new network, use a cross-chain route, for example bridge to Base or ETH to Arbitrum.

Prefer not to add networks one by one? Multichain wallets such as Gem Wallet come with major networks preinstalled.

Related: sent crypto to the wrong network, what is a layer 2.

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FAQ

How do I add a network to MetaMask?

Open the network selector, choose Add network and pick it from the list of popular networks. If it is not there, use Chainlist or add it manually with RPC URL, chain ID, currency symbol and block explorer.

Why does MetaMask say the chain ID does not match?

The RPC URL you entered reports a different chain ID. Copy the RPC and chain ID from the network's official docs or chainlist.org.

Is adding a network safe?

Adding a network itself does not move funds, but a malicious RPC can show wrong balances or track you. Use official RPCs and explorers.

Do I get a new address on the new network?

No. Your 0x address is the same on every EVM network; only the balance shown changes when you switch networks.

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