A Revoke and Review Routine for Solana Token Delegations and Connected Apps
What a delegate is
Solana's token docs describe a delegation as one address (the owner) authorizing another (the delegate) to transfer tokens from a token account, up to a specified amount. Solana Mobile's help center puts it in plain terms: when you approve a spend, the app becomes the delegate for that action and amount, and the permission is recorded on the blockchain and stays active until you revoke it or the approved amount is spent. For the underlying accounts, see token accounts explained.
Many approvals are legitimate, such as a swap or staking app that needs to move tokens as part of a trade. The risk is a leftover or oversized approval, or one signed to a scam site. The wallet safety guide covers how drainers trick you into signing. This guide gives you a repeatable cleanup habit.
Disconnect is not revoke
This is the most common confusion. Solana Mobile's help article states that disconnecting merely stops the website from seeing your wallet, while the underlying blockchain approval remains active. To remove permission you must revoke on chain. Solana's docs say revoking clears the token account's current delegate and resets the delegated amount to zero, after which the former delegate can no longer transfer or burn tokens from that account.
Who can revoke
In the standard Token Program, the token account owner signs the revocation. Solana's docs add that in the Token Extension Program the current delegate can also revoke. For you as a holder, the practical point is that revocation is a transaction you sign, and it costs a small network fee, so keep a little SOL in the wallet. See fees and rent.
Where to look
- Your wallet's approvals screen. Solflare, for example, documents the path Settings, then Security and Privacy, then Spending approvals, where you select the app and revoke. Menu names change, so check your wallet's current help pages.
- A block explorer. Open your wallet on Solscan and look through your token accounts for any that show a delegate. I could not confirm a dedicated approvals page there, so treat the explorer as a place to inspect, then revoke from your wallet or a tool you trust.
- Third party revoke tools. Some sites say they scan Solana token accounts for delegates. I did not verify any of them as reputable for Solana, and several results were promotional. Do not name one as safe on faith. If you try a tool, check that it is linked from your wallet's official help page, type the address yourself, and keep to a wallet with small funds.
The monthly routine
- Pick a calm moment, on a clean device, with a link you typed yourself.
- List connected apps in your wallet and remove any you no longer use. This is the cheap half of the job.
- Check each token account for a delegate on your wallet or explorer. Note which app set it and the amount.
- Revoke anything old, unknown or unlimited. Solflare's guide says to revoke approvals you no longer need, especially unlimited ones.
- Read the prompt before you sign the revoke. A revoke should show a revoke, not a transfer.
- Write down the date and anything odd. Repeat monthly, and after any day you clicked something you regret.
If you signed something bad
Move what remains to a new wallet from a fresh recovery phrase, then revoke or abandon the old one. Revoking does not reverse transfers that already happened, which Solflare's guidance also notes. Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Do not pay anyone who offers to recover funds; see the scams guide.
Prevent the problem
Use a separate hot wallet for new apps and keep savings elsewhere, as covered in device and account hygiene. Read what each prompt asks for, as explained in how wallet signing works. This is education, not financial advice.
Sources and further reading
- Solana docs: revoke delegate
- Solana Mobile help: understanding token approvals
- FTC Consumer Advice: cryptocurrency and scams
Reported as of 2026-10-09. Device support, menus and fees change, so check the vendor pages before relying on any detail. This is education, not financial advice, and nothing here predicts any price. The QNT memecoin is independent of Quantinuum Ltd, the real company.
Frequently asked questions
What is a delegate on Solana?
An address that the token account owner has allowed to transfer tokens from that account up to an approved amount, per Solana's token documentation.
Does disconnecting a site remove its approval?
No. Solana Mobile's help center says disconnecting only stops the site seeing your wallet, and the on chain approval stays active until revoked.
How often should I review approvals?
Monthly is a sensible habit, and after any suspicious click or signature. It is a personal routine, not a rule.
Which revoke tool is safest?
I could not verify a Solana revoke tool as reputable, so start with your wallet's own approvals screen and its official help pages.
Keep reading
- Solana Wallet Safety: Approvals, Fake Tokens, Address Poisoning and Drainers
How common Solana scams work and the habits that reduce your risk: reading approvals, ignoring fake token airdrops, avoiding address poisoning and using a hardware wallet. - How Wallet Signing Works and Why Keys Stay Private
How a crypto wallet signs transactions with a private key, what you approve when you confirm, and why you must never share a seed phrase with anyone. - Token Accounts and Associated Token Accounts Explained
Why Solana wallets need a separate token account for each token, what an associated token account is, and how it affects receiving, sending and closing them. - Device and Account Hygiene for Solana Holders: SIM Swaps, 2FA and Hot Wallets
Which two factor methods are strongest, how SIM swap attacks work, why browser extensions matter, and how to separate a hot wallet from savings.
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