Why do some swaps take longer?

Learn why some swaps take longer and how to manage pending transactions in 1inch Wallet.

Swaps on 1inch are usually fast, but sometimes a transaction can take longer than expected or appear to be stuck.This can be confusing, especially when the status doesn’t change or tokens don’t appear in the wallet.

In most cases, nothing is wrong. Blockchain transactions depend on network conditions, wallet behavior and gas settings. Below is a simple guide to understanding what’s happening and what can be done.

Before troubleshooting, check these common cases

1. It might be a token approval, not the swap itself

If a token is being used on 1inch for the first time, the wallet needs permission to interact with that token. This happens through an approval transaction.

Approvals are always the first step and do not move tokens. Only after the approval is confirmed does the actual swap take place. It’s normal for this step to appear separately and sometimes take a bit of time.

2. The transaction may already be successful

If the transaction status in a block explorer shows “Success”, but the tokens are not visible in the wallet, the swap has likely completed correctly. If you are using 1inch Wallet, you can check the transaction status in the Activity section (the clock icon in the bottom menu).

In this case, the token contract address may simply need to be added to the wallet manually. Once added, the balance should appear.

3. The transaction may not have reached the network

If the transaction does not appear in a block explorer at all, it likely wasn’t broadcast to the blockchain.

This can happen due to temporary wallet or connectivity issues. In such cases, removing the stalled transaction and submitting the swap again usually resolves the issue.

When a transaction is truly pending

If the transaction appears in a block explorer and remains in “Pending” status, there are several possible reasons.

Cross-chain transactions may take longer

If you are making a cross-chain swap, it may take a bit longer depending on the chains involved. In 1inch Wallet, the transaction appears as Pending in the Activity section. Tapping the transaction shows the order progress as a percentage. Once the order is fully filled, the progress reaches 100%.

Low gas price

Transactions are processed based on gas price priority on the network.Transactions with higher gas fees are confirmed faster, while lower-fee transactions may wait longer, especially during network congestion.

In busy periods, a transaction with a low gas price can remain pending for minutes or even hours.

Multiple queued transactions

When several transactions are sent from the same wallet, they are processed in order. If an earlier transaction was submitted with a low gas price, it can block all subsequent ones until it’s confirmed or canceled.

This is a common reason why later swaps appear stuck even though their gas settings look reasonable.

Speed up or cancel a pending transaction in 1inch Wallet

If a transaction is pending due to a low gas price or because it’s waiting in a queue, it can be managed directly in 1inch Wallet.

Open the Activity tab by tapping the clock icon in the bottom menu and find the transaction marked as Pending.

Tap the transaction to view details:

• Speed Up  – resubmits the same transaction with a higher gas price, increasing its priority on the network
• Cancel – sends a replacement transaction with the same nonce and a higher fee, preventing the original transaction from being executed

1inch Wallet may suggest a competitive gas fee to help the transaction confirm faster. After reviewing the details, confirm to broadcast the updated transaction.

When to use these options

Speeding up or canceling is useful when:

• The gas price is too low for current network conditions
• Earlier transactions are blocking new ones
• The transaction was submitted by mistake

In most cases, patience or a small adjustment is enough. Blockchain transactions are transparent and verifiable, and funds are not lost simply because a transaction takes longer.

Delayed or pending transactions are a normal part of interacting with blockchains, especially during periods of high activity. Understanding how approvals, gas prices and transaction queues work can make the process far less stressful.

1inch is designed to give access to the best swap routes and rates across multiple liquidity sources, but final execution always depends on the underlying network. With the steps above, it’s usually easy to identify what’s happening and move forward confidently.

Stay tuned for more guidance as we continue answering key questions about 1inch and Web3!