How to use a wallet backup (recovery seed)

2025.01.09 11:21


Products App Coins Learn & Support Cart 0
Hardware wallets
Protect your identity and coins. Trezor Safe 5 Trezor Safe 3 Trezor Model One Compare wallets All products & accessories Save with bundles Backup Safeguard your wealth
with Keep Metal Wallet onboarding Get a personal 1:1 wallet setup
session with Trezor Expert All articles Learn Trezors, Apps & Crypto Set up your Trezor Basics OS requirements for Trezor Trezor fundamentals Introducing Trezor Expert Trezor Suite Introducing the new Trezor Suite Download & verify Trezor Suite Getting to know Trezor Suite Trezor Suite settings Trezor on Android Move crypto to Trezor Transitioning to new Windows certificates for Trezor Suite Installing Trezor Suite on Linux Installing Trezor Suite on MacOS Installing Trezor Suite on Windows Trezor Model One Get started with the Model One Authenticate Model One Trezor Model T Get started with the Model T Authenticate Model T Trezor Safe 3 Introduction to the Trezor Safe 3 Introduction to the Trezor Safe 3 Bitcoin-only edition Authenticate Trezor Safe 3 Get started with the Trezor Safe 3 Secure Element in Trezor Safe 5 & Trezor Safe 3 Trezor Safe 3 FAQs Trezor Safe 5 Secure Element in Trezor Safe 5 & Trezor Safe 3 Introduction to the Trezor Safe 5 Introduction to the Trezor Safe 5 Bitcoin-only edition Authenticate Trezor Safe 5 Get started with the Trezor Safe 5 Trezor Safe 5 FAQs Hardware wallet basics Trezor Basics What is a hardware wallet & how does it work? Where are my coins stored? Public & private keys explained Keeping your wallet backup safe Trading crypto with Invity Glossary What is self-custody? Next Steps What is multisig? What is a change address? What is a UTXO? What are BIPs & SLIPs? What is BIP32? Pay-to-Script-Hash (P2SH) Pay-to-Public-Key-Hash (P2PKH) Trezor blockbook explorer Lightning Network What is coinjoin? What is BIP44? What is BIP39? Bitcoin Halving 2024 What is the blockchain trilemma? What is an NFT? What are smart contracts? What is Layer 2? Moving Funds from Exchanges Moving from Coinbase to Trezor Moving from Binance to Trezor Moving from Crypto.com to Trezor Coinmate and Trezor How to choose the right network Trezor Suite Managing your Accounts Manage accounts in Trezor Suite Addresses & transaction history Managing Ethereum & ERC-20 Tokens in Trezor Suite Bitcoin Account Types Managing BNB Smart Chain & BEP-20 Tokens in Trezor Suite Managing your Crypto Assets Buy crypto in Trezor Suite Sell crypto in Trezor Suite Send crypto in Trezor Suite Exchange crypto in Trezor Suite Receive crypto in Trezor Suite Managing NFTs with Trezor Save bitcoin using DCA What are ERC-20 Tokens and why do they matter? Transaction Properties Labels in Trezor Suite Replace-by-fee (RBF) Bitcoin Transaction fees in Trezor Suite QR codes in Trezor Suite What is a public key (XPUB)? Replace-by-fee (RBF) Ethereum Ethereum Internal Transactions Updating Trezor Device Firmware Update Trezor device firmware Bitcoin-only firmware on Trezor Downgrade firmware Model T Downgrade firmware Model One Downgrade firmware Trezor Safe 3 Downgrade firmware Trezor Safe 5 Trezor Suite Advanced Features Full node via Electrum server Use OP_RETURN in Trezor Suite What is Taproot? Sign & Verify Coin control in Trezor Suite Locktime in Trezor Suite What is Trezor Bridge? URI handlers for bitcoin payments Address hierarchy Experimental Features in Trezor Suite Security & Privacy Security Best Practices PIN protection on Trezor devices Multiple accounts in Trezor Suite How to use a wallet backup (recovery seed) Use new address for each transaction Passphrases and hidden wallets Discreet mode in Trezor Suite Scams and phishing How Trezor Keeps you Safe User data protection Trezor hardware: built-in security Security & safety in Trezor Past security issues Trezor Safe device authentication check Secure Element in Trezor Safe Devices Trezor firmware authenticity check Trezor Firmware hash check Personal Security Standards Standard & Passphrase wallets Common security threats Trezor Advanced Security Measures Tor in Trezor Suite Trezor Password Manager Encrypt PIN with MicroSD card Create wipe code to erase device Trezor Connect What is GPG? Udev rules Create a wallet with Multi-share Backup What is U2F? Trezorctl on MacOS Seedless Setup What is Shamir backup? SSH with Trezor Trezorctl on Windows Recover a wallet with Shamir backup What is FIDO2? Using trezorctl commands What is coinjoin? Unlocking the bootloader on Trezor Safe devices Tor Snowflake in Trezor Suite Retrieve Dropbox passwords from Password Manager Trezor Recovery General Standards Move crypto to a wallet with a new wallet backup Wallet backup card 12 vs 24 Word wallet backup Single-share Backup on Trezor Multi-share Backup on Trezor Upgrading to Multi-share Backup SLIP39 FAQs Recover Model One Advanced recovery on Model One Check wallet backup on Model One Recover wallet on Model One How to wipe your Model One Recover Model T Check wallet backup on Model T Recover wallet on Model T How to wipe your Model T Recover Trezor Safe 3 Check wallet backup on Trezor Safe 3 Recover wallet on Trezor Safe 3 How to wipe your Trezor Safe 3 Trezor Keep Metal What is Trezor Keep Metal? How to use the Trezor Keep Metal Trezor Keep Metal FAQs Recover Trezor Safe 5 Check wallet backup on Trezor Safe 5 How to wipe your Trezor Safe 5 Recover wallet on Trezor Safe 5 Supported Coins Supported coins Bitcoin Bitcoin testnet Zcash (ZEC) Cardano (ADA) on Trezor Safe 5, Trezor Safe 3 and Trezor Model T XRP on Trezor Safe 5, Trezor Safe 3 and Trezor Model T Monero (XMR) on Trezor Safe 5, Trezor Safe 3 and Trezor Model T Solana (SOL) on Trezor Safe 5, Trezor Safe 3 and Trezor Model T Polygon in Trezor Suite Stake Ethereum (ETH) in Trezor Suite Deprecated coins Trezor Suite Lite What is Trezor Suite Lite? Transaction History in Trezor Suite Lite Balances Mismatch Trezor Suite Lite with Multiple devices Public keys (XPUB) in Trezor Suite Lite Trezor Suite Lite FAQs Trezor Suite Lite features Verifying Trezor Suite Lite Addresses Security Tips for Trezor Suite Lite Passphrase wallets in Trezor Suite Lite Send bitcoin in Trezor Suite Lite Third-party wallets General Third party apps and Trezor CoinPayments and Trezor Coinmap Web wallets and Trezor NuFi wallet and Trezor Coinmate and Trezor Backpack and Trezor Bitcoin Exodus and Trezor Electrum and Trezor Ethereum and EVMs MetaMask and Trezor MyEtherWallet and Trezor Ronin and Trezor Rabby Wallet and Trezor Revoke smart contracts and allowances EVM address checksum in Trezor Suite Support Get answers Device Issues PIN Issues How to reset your PIN How to enter PIN on Model One How to enter your PIN on Trezor Safe 3 Hardware and Display Issues Trezor Suite doesn’t see my device Common hardware issues Using Trezor after a long time Trezor FW authenticity check failed Trezor Safe device authentication check failed Firmware Updates Firmware is already installed Warning Unofficial firmware detected Firmware update issues Trezor Security Is my device safe to use? How to report a security issue Trezor Suite Issues Missing Funds from Account I don’t see my crypto My crypto hasn’t arrived Discovery error issue Where is my Ethereum? Unauthorized transaction Backup & Recovery Trezor recovery issues Passphrase & hidden wallets issues Commonly misspelled wallet backup words Pending & Failed Transactions My transaction is still pending I can’t sign my transaction Can I cancel or reverse a transaction? Coins & Tokens Common Issues My crypto hasn’t arrived Is my coin supported? Trezor Suite trade issues Ethereum Issues Where is my Ethereum? Address poisoning attacks Malicious smart contracts Dusting attacks & airdrop scam tokens Third-party wallets Third-party wallet connectivity issues Issues with Exodus Issues with Electrum Issues with MetaMask Issues with MyEtherWallet Issues with Ronin Order & Shipping FAQ Where to buy Trezor Promo codes Can I pick up my order? Where do you ship from? Order cancelled after payment Is it safe to buy a Trezor on Amazon? Why is my box different from what is shown on the website? My product stopped working correctly, can I get a replacement or a refund? I got my Trezor from a reseller and it stopped working, can you replace it? Can you check if a device is genuine by its serial number? Can I add an item to an existing order? Can I change my invoice? Can I purchase as a company (without paying VAT)? Can I return an opened product? Orders & Payments Order & Payment Issues Confirmation email not received Card payment issues Double charged for an order Crypto payment issues Order shipping notification Privacy policy Change or modify an order Change email address How to cancel an order Trezor Shop payment options Trezor Shop order limits Privacy policy at Trezor Crypto payments on the Trezor Shop Shipping & Delivery Shipping & Delivery Issues Where is my package? Status delivered but not received My package arrived damaged Item missing from package Package returned to sender Countries we ship to Expected delivery times Customs fees Change delivery address Track my order Warranty & Returns Warranty & Refund policy Return policy Trezor Shop Terms & Conditions Refund process RMA - Return Material Authorization Other Resources Partners, socials Partner Portal For Partners Become a Trezor reseller partner For affiliates Integrations For translators For ambassadors For investors CrowdIn.com - translation tool For Developers For developers How to report an issue Product Updates Device Firmware Updates Firmware changelog Bootloader changelog Trezor device firmware update September 2024 Trezor device firmware update August 2024 Trezor device firmware update July 2024 Trezor device firmware update June 2024 Trezor device firmware update March 2024 Trezor device firmware update December 2023 Trezor device firmware update November 2023 Trezor device firmware update April 2023 Trezor device firmware update March 2023 Trezor device firmware update November 2022 Trezor device firmware update August 2022 Trezor device firmware update January 2022 Trezor device firmware update December 2021 Desktop Application Updates Trezor Suite update December 2024 Trezor Suite update November 2024 Trezor Suite update October 2024 Trezor Suite update September 2024 Trezor Suite update August 2024 Trezor Suite update July 2024 Trezor Suite update June 2024 Trezor Suite update May 2024 Trezor Suite update April 2024 Trezor Suite update March 2024 Trezor Suite update February 2024 Trezor Suite update January 2024 Trezor Suite update December 2023 Trezor Suite update November 2023 Trezor Suite update October 2023 Trezor Suite update September 2023 Trezor Suite update August 2023 Trezor Suite update July 2023 Trezor Suite update June 2023 Trezor Suite update May 2023 Trezor Suite update April 2023 Trezor Suite update March 2023 Trezor Suite update February 2023 Trezor Suite update December 2022 Trezor Suite update November 2022 Trezor Suite update October 2022 Trezor Suite update September 2022 Trezor Suite update August 2022 Trezor Suite update July 2022 Trezor Suite update June 2022 Trezor Suite update April 2022 Trezor Suite update March 2022 Trezor Suite update February 2022 Trezor Suite update January 2022 Trezor Suite update December 2021 Trezor Suite update November 2021 Forum

How to use a wallet backup (recovery seed)

Keep your wallet backup (formerly recovery seed) safe for the long-term security of your digital assets.
Do not share your wallet backup with anyone else.

Do not keep digital copies of your wallet backup (this includes screenshots, photographs, emails, Dropbox wallet backup etc).

We will never ask you to tell us your wallet backup, even if you re speaking with one of our customer support agents.

Never enter your wallet backup anywhere unless prompted by your Trezor device.

What is a wallet backup?

Your wallet backup may also be referred to as a: backup, recovery seed , seed, seed phrase, BIP-39 seed phrase, mnemonic, recovery phrase, (plus various combinations of these words) It is an ordered list of English words that contains all information necessary for recovering your wallet (i.e., accessing bitcoin or other cryptocurrency funds on-chain) A wallet backup provides full access to the associated wallet (the private key is mathematically derived from the wallet backup) this is why you must keep it safe Wallet backups were introduced as part of Bitcoin Improvement Proposal 39 (commonly referred to as BIP-39 ) to serve as a human-friendly method for backing up your wallet.

Your wallet backup is a plain English representation of a random number, from which all of your keys and addresses are mathematically derived. Your wallet backup is an ordered sequence of: 12 or 24 words for wallets using the BIP39 protocol, chosen from this list of 2048 words 20 words for wallets using the SLIP39 protocol, chosen from this list of 1024 words When you write down your wallet backup, the words must be copied down in the same order they appear It is very important that you keep your wallet backup private and safe, so that your cryptocurrency is never at risk Having a safe wallet backup means you can recover your Bitcoin in case of hardware failure or the loss of your device
Your Trezor derives your private key from your wallet backup, which can then be used to spend your funds.
We will never ask for your wallet backup!

Scammers, perhaps posing as Trezor support team members on social media and chat forums, will try to persuade you to share your wallet backup.

Please also be aware of increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks (usually in the form of fake websites or emails that often appear legitimate) that aim to steal your security info (wallet backup, PIN, passphrase etc)

Recording & storing your wallet backup

The physical security of your wallet backup is even more important than that of your device.

Your Trezor hardware wallet ships with a pair of wallet backup cards that you should use for writing down the words when you backup your device - this is a strongly recommended step when setting up your Trezor.
You can download additional copies of Trezor wallet backup cards from the Wallet backup card article.

You can also protect your wallet backup with the Trezor Keep Metal , for an easy-to-use robust wallet backup solution, tailor-made to store your backup securely.


If your Trezor is lost or stolen, it is highly unlikely someone would be able to access it without your PIN. However, if someone steals your wallet backup, your coins can be accessed easily using a different device or wallet.

When backing up your device, you should: Make sure you have all of the words correctly spelled and in the correct order Never make a digital copy of your wallet backup cards (this includes backing up via Dropbox, e-mail, encrypted folder, or taking photos) Keep your wallet backup cards safe from theft and damage Learn more about How to store your Bitcoin wallet backups on the Trezor Blog a part of SatoshiLabs Group
Products
Trezor Safe 3 Trezor Safe 5 Model One Model T Trezor Keep Trezor Expert Compare wallets Trezor Suite All products & accessories
App
Coins
Learn
Supported coins Blog Privacy and Security About us Support Knowledge Base Forum
Other
FAQs Terms of Use Affiliate Program Reseller Program Resellers GitHub Press & Media Careers Cookies settings Copyright belongs to Trezor company s.r.o. All rights reserved. Cookies

Menu

Last Photo