A few tips on storing your recovery seed.

The recovery seed is an essential element of your and your TREZOR’s security. You may also argue that it could be the most important part because as much as it can be helpful as your device backup, if misused, it could be exploited to your detriment.

For this reason, it is necessary to follow a set of security precautions. By doing so, you are ensuring that your seed and therefore your funds, passwords and all your data associated with it will be safe from third parties. We understand that the concept of a recovery seed might be relatively new, and thus it might be difficult to know how it works. However, once you get used to is and learn enough about it, you have nothing to be afraid of.

First, let’s see what the recovery seed is. Skip to Tips ⟶

Understanding the recovery seed.

The recovery seed is a crucial element for the security of your TREZOR hardware wallet. If your device is lost, damaged or stolen, you can use your recovery seed to restore access to your entire wallet, passwords and other data associated with it. The process is simple; you only have to enter the words of your seed into your new TREZOR device. (You may also use any other wallets or applications that use the same standard as the TREZOR.)

How is this possible? The recovery seed is the representation of your “master access key” in simple and rememberable 12 to 24 words. After all, it is much easier to write down a set of generic English words, compared to a complex string of numbers and letters.

As this is the master key, anyone with access to it can access your data. There are two implications: if you lose your recovery seed, you lose your backup. Moreover, if someone steals your recovery seed, they gain access to all your funds and data, even without needing your TREZOR device.

Therefore, it is important to keep your recovery seed safe — offline.

TREZOR device comes with a handy recovery seed booklet suitable for this purpose.

Writing down the recovery seed.

All sensitive data is generated by your device, all operations are processes by its processor, without leaking any information to the host device. The recovery seed, as well as all operations with it, is protected by this principle.

There is only one occasion when your TREZOR will divulge your recovery seed, and that is during the backup procedure. Keep in mind that you can just run the backup process once.

When you first set up your device, the TREZOR Wallet will prompt you to run the backup process. Be extremely careful during this procedure, and make sure you copy the words from the device display carefully. Make sure the words are spelled correctly and are in the right order.

Please run the backup process alone. Be aware of the environment around you; mind the various recording devices in your vicinity. Please note that there might be a camera or a microphone on your computer or your phone.

Protecting your recovery seed.

Now that you have your recovery seed backed up offline, it is time to think about physical protection. Different points of failure might apply here, like environmental threats. Sunlight, fire or water might damage your backup, depending on the material it is recorded into. For instance, we have reports of accidents, during which a house burned down, or the recovery seed was incidentally thrown out.

For this reason, we strongly recommend storing your recovery seed in a safe place with limited access. These are the essential points to consider:

• Do not ever store your recovery seed digitally. Compared to physical media, digital media can be easily accessed. Digital copies can be made without the owner noticing until it is too late.
• Keep your recovery seed card away from a camera. Please note that there might be a camera on your computer or your phone. Mind the CCTV cameras in your vicinity.
• Do not read your seed words out loud.
• Be the only one with access to your recovery seed, or limit the access to a few trusted individuals.
• Keep your recovery seed card safe from environmental elements. For increased endurance, consider investing in the Trezor Keep Metal. Built from aerospace grade stainless steel, it protects your backup against fire, water, acids, and impacts. It can be used for both 12-word and 24-word standard backups. It is also suitable for Shamir backup.
• Redundancy is important: Store your recovery seed in different places to have a backup of your backup. An accident may destroy one backup, but is unlikely to affect the other if they are in different locations.
• Plan a way for your close ones to access your recovery seed safely in case of accidents or death. Consult Pamela Morgan’s guide for details about estate planning.

About Us

TREZOR Model T is the next-generation hardware wallet, designed with experiences of the original TREZOR in mind, combined with a modern and intuitive interface for improved user experience and security. It features a touchscreen, faster processor, and advanced coin support, as well as all the features of the TREZOR One.

TREZOR One is the most trusted and ubiquitous hardware wallet in the world. It offers unmatched security for cryptocurrencies, password management, Second Factor, while maintaining an absolute ease-of-use, whether you are a security expert or a brand new user.

SatoshiLabs is the innovator behind some of the most pivotal and influential projects with Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, mainly TREZOR, the world’s first cryptocurrency hardware wallet, or CoinMap.org, the primary resource for bitcoin-accepting venues.