PIN and passphrase
Use a PIN you do not reuse anywhere. A passphrase adds a second, memory-held secret that even a stolen device cannot unlock on its own — write down what it protects, never the secret itself.
Hardware wallet onboarding
Start with your device,
Start with your device,
not with an account.
This guide walks through what happens on trezor.io/start in plain language: connecting the device, creating a wallet, writing down a recovery seed, and building habits that keep digital assets where they belong — with you.
- Steps to live
- 4
- Seed backups
- Offline
- Websites needing your seed
- None
Backup card
Handwritten, offline, never photographed
Device only
Every address confirmed on screen
Keys stay offline. Private keys are generated and held by the device, never by a browser.
One written backup. The recovery seed is the only thing that restores a wallet.
Verify on device. Amounts and addresses are confirmed on the hardware screen, not the computer.
No seed, ever. Anyone asking for the words is attacking you, whoever they claim to be.
The setup path
Four steps from sealed box to a working wallet
Nothing here needs an account, an email or a phone number. The device and the official companion app are the whole toolchain — the rest is patience.
-
01
Unbox and inspect
Check the packaging for cuts, resealed tape or missing seals, and look over the device and cable for marks. A device that arrives with a pre-written seed phrase should be returned immediately.
- Seals intact
- No pre-filled backup card
- Original cable only
-
02
Connect and install
Install the official desktop or mobile app from the vendor's own site, then plug the device in with the supplied cable. Firmware updates are shown before anything else and are safe to accept.
- App from the official source
- Update firmware first
- Trust the device screen
-
03
Create the wallet
Choose a new wallet, set a PIN on the device itself, and write the recovery seed down by hand in the given order. Confirm the backup when prompted, then put the card somewhere private.
- PIN set on device
- Seed written by hand
- Optional passphrase noted
-
04
Test before trusting
Receive a small amount first, confirm the address on the device display, then send a small test payment out again. Only move meaningful balances once both directions behave as expected.
- Small first deposit
- Address checked on screen
- Balance verified in app
Setup is a one-time, offline-friendly task. Take fifteen unhurried minutes, close other tabs, and ignore anyone who offers to "help" over chat while you do it.
Everyday security
The habits that actually protect a wallet
Hardware guards the keys. Everything around it — the backup, the passphrase, the link you clicked — is human behaviour, and that is where most losses happen.
Three-second rule
If a message is urgent, unexpected and mentions your wallet, treat it as hostile until proven otherwise. Urgency is the tool, not the warning sign.
Seed storage
Paper or metal, offline, somewhere you would notice going missing. No photos, no cloud notes, no password manager, no screenshots, no printer with a memory.
Firmware and apps
Update only through the official companion app, and download that app only from the vendor's own domain. Never install a "wallet fix" tool from an ad or a search result.
Address confidence
Always read the destination address and amount on the hardware screen before approving. Malware can rewrite what your browser shows; it cannot rewrite the device display.
Support impersonation
Real support never opens with a direct message, never asks for a seed phrase, and never asks you to move funds to "safe" addresses. Anyone who does is a thief.
Transaction awareness
Small tests, slow approvals and a second look at network fees beat speed. If a screen makes no sense to you, decline it — confusion is a signal, not an inconvenience.
Recovery practices
Losing the device should be boring
A well-backed-up wallet survives a lost, stolen or broken device. What it cannot survive is a compromised backup — so this is the one part worth rehearsing.
Do
- Write the words by hand, in order, with a pen.
- Keep a second copy in a separate, secure location.
- Restore once on a spare device to prove the backup works.
- Store the backup with any passphrase hint kept separately.
- Re-check the backup every year or after moving house.
Never
- Type the seed into any website, form, app or chatbot.
- Photograph it, scan it or email it to yourself.
- Share it with "support", a friend or a family member.
- Store it in a cloud note, gallery or password manager.
- Buy a device where the seed arrives already written.
If the device is lost
Buy a replacement from an official seller, choose restore rather than new wallet, and enter the seed on the new device's own screen.
If the seed is exposed
Treat the wallet as compromised. Create a new wallet with a fresh seed and move the balance to it promptly, in a safe environment.
If a request feels odd
Stop. Confirm the vendor's real domain by typing it yourself, and ask in an official channel before approving anything.
Guide · 200 words
Getting started with Trezor.io/start, calmly and correctly
A short read for anyone setting up a hardware wallet for the first time.
Trezor.io/start is the beginning of a simple idea: your keys should never live on a device that is connected to the internet. The setup flow is deliberately short. You unbox the device, confirm that nothing has been tampered with, connect it to a computer or phone, and install the official companion app. From there you either generate a brand-new wallet or restore an existing one.
The moment that matters most is the recovery seed. Write those words by hand, in order, on the card included in the box, then store it somewhere private and offline. Never photograph it, never type it into a website, and never share it with anyone who contacts you first — no support agent, no exchange, no giveaway will ever need it.
Once the wallet exists, practise quietly. Send a small test amount, confirm the address on the device screen, then send the rest. Keep firmware updated through the official app, use a PIN and a passphrase, and treat every unexpected message as a threat. Take your time with the first ten minutes; they protect everything that follows. A hardware wallet does not remove responsibility — it puts it back where it belongs: with you.
Read time: about 1 minute
Level: beginner
Applies to: hardware wallet setup
Questions
Answers before you begin
The recurring questions from first-time setup, answered without jargon. If something still feels unclear, slow down — that instinct is usually right.
Do I need an account to start?
No account, email or phone number is required. The device generates the wallet locally, and the companion app simply talks to it.
What if the device arrives with a seed phrase already written down?
That is a tampered device. Do not use it, do not enter the words anywhere, and return it to the seller. Genuine devices always generate a fresh seed during setup.
Can the recovery seed be typed into the app on my computer?
No. The words belong on the device's own screen, or on a replacement device during a restore. A desktop keyboard should never see them.
What happens if the device is lost or damaged?
Buy a replacement, choose restore, and enter the written seed on the new device. The same wallet, the same addresses, no company involved.
Should a first transaction be large?
Start small in both directions. A tiny incoming payment and a tiny outgoing payment confirm addresses, fees and your own understanding before real value is on the line.
Ready when your device is
Work through the four steps in order, keep the recovery seed offline, and test with small amounts first. That is the whole method.