Concise, practical steps to get your hardware wallet ready and protect your crypto. Follow these recommendations exactly to minimize risk.
Set aside 10–20 minutes in a private space. Have your sealed Trezor® device, the supplied USB cable, a pen, and the recovery card included in the box. Do not use public Wi-Fi or accept help from unverified sources. Only use the official website trezor.io/start for downloads and instructions.
In your browser, type trezor.io/start manually or use a bookmarked official link. Do not click links from messages or social media. The start portal detects your model and shows tailored instructions.
Trezor Bridge (or Trezor Suite desktop app) allows secure local communication with your device. Download only from the official pages. Follow OS prompts to install and grant permissions if asked.
Connect the device with the supplied cable. If firmware is required, apply the official signed update through the start portal or Suite. Do not interrupt firmware updates — unplugging during an update can require recovery steps.
Choose a PIN on the device itself. This PIN prevents unauthorized use if your device is lost or stolen. Memorize your PIN; avoid obvious sequences and avoid writing it on the seed card.
Trezor will generate a 12–24 word recovery seed. Write the words in order on the supplied recovery card. Double-check spelling and order. Keep the physical card offline and in a secure place, ideally in two separate safe locations.
The device will ask you to confirm a few words to ensure accurate recording. Complete the on-screen verification. After verification, you can open Trezor Suite to add accounts and test with a small transaction.
The recovery seed is the master key to all funds controlled by your device. Anyone with the seed (and optional passphrase) can restore and spend your assets. Protect it physically and mentally.
Trezor Suite or compatible wallets create unsigned transactions on your computer. The device displays human-readable transaction details (amount, recipient address, fee) for you to verify. Only after you approve on the device will the transaction be signed and broadcast.
Most issues are connectivity or permission related. Try the simple steps below before contacting support.
# Linux tip: reload udev rules after installing Bridge sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger
No. Firmware updates do not remove private keys. Your recovery seed remains the source of truth. Still, keep the seed safe before major operations.
If you lose the device, you can restore access on another Trezor (or compatible wallet) using your recovery seed. Without the seed, funds are irretrievable.
Passphrases add security and privacy but are advanced: losing the passphrase means losing the wallet. Use them only if you understand the trade-offs and store the passphrase securely.