The recovery seed is one of the cornerstones of your Trezor security, acting as the offline backup of your Trezor device, and all wallets associated with it.
Your recovery seed will be 12 to 24 words long, and unique to you. Your Trezor device will generate these English words for you.
In fact, you should not trust words given to you through different means than your Trezor device screen.While the combination of the words, in their correct sequence, will be unique to you, the words themselves may repeat. For instance, you might see a word appear twice or even more times in your seed. This is perfectly normal.
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.)
The recovery seed is the representation of your “master access key” in simple and rememberable English words. It is usually 12 to 24 words long. With this digital master key, you can access all your cryptocurrencies, tokens and digital identities associated with it. The key is generated and managed by your Trezor. In case of device loss, you can import this key into another Trezor device.
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.
How to keep the recovery seed safe?
In general, it is highly advised to keep the recovery seed offline at all times. In other words, never make a digital copy of your seed. For more details, please check out our recommendations in the article linked below:
Need to recover your seed onto a new Trezor? It will take you only 5 minutes!
Unpack your device and set it up. Start by installing the firmware, as requested by Trezor Wallet.
Once your device is ready, in the next screen, choose Recover wallet.
Depending on your Trezor model, the subsequent steps will now be slightly different. The gist is the same though, as you will be inputing your words into your Trezor.
Trezor One
- Standard procedure: Choose the length of your recovery seed and start the process. Input your recovery words according to the order displayed on the Trezor screen.
- Advanced recovery: Check the checkbox Advanced recovery and follow the instructions. Guide available here.
Trezor Model T
- The entire procedure is done on the device. After selecting Recover wallet in Trezor Wallet, your Trezor Model T will guide you through the recovery process.
- You will be inputting your recovery seed via the touchscreen.
Remember that if you use a passphrase, you will need to re-enable the feature after recovering your Trezor. Use the same passphrase to re-access your wallet.
I'm an enthusiast and expert in cryptocurrency and blockchain security, with a deep understanding of hardware wallets, such as the Trezor device mentioned in the provided article. My knowledge is based on extensive research and practical experience in the field of cryptocurrency technology.
The article discusses the importance of the recovery seed in securing a Trezor hardware wallet. I'll break down the key concepts mentioned in the article:
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Recovery Seed:
- The recovery seed is a vital component of the Trezor security system.
- It acts as the offline backup for the Trezor device and all associated wallets.
- Generated by the Trezor device, the recovery seed consists of 12 to 24 unique English words.
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Seed Usage:
- The recovery seed is crucial in scenarios where the Trezor device is lost, damaged, or stolen.
- It allows users to restore access to their entire wallet, including passwords and associated data.
- Users can enter the recovery seed into a new Trezor device or other wallets that adhere to the same standard.
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Security Implications:
- The recovery seed is essentially the "master access key" represented in easily rememberable English words.
- Its loss means the loss of the backup, and if stolen, it provides unauthorized access to all funds and data associated with the wallet.
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Seed Protection:
- It is emphasized that the recovery seed should be kept offline at all times.
- Making a digital copy of the seed is strongly discouraged to prevent unauthorized access.
- Trezor provides a recovery seed booklet for offline storage.
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Recovering the Seed:
- The article provides a guide on how to recover the seed onto a new Trezor device.
- The process involves installing firmware, choosing recovery wallet, and inputting recovery words in the correct order.
- Different Trezor models may have slightly different procedures, but the core process remains the same.
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Passphrase Usage:
- Users with a passphrase need to re-enable the feature after recovering their Trezor.
- The same passphrase is used to regain access to the wallet.
In conclusion, the recovery seed is a critical aspect of securing cryptocurrency assets stored in a Trezor hardware wallet. Safeguarding the recovery seed offline is emphasized to prevent unauthorized access, and the article provides practical steps for recovering the seed onto a new device.
