Welcome to Your Trezor
The official starting point for securing your digital assets. This guide will walk you through the entire setup process using the Trezor.io/Start page and the official Trezor Suite App.
Go to Trezor.io/StartAlways double-check the URL: https://trezor.io/start
Why a Trezor Hardware Wallet?
Understand the fundamental shift in security you're making by moving your crypto offline.
Ultimate Security for Your Crypto
A Trezor hardware wallet is a dedicated, single-purpose device designed to keep your private keys—the ultimate proof of ownership of your cryptocurrency—completely offline and isolated from internet-connected devices like your computer or smartphone. This method, known as "cold storage," is the gold standard for cryptocurrency security.
By keeping keys offline, you create an impenetrable barrier against online threats such as malware, viruses, keyloggers, and phishing attacks. Even if your computer becomes compromised, your funds remain safe on your Trezor device. Every transaction must be physically confirmed on the device's screen, ensuring you are always in full control.
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Offline Private Keys
Your keys never touch the internet, making them immune to online hacking attempts.
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Virus & Malware Proof
Your Trezor is a secure environment, unaffected by infections on your computer.
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Physical Verification
All transactions require physical confirmation on the device, preventing unauthorized sending.
The Official Trezor.io/Start Process
Follow these steps carefully to ensure your device is set up securely. This process is critical for the long-term safety of your assets.
Step 1: Unbox and Verify Authenticity
Before you do anything else, check the device's physical integrity. Your Trezor comes with a security seal over the USB port. This holographic seal is designed to be tamper-evident. If it appears broken, damaged, or removed, do not use the device and contact Trezor Support immediately. This is your first line of defense, ensuring no one has interfered with your device before it reached you.
Critical Security Check:
If the holographic seal is compromised in any way, your device's security cannot be guaranteed. Do not proceed with the setup.
Ensure the seal is intact.
Use the provided USB cable.
Step 2: Connect and Visit Trezor.io/Start
Use the USB cable included in the box to connect your Trezor device to your computer. Once connected, open a web browser and manually type the official setup URL: https://trezor.io/start. Do not use a search engine or click on links from emails or social media. This prevents you from landing on a malicious phishing site designed to steal your information.
Browser Tip:
Bookmark the official URL after your first visit to ensure you always return to the correct, secure site.
Step 3: Install Firmware
The Trezor.io/Start page will guide you to download and install the Trezor Suite App. This is the official software for managing your device. Once installed, Trezor Suite will check your device. If it's a new device, it will not have firmware installed. Trezor Suite will automatically prompt you to install the latest official firmware. This ensures your device has the most up-to-date security features and protections. Follow the on-screen instructions on both your computer and your Trezor device to complete the installation.
Confirm actions on the device screen.
Write down every word carefully.
Step 4: Create a New Wallet & Back Up Your Recovery Seed
This is the most important step of the entire process. Trezor Suite will prompt you to create a new wallet. Your Trezor will then generate a unique Recovery Seed, which is a list of 12 to 24 words. This seed is the master key to all your cryptocurrency accounts. It is the only way to restore your wallet if your device is lost, stolen, or damaged.
Use the recovery seed cards provided in the box to write down each word in the correct order.
EXTREMELY IMPORTANT:
- NEVER store your recovery seed digitally (no photos, text files, password managers, or cloud storage).
- NEVER share your recovery seed with anyone, including Trezor support.
- Keep your physical backup safe from fire, water, and theft.
Step 5: Set a Strong PIN
After backing up your seed, you will set a PIN for your device. This PIN is required every time you connect your Trezor, protecting it from unauthorized physical access. The layout of the PIN grid on your Trezor's screen is randomized and shown on the device itself, while you enter the corresponding numbers on your computer screen. This prevents keyloggers from capturing your PIN. Choose a strong, non-obvious PIN (up to 50 digits) that you can remember.
The numbers appear on the device, you click on the computer.
Exploring the Trezor Suite App
Trezor Suite is your secure gateway to managing your crypto portfolio, sending, receiving, and trading with peace of mind.
Receiving Crypto
To receive funds, navigate to the desired account, and click 'Receive'. Trezor Suite will generate a fresh receiving address. It's crucial to click 'Show full address' and verify that the address displayed on your computer screen exactly matches the address shown on your Trezor's physical screen. This prevents "man-in-the-middle" attacks where malware might try to replace the address on your computer.
Sending Crypto
To send funds, go to the 'Send' tab, enter the recipient's address, and the amount. Before the transaction is sent, your Trezor device will require you to physically verify and confirm the transaction details (address and amount) on its screen. You must press the confirmation button on the device itself to authorize the transaction. This ensures you, and only you, can send funds from your wallet.
Portfolio Management
Trezor Suite provides a clear, intuitive dashboard to view your entire crypto portfolio. You can see your total balance, view charts of your asset performance over time, and manage multiple accounts for different cryptocurrencies, all within one secure application. You can add new coin accounts easily and keep your investments organized, all protected by the security of your hardware wallet.
Advanced Security & Best Practices
Go beyond the basics to make your crypto fortress truly impregnable.
Recovery Seed: Your Master Key
Your recovery seed is more valuable than the device itself. Store your handwritten copy in a secure, private location. Consider using a fireproof/waterproof safe or a bank's safe deposit box. For ultimate resilience, create multiple copies and store them in geographically separate, secure locations. Never speak your seed words out loud, and be mindful of security cameras when handling your backup.
The Power of the Passphrase (The "25th Word")
A passphrase is an advanced security feature that adds an extra, user-created word or phrase to your recovery seed. This creates entirely new, separate wallets. Even if someone steals your physical recovery seed, they cannot access your funds without the passphrase you created. This provides plausible deniability and ultimate protection against physical threats. However, if you forget your passphrase, your funds will be lost forever, as it is never stored on the device or backed up.
Use Case:
You can keep a small amount of crypto in your standard wallet (protected by the 12/24 word seed) and the majority of your holdings in a passphrase-protected wallet.
Beware of Phishing and Scams
Scammers will try to trick you into revealing your recovery seed. They create fake websites that look like Trezor Suite, send emails pretending to be from Trezor support, or create fake mobile apps. Remember the golden rules:
- Trezor will NEVER ask for your recovery seed.
- Always initiate setup from https://trezor.io/start.
- Download Trezor Suite ONLY from the official website.
- Your recovery seed is ONLY entered on the Trezor device itself during a recovery process, never into a website or software.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about your Trezor.
Losing your device is not a catastrophe as long as you have your recovery seed. Your crypto is not stored on the device itself, but on the blockchain. The Trezor only holds the keys. If your device is lost or stolen, your funds are still safe, protected by your PIN. You can simply purchase a new Trezor (or another compatible hardware wallet), and during its setup, choose the 'Recover wallet' option. You will then enter your recovery seed words, and you will have full access to all your funds again. This is why protecting your recovery seed is paramount.
They serve very different security purposes:
- PIN: A short numeric code (up to 50 digits) used to unlock your physical Trezor device each time you connect it. It protects against someone gaining unauthorized physical access to your device. If they steal your device but don't know the PIN, they can't access your funds. The device will wipe itself after too many incorrect PIN attempts.
- Passphrase (Optional): An advanced feature that adds a custom word or phrase (the "25th word") to your 24-word recovery seed. This creates a completely new, hidden set of wallets. It protects you if your actual recovery seed is compromised. The passphrase is never stored anywhere; you must remember it. Forgetting it means losing access to those funds forever.
Yes. Trezor devices are compatible with many third-party wallet applications and services, such as MetaMask, MyEtherWallet, and Electrum. When you use your Trezor with these apps, your private keys still remain securely on your Trezor device. The third-party app acts as a "watch-only" wallet and simply sends transaction requests to your Trezor for signing. You will still need to physically confirm every transaction on your Trezor device, maintaining the same high level of security. Always ensure you are connecting to legitimate, well-reviewed third-party services.
This is a standard and recommended privacy feature for many cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin. By generating a new address for each transaction, you make it much harder for others to trace your entire transaction history on the public blockchain. Linking all your payments to a single, reused address would create a public record of your financial activity. While you can reuse old addresses (they will always belong to your wallet), it is best practice for privacy to use the fresh address that Trezor Suite provides for each new incoming transaction.
No. You only need to connect your Trezor when you want to actively manage your funds—that is, when you want to send crypto, verify a receiving address, or check your balance securely. For the rest of the time, you should disconnect your Trezor and store it in a safe and secure place. Your crypto assets are safe on the blockchain regardless of whether your Trezor is connected or not. This is the essence of "cold storage": keeping your keys offline and secure until the exact moment you need to use them.