Starting® Up® Your® Account®
A clear, step-by-step guide to set up your Trezor hardware wallet and secure your crypto in cold storage.
Overview
Welcome — you’re about to set up a hardware wallet that keeps your private keys offline. This guide walks you through unboxing, initializing the device, creating a recovery seed, and connecting to Trezor Suite. Read each step carefully and follow the safety tips to protect your assets.
What you’ll need
- Your Trezor device (Model One or Model T).
- A computer or phone with the latest Trezor Suite installed or access to trezor.io/start.
- A clean, private workspace where you won’t be observed or recorded.
- A pen and the recovery card provided, or a durable steel backup if available.
Step-by-step setup
Check the tamper-evident seal. Confirm the box and contents look undamaged. Inside you’ll find the Trezor device, a USB cable, a recovery card, and quick-start materials. Never use a device that looks tampered with.
Go to trezor.io/start and follow the prompts to download Trezor Suite for your operating system. Connect the Trezor to your computer using the supplied cable. The Suite will detect your device and guide you.
If the device requires firmware, the Suite will prompt you. Install only official firmware through Trezor Suite. Installing firmware updates ensures known vulnerabilities are patched and features are current.
Choose Create new when prompted. Trezor will generate a seed phrase using its internal random number generator. Follow on-screen instructions and confirm the generated words on the device screen, not just on the computer display.
Use the provided recovery card to write each word in order. Do this slowly and double-check spelling. The 12, 18, or 24-word seed is the only backup to regain access to your funds. Never store the seed digitally or photograph it.
Choose a PIN on the device. The PIN prevents unauthorized physical access. Trezor will ask you to confirm the PIN by entering it twice. Avoid predictable PINs — do not use birth years, repeated digits, or sequential numbers.
After confirming your seed and PIN, your Trezor wallet will be ready. Trezor Suite will display your accounts and allow you to receive, send, and manage supported cryptocurrencies.
Safety checklist
- Always verify the Trezor firmware and Suite originate from
trezor.io. - Never enter your recovery seed into a computer, phone, or online form.
- Store your seed offline in multiple secure locations. Consider a fire- and waterproof steel backup.
- Enable passphrase protection only if you understand how lost passphrases permanently lock funds.
Troubleshooting
If the device is not recognized, try a different USB cable or port. Reboot your computer and ensure Trezor Suite is up to date. In the rare event of an interrupted firmware update, follow the recovery instructions in Suite or consult Trezor support. Do not factory-reset the device unless you have your recovery seed backed up safely.
Best practices for long-term security
Keep firmware current and periodically verify the integrity of your backups. Use a dedicated, offline location to store your recovery seed. If you hold large amounts, split backups across geographically separated locations and consider multi-signature setups for additional protection.
Useful tips
- Label your recovery backups discreetly — avoid mentioning "crypto" or "seed" on visible labels.
- Test a small transaction to confirm receiving addresses before sending large amounts.
- Keep one emergency contact who knows how to access the seed only if you become unable to manage your assets.