Short summary
This guide gives a concise, practical path to get your Trezor ready: verify the package, power up, connect to the official start page, create or restore a wallet, record your recovery phrase securely, set a PIN, and test by receiving a small amount. Emphasis is on cautious, repeatable steps that reduce risk while preserving usability.
Essential preparations
Choose a quiet, private workspace. Use your personal computer and a dependable USB cable. Have a pen and designated recovery card or metal backup ready. Never photograph or store the recovery phrase on a phone, cloud service, or email. These few habits prevent most common threats.
Step-by-step
1 — Verify packaging
Inspect tamper seals, box condition, and included items: device, cable, recovery card, and manuals. If anything seems altered, contact the vendor or official support before continuing.
2 — Connect safely
Plug the device into your computer using the provided cable. Power on and view the device's welcome screen. Avoid public or insecure USB hubs and unknown chargers.
3 — Use the official start page
Open your browser and type the official start URL manually. Download any required companion software only from the official site — do not follow email links.
4 — Initialize or restore
Choose to create a new wallet or restore an existing one. If creating a new wallet, let the device generate the recovery phrase and confirm words on the device screen rather than the computer.
5 — Record your recovery phrase
Write the 12/18/24 words exactly and in order on the recovery card or durable metal backup. Do not reveal these words to anyone; they are the only way to recover funds if the device is lost.
6 — Set a strong PIN
Pick a PIN that you can remember but others cannot guess. Enter it on the device using the randomized keypad to reduce malware risks on the host device.
7 — Final checks & test
Confirm firmware integrity and model details. Add an account, generate a receiving address, verify it on the device, and send a small test amount to confirm everything works as expected.
Concise security tips
Treat the recovery phrase as the master key — offline and physical-only storage is best. Keep multiple physical copies in geographically separated, secure locations (e.g., home safe and bank safe deposit), and avoid describing exact storage in writing. Install firmware and software updates only from officially signed sources.
New vocabulary — short list
- Seed hygiene
- Practices that keep the recovery phrase uncompromised (physical-only backups, distributed copies).
- Device attestation
- Verification that the hardware and firmware are genuine and untampered.
- Hardware entropy
- True randomness generated by the device to create private keys.
- Cold keying
- Performing sensitive key operations on the device without exposing secrets to connected hosts.
Closing note
A short, disciplined setup reduces long-term risk. Follow each step deliberately, double-check critical information on the device screen, and never rush recovery phrase handling. With these habits, your Trezor becomes a reliable vault for your crypto assets.