Learn / Keep it safe · 3 of 4
Your recovery phrase
Your 12 or 24 recovery words, also called a seed phrase, are a backup of your bitcoin. Guard them like the coins themselves.
- Those words can rebuild your wallet on any device.
- Anyone who sees them can take your bitcoin. No one can reverse it.
- Keep them offline on paper or metal, somewhere safe that someone you trust could find if needed.
The words come from a fixed list of 2,048 English words, and the order matters. Together they encode the keys to every address in your wallet.
Do
- Write them by hand, in order, and check every word.
- Store a copy somewhere safe from fire and water. Metal plates last longest.
- Tell a trusted person how to find them if something happens to you.
Never
- Take a photo, save them in notes, email them or put them in the cloud.
- Type them into a website, or share them with "support."
- Use a wallet that came with words already printed or filled in. That is a scam. Don't use it; contact the maker.
Most hardware wallets create your words on the device and keep the keys off your phone and computer. Compare hardware wallets.
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12 words or 24?
Both are far beyond guessing with any computer that exists. Twelve words are easier to write and check; 24 add a margin some people prefer.
What is a passphrase?
An optional extra word or phrase you add on top of the 12 or 24, sometimes called a 13th or 25th word. It makes a separate, hidden wallet. It adds protection, but if you forget it the coins are gone, so it is for people who are already comfortable.