How to keep your seed phrase safe

Your seed phrase is the master key to your wallet. Simple, practical ways to store it and the mistakes that get people robbed.

When you create a self-custody wallet, you get a seed phrase (also called a recovery phrase) of 12 or 24 words. Anyone who has these words controls the money in the wallet. There is no password reset.

Do

• Write it on paper or stamp it into metal. Store it somewhere private, safe from fire and water.
• Consider keeping a second copy in a different trusted place.
• Double-check every word and the order before you put money in the wallet.

Don't

• Don't take a photo of it, save it in notes, email it to yourself or store it in the cloud.
• Don't type it into any website, form or chat. Real wallets only ask for it when you restore a wallet inside the app itself.
• Don't share it with anyone, including "support staff". No real company will ever ask for it.

Common scams

Fake wallet apps, fake "wallet validation" sites and fake support accounts on social media all try to get your seed phrase. If a message asks for it, it's a scam, no exceptions.