This presentation walks you through setting up your Trezor hardware wallet for the first time. It covers unboxing, connecting, initializing, creating and securing recovery seeds, choosing PINs and passphrases, firmware updates, and safe day‑to‑day usage. The guidance below is intentionally detailed and aims to be approachable for beginners while remaining precise for experienced users.
--accent and --accent-2 colors; sections are presented like slides for easy printing or converting to screens.Hardware wallets isolate your private keys from the internet. They sign transactions inside the device so an attacker who controls your computer cannot access the keys directly. This physical separation significantly reduces risk compared to software wallets on general-purpose devices.
When you receive a Trezor device, inspect the packaging carefully. Official devices include tamper-evident seals and clearly branded boxes. Check for any signs of tampering: broken seals, unusual glue, damaged packaging, or missing items.
Use the cable to connect your Trezor to a computer. Open a modern browser and go to https://trezor.io/start. This is the official onboarding web app that guides you through firmware verification, initialization, and wallet creation.
During first connection, the website will check whether your device needs a firmware upgrade. Official Trezor firmware ensures the device runs known, audited code. Only install firmware updates shown on the official Trezor page.
Installing third-party firmware or connecting to unofficial tools can compromise your device. Only follow steps shown at Trezor.io/Start and confirm firmware details on the device screen when prompted.
Select the option to create a new wallet on the Trezor web app. The device will generate a recovery seed — a human-readable list of words that represents your private key backup. Write these words down exactly and in order.
The device will ask you to choose a PIN. A PIN prevents local attackers with physical access from using the device. Choose a PIN long enough to resist guessing (6+ digits) and do not reuse it for other services.
Passphrase adds an additional secret that effectively creates a hidden wallet. Only use this if you understand the risks and responsibilities: if you forget the passphrase, funds in that hidden wallet are permanently inaccessible, even with the seed.
After writing the seed, the device may ask you to confirm several words to ensure you recorded them correctly. This step prevents mistakes and ensures you can recover the wallet later.
Some users perform a 'test restore' on a separate device to validate their written seed. This is an advanced step and should be done with caution: the test should be conducted in a safe environment and never involve exposing the seed to networked devices.
To receive funds, generate a receive address from your Trezor app. Confirm on your device that the address shown in the browser matches the address on the device screen before sharing it with the sender.
When sending, the device will display transaction details for confirmation. Verify the recipient address and amounts on the device screen each time. Attackers can manipulate the computer display — always trust the device screen.
Keep the device firmware current. Firmware updates patch security issues and may add features. The official onboarding site will indicate available updates and provide verified firmware to install.
Only accept updates from the official site. If an update request looks suspicious, disconnect and investigate via the official Trezor knowledge base.
Many users create multiple physical copies of their seed. Another advanced option is Shamir Backup (SLIP-0039) or secret-sharing schemes, which split a recovery into shares. These methods provide redundancy and resilience but require careful planning.
If the device is stolen, a strong PIN can delay or deter an attacker. However, if the attacker also obtains your seed or passphrase, your funds can be drained. Treat both the device and the backup as equally sensitive.
Scammers may impersonate support or try to trick you into revealing your seed. Trezor staff will never ask for your recovery seed. If you receive unsolicited requests to reveal your seed, ignore them and verify through official channels.
If you forget your PIN, you can recover funds with your recovery seed on a new device. The old device can be wiped and reinitialized, but the seed remains the canonical backup for your funds.
Trezor supports multiple cryptocurrency accounts and standards (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum, tokens). Use separate accounts within the same seed to organize funds. Be aware of derivation paths and address formats when using third-party wallets.
Passphrase can create hidden wallets under the same seed. This is helpful for deniability but increases complexity; document your approach safely and consider the risks of forgetting passphrases.
Yes — recovery seeds follow standardized wordlists and can be used to recover wallets on compatible Trezor devices as well as some other compatible wallets that support the same seed standard.
If you lose the seed and don’t have another backup, your funds are irretrievable. That’s why multiple secure backups are essential.
This presentation uses a bold palette to emphasize security and modernity. Key colors are:
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Keep security front of mind. Trezor hardware provides strong protection but depends on how you handle backups and secrets. Use the official onboarding at trezor.io/start, read the documentation, and consult community resources for advanced setups.