Trezor.io/Start

Before you start

Set aside a quiet space with a reliable computer and a non-damaged USB cable. Have a pen and the recovery card ready. Plan where you will store your recovery seed — think in terms of fire, theft, and long-term durability.

Essential checklist

• Purchase from official source or authorized reseller.
• Do not use public or unknown computers for initial setup.
• Disconnect unnecessary USB devices to avoid confusion.
• Keep smartphone camera away from the recovery seed while writing it down.

Download & Install Trezor Suite

Trezor Suite is the official desktop application for managing your device, firmware updates, and accounts. You can also use the official web interface where provided. Always prefer the desktop app for sensitive updates when prompted.

Steps

1. Visit trezor.io/start and select your device model.
2. Download the installer for your OS (Windows, macOS, Linux) and run it.
3. Open Trezor Suite and follow the on-screen onboarding.

Pro-tip: checksum & verification

If you are concerned about integrity, use the published checksums or GPG signatures provided on the official site to verify the downloaded installer.

# Example (Linux) - verify checksum (pseudo)
sha256sum trezor-suite-setup.AppImage
# compare with checksum published on trezor.io/start

Initialize your Trezor

When the device connects, Trezor Suite will walk you through initialization. You can create a new wallet or recover an existing one. Creating a new wallet will give you a freshly generated recovery seed — write it down immediately and carefully.

On-device confirmations

Critical actions — like revealing the seed or approving a transaction — must be confirmed on the physical device. This ensures that even if your computer is compromised, the attacker cannot sign transactions without physical access and user confirmation.

Set a PIN

Choose a PIN that balances memorability and unpredictability. The PIN prevents unauthorized use of the device if it is lost or stolen. Never write the PIN with your recovery seed.

Recovery & Backups

The recovery seed (usually 12 or 24 words) is the master key to all your accounts. If your device is lost, stolen, or destroyed, the seed is the only way to recover funds. Treat it like a bank vault key.

Best practices

• Write physically: use the recovery card or a steel backup kit for long-term durability.
• Never store digitally: avoid photos, text files, cloud storage, or email with your seed.
• Consider redundancy: store copies in geographically separated secure locations.
• Test recovery: once written, you may want to test a recovery to a spare device — but treat this as a high-risk operation and never expose the seed unnecessarily.

Passphrase (optional)

A passphrase adds a second secret to your seed and creates a hidden wallet. It increases privacy and security but also complexity — losing the passphrase is equivalent to losing access to funds in that hidden wallet.

Daily Security & Best Practices

Owning a hardware wallet reduces many risks, but human behavior still matters. Here are practical daily habits to minimize risk:

• Always confirm addresses on the hardware device's screen before approving sends.
• Keep firmware up-to-date using Trezor Suite, and only install official updates.
• Do not enter your recovery seed into any website, app, or chat — even if asked by 'support'.
• Use strong, unique passwords for your exchange and email accounts and enable 2FA (prefer hardware 2FA keys when possible).

Frequently Asked Questions