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Guide · Updated 3 November 2026How to back up a seed phrase safely
Your seed phrase, also called recovery words, is the master key to your Bitcoin. If your wallet breaks, these words get it back. If someone else sees them, they can take everything.
New to self-custody? Grab Blocky's Self-Custody Starter Kit, free: it walks you through choosing, setting up and backing up a wallet, step by step.
What your seed phrase is
It is a list of 12 or 24 ordinary words your wallet creates at setup. Whoever has the words has the Bitcoin. Our lesson on seed phrases and backups explains the idea.
Write it down properly
- Write by hand, clearly, in order, with the number next to each word.
- Check every word against the device screen before you finish.
- Use the device's confirm step, then do a test restore later if your wallet supports it.
Why this matters: if your hardware wallet is ever lost or breaks, these words are the only way back. See lost or broken hardware wallet.
Paper or metal?
Paper
Good for: getting started straight away.
Worth knowing: fire, water and fading can destroy it, so keep it dry and protected.
Metal plate or capsule
Good for: long term storage that survives fire and flood.
Worth knowing: makers include Billfodl and Cryptosteel, or you can stamp a plain steel plate. Buy from the maker or the maker's own listing.
Where to keep it
- Somewhere private and safe at home, away from the wallet itself.
- Consider a second copy in another trusted place, such as with family you trust.
- Think about inheritance: leave clear instructions on how to find it, not the words themselves in a will.
Never do this
- Never photograph it or store it in email, notes apps, password managers or the cloud.
- Never type it into a website or app, except your own wallet when restoring.
- Never share it with "support" staff. Real support never asks.
We will never ask for your recovery words. Not SHATOSHI, not a wallet maker, not support staff. Anyone who asks is trying to steal from you.
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Not financial advice. General education only. Do your own research.