Device setup · 4 steps · about 12 minutes

Set up your hardware wallet the calm, methodical way

Trezor.io/start is the first page most owners look for after a device arrives. This guide covers the whole sequence — install, firmware verification, PIN, recovery seed, first transaction — plus the habits that keep a wallet secure long after setup day.

Begin the setup walkthrough Security basics
Steps
4
Seed
By hand
Storage
Offline
Verify
On device
CONFIRM Firmware verified PIN on device Seed offline
  • 01 Official source only
  • 02 Never type a seed
  • 03 Verify on screen
  • 04 Test small first
Before you begin

Three checks that protect everything that follows

Setup is short, but the first five minutes decide how safe the wallet will be for years.

Start from a source you trust

Install the desktop app from the official project page or a signed release. Avoid links from search ads, emails, direct messages and downloaded installers sent by strangers.

Inspect the packaging

Seals should be intact and the box should never contain a pre-written recovery sheet. A device sold as "already configured" is a red flag — wipe it and start fresh.

Use the cable in the box

Charge-only cables and cheap hubs are the most common cause of a device that "won't connect". Plug directly into the computer, close other wallet software, then open the app.

The walkthrough

Four steps, in order, nothing skipped

Follow along with the page and tick each step off as you finish it. Your progress is saved in this browser only.

0 of 4 steps complete
  1. 01

    Install the desktop app

    Download the official companion app for your system and let it finish installing before you plug anything in. Updates arrive through this app, so it becomes your single trusted channel.

    • Official project site or signed release only
    • Check the URL letter by letter
    • Bookmark it for next time
  2. 02

    Connect and verify the firmware

    Plug the device in with the supplied cable. The app reads the firmware installed on it; if an update is offered, confirm the fingerprint on the device screen itself rather than trusting the window on your computer.

    • Compare the version shown in both places
    • Install updates only from inside the app
    • Never flash a file someone sent you
  3. 03

    Create a PIN and write down the recovery seed

    Choose a PIN you have never used elsewhere — it is typed on the computer but confirmed on the device. Then the device displays your recovery words one at a time: copy them by hand, in order, on the sheet provided.

    • Paper or stamped metal, never a screenshot
    • No cloud notes, password managers or photos
    • Re-read the words back before continuing
  4. 04

    Send a small test transaction

    Add an account, then send a deliberately small amount. Watch the address and fee on the device screen and approve only if every character matches what the app proposed.

    • One small transfer before the real one
    • Check the first and last characters of addresses
    • Label accounts while you still remember them
Everyday security

Habits that matter more than any single setting

A hardware wallet removes the biggest risks. These practices remove most of what is left.

Guard the seed above all

Whoever holds the recovery words holds the funds. Treat it as the wallet itself and never share it — not with support, not with a "verification" page, not with anyone.

Trust the device screen

The computer can be compromised; the device screen is the last honest witness. Confirm addresses, amounts and fees there before approving anything.

Update deliberately

Firmware fixes real issues, so check every few months and before large movements. Do it from a quiet moment, in the app, with the seed stored safely nearby.

Keep a quiet, private setup

Set up alone, with no screen sharing, remote-support session or streaming audience. Nobody legitimate needs to watch a wallet being created.

Split what you hold

Keep everyday spending money in a hot wallet and long-term savings behind the device. If one is exposed, the other survives.

Slow down when hurried

Urgency is the tool of every scam: a limited offer, a locked account, a "must act now" support call. A wallet never needs to be moved in a panic.

No setup page, app or support agent will ever ask for your recovery seed.

If a window, chat or phone call asks you to type the words — or to "validate", "sync" or "unlock" a wallet — close it. There is no exception to this rule.

A plain desk with a laptop, the kind of quiet workspace used for hardware wallet setup
Set up somewhere quiet — no screen sharing, no one reading over your shoulder.
Recovery & device care

The recovery seed is the wallet. Everything else is hardware.

The device can be lost, replaced or dropped in a lake. The recovery words are what rebuild the balance, which is why they deserve better storage than anything else you own. Write them by hand during setup, check them twice, and keep two copies in separate, unremarkable places.

Lives on the device

  • Private keys and signing
  • PIN entry and confirmation
  • Address display for checking

Never lives on the computer

  • Recovery seed words
  • PIN in a text file
  • Screenshots of either
Common recovery questions
Guide

Trezor.io/start: a practical starting point for hardware wallet owners

Updated for 20263 min readSetup & security

Getting a hardware wallet out of the box is the easy part. Knowing what to do next is where most people hesitate, and Trezor.io/start exists to remove that hesitation. The page walks a new owner through the sequence that matters: install the desktop app from an official source, connect the device with the cable that shipped with it, let the app verify the firmware already on the device, then create a PIN and write down the recovery seed by hand.

Each step is deliberately slow. Nothing here rewards speed. The recovery seed is the real backup of a wallet, and it should live on paper or metal, offline — never in a photo, a note-taking app, or a chat message. No website, support agent, or wallet app should ever ask for it. A request for your seed words is the clearest sign of a scam.

From there, Trezor.io/start covers the habits that keep a wallet healthy: checking the receive address on the device screen, sending a small test transaction first, labelling accounts so future-you understands the balance, and keeping the firmware current. Treat setup as a small security ritual rather than a formality, and the device becomes something you can genuinely rely on for years.

Questions

What new owners ask first

What should I do first when my device arrives?

Check the packaging for signs of tampering, install the desktop app from the source you trust, connect with the cable supplied in the box, and let the app verify the firmware before you create a wallet.

Will setup ever ask me to type my recovery seed?

No. The words are written down by hand during setup and stay offline. A website, app, email or support agent asking for your recovery seed is a scam — every time.

Can I use a second-hand device?

Only after a full wipe and a fresh setup that generates a new recovery seed you control. If a device arrives with seed words already written down, do not use it.

How often does firmware need updating?

Check from inside the app every few months and before moving significant amounts. Updates are confirmed on the device screen — never install a firmware file from a link someone sent you.

How should I store the recovery seed long term?

Offline, in your own handwriting, in two separate locations. If the amount stored is significant, consider stamped metal, which survives fire and water better than paper.

Ready when you are. Slow is smooth, smooth is safe.

Work through the four steps, tick them off, and keep this page bookmarked for the next device or firmware update.

Start the walkthrough Read the security basics