Seed Phrase: What Is It and How Do You Protect It From Theft?
The seed phrase (also called a recovery phrase) is a list of 12 or 24 words your wallet creates the first time you use it. Whoever has these words owns your money entirely, and whoever loses them may lose access to their wallet forever.
Why is it so important?
A wallet really manages private keys derived from this phrase. If your phone or device breaks you can restore everything by entering the words into a new wallet. Conversely, anyone who gets them can move everything out without your permission.
How to store it safely
- Write it by hand on paper, or stamp it on a fire- and water-resistant metal plate.
- Keep a second copy somewhere else, far from the first.
- Do not photograph it or keep it in notes, email or cloud storage.
- Check the order and spelling of the words carefully.
What you must never do
- Never give it to anyone, even someone claiming to be support staff. Real support teams never ask for it.
- Never enter it on a site or app whose link came in a message or ad.
- Never send it to yourself as a picture or message.
- Never share a picture of your phrase, even an old one.
A common scam
Pop-ups appear claiming your wallet needs to "sync" or "verify" and ask for the phrase. That is outright phishing. Anywhere asking for the words outside restoring a wallet you fully trust is a scam. Read how to protect yourself from scams.
Frequently asked questions
Can a lost phrase be recovered? No, no one can do that. Does a hardware wallet need a phrase? Yes, it is your backup if the device is lost.