Trézor Start — Get your hardware wallet up and running

Complete Trezor Onboarding — step-by-step explanation and best practices

Onboarding a hardware wallet is the critical first step in taking custody of your crypto assets. Trezor devices are designed to keep your private keys offline while enabling you to sign transactions securely. The onboarding process includes several clearly-defined steps: verifying device authenticity, initializing and generating a recovery seed, securing the device with a PIN and optional passphrase, connecting to a trusted wallet interface (for example, Trezor Suite or compatible web wallets), and understanding recovery and backup procedures.

Begin by verifying the device packaging. Trezor ships with tamper-evident features; if packaging is damaged or looks altered, do not proceed with setup. Instead, contact official support. Once satisfied, connect the device to a computer and open the official Trezor onboarding page (this document intentionally mirrors that flow but always cross-check with trezor.io/start for live updates). Never follow links from unsolicited messages; phishing sites attempt to mimic onboarding pages to capture seeds or credentials.

When you start initialization, the device generates the recovery seed on the hardware screen — the seed should never be transmitted to a computer, phone, or cloud service. Use the supplied recovery card or a dedicated, fire-resistant medium to write down the seed words. For extra safety, consider splitting the seed across multiple secure locations using secret-sharing methods, but be mindful that complexity raises the risk of loss. Keep at least one verified offline copy accessible to trusted people if needed.

PIN selection is the next key step. Choose a PIN length that balances memorability and entropy — length matters more than complexity. The device will obfuscate PIN entry and limit attempts to mitigate brute force attacks. Enable optional passphrase protection if you want a second, hidden wallet (susceptible only if both the seed and passphrase are compromised). The passphrase feature is powerful but also dangerous if mismanaged: a forgotten passphrase combined with a seed makes recovery effectively impossible.

After initialization, connect to the Trezor Suite desktop app or a verified web wallet to manage accounts and transactions. The hardware device displays transaction details on its screen — this is the single source of truth. Always verify recipient addresses and amounts on the device, not the host computer, to avoid malware or display spoofing. Consider using address verification features and, for large transfers, corroborate addresses across multiple offline methods.

Backup and recovery planning are essential. Your recovery phrase is the ultimate backup. If the device is lost or damaged, the seed restores wallets on a new device. Keep the seed offline, use secure storage, and avoid digital copies. For organizational users, multi-signature setups or custodial services with hardware-backed custody may be appropriate, but understand trade-offs between convenience and self-custody.

Operational security should be ongoing. Keep device firmware up to date by following release notes from official sources. Update the host software (Trezor Suite) and maintain a clean workstation for high-value operations. If you suspect compromise (unexpected prompts, strange transactions), immediately disconnect the device, revoke active sessions, and consider using a freshly-initialized device with the same recovery seed in a secure environment.

For developers and power users, Trezor provides APIs and detailed docs for integration. Always adhere to best practices, validate messages, and never expose secret material to networked systems. Engage with the community and support channels to stay informed about security advisories, firmware patches, and recommended workflows.

In short: verify authenticity, initialize on-device, record your seed offline, secure PIN & passphrase, verify transactions on-device, and maintain robust backups. These steps together create a resilient defense against the most common threats while keeping you in full control of your keys and assets. ¡Buena suerte — and safe hodling!