Trézor.io/Start® | Starting Up Your Device | Trézor® Guide

A clear, colorful, step-by-step presentation for safely setting up your Trézor® hardware wallet — ~1600 words.

1. Welcome & Overview

Purpose

This guide walks you through powering on, initializing, and securing your Trézor® device. Follow each step carefully — hardware wallets protect your crypto by keeping keys offline. Treat this guide as a checklist during setup.

Key outcomes

After setup you'll have: a device initialized with a secure PIN, a verified recovery seed, and a tested backup procedure.

2. Unbox Safely

Check packaging

Ensure the box is sealed and tamper-evident. Only proceed if seals are intact. Trézor® ships with the device, a USB cable, recovery card, and quick start leaflet. If anything is missing, stop and contact official support.

Workspace

Choose a private, well-lit area. Avoid public or shared networks and never set up a hardware wallet where cameras or untrusted people can view your screen or seed.

3. Powering On & Connecting

Power & cable

Connect your Trézor® to your computer using the supplied USB cable. Only use the official cable — cheap third-party cables with data manipulation are rare but possible. Confirm the device screen displays the Trézor® logo.

Pin prompt

When prompted, follow the on-screen instructions; you'll set a PIN in the next step. Never enter your recovery seed into your computer or phone — it belongs solely on the recovery card or other offline medium.

4. Create a Strong PIN (h3 example)

Why a PIN?

The PIN protects access to your device. The PIN is requested each time the device is plugged in. Choose a PIN you can remember but that is not guessable from publicly available information.

Best practices

Use 6+ digits if possible; include non-repeating patterns. Avoid birthdays, phone numbers, or sequences like 1234. Memorize it — do not store it digitally where attackers could retrieve it.

5. Generating & Verifying Your Recovery Seed

What is a recovery seed?

The recovery seed (usually 12–24 words) is the only backup of your wallet's private keys. If the device is lost, stolen, or damaged, the seed restores funds on a new device. Keep it offline and private.

On-device generation

The device generates the seed locally. Write the words exactly as shown — in order — on the provided recovery card. Do not photograph or copy them digitally.

6. Backups & Secure Storage

Multiple copies

Consider storing multiple copies of your recovery seed in separate secure locations (e.g., home safe, bank deposit box). Each copy increases redundancy but also increases risk from physical theft — balance accordingly.

Durability

Paper is vulnerable to fire and water. Use a fireproof metal backup plate if durability is a priority. Always ensure that any metal backup is engraved or stamped with clear word divisions.

7. Firmware & Software: Keep Things Updated

Official sources only

Download firmware and the official Trézor® Suite only from Trézor.io. Firmware updates often patch security issues — check for updates after initial setup and before moving large funds.

Verify signatures

When installing updates, verify the cryptographic signatures (the device or official app will guide you). Never install firmware from untrusted sources or community forks unless you fully understand the risks.

8. Receiving & Sending Transactions

Receive first

Test the wallet with a small incoming transaction first. Confirm the address shown in Trézor® Suite matches the address on your device screen before sending funds.

Sending safely

When sending, double-check recipient addresses and amounts. Use the device's confirmation screen — hardware wallets protect against host computer tampering by requiring manual approval for each transaction.

9. Lost Device or Compromise

Immediate steps

If your device is lost or you suspect compromise, acquire a new hardware wallet and restore from your recovery seed. If you cannot do this immediately, avoid using the seed anywhere online until ready to restore.

Proactive monitoring

Monitor accounts for unexpected activity. Consider moving large holdings to a newly restored wallet once you have a secure environment and new backup plan.

10. Best Practices & Final Checklist

Daily habits

Keep software updated, avoid unknown links or wallet downloads, and never reveal your recovery seed. Use passphrases only if you understand how they interact with your seed and backups.

Quick checklist

  • Unbox and verify seal
  • Power on and set a secure PIN
  • Write recovery seed offline and verify
  • Create durable backups (metal/plastic as needed)
  • Install firmware from Trézor.io and verify signatures
  • Test with small transactions
  • Store backups in multiple secure locations

Need a printable version? Use the Office links above to open each slide in your preferred editor and export to PPTX or PDF (links are placeholders — replace with your cloud or Office URLs).