Setting up a hardware wallet is shorter and calmer than most people expect. There is no account to open, no email to confirm and no cloud service involved. The device itself holds the keys, the desktop app is only a window onto it, and the whole procedure is a handful of steps you can walk through in one sitting.
What follows is the full process in order, followed by the security habits that actually protect your funds. If you only read one section, read the one on recovery words.
What you need before you begin
- Your device, and the USB cable that came in the box — nothing else.
- A computer or phone with a working USB port (or a supported mobile connection).
- Paper and a pen, ideally the recovery card supplied in the box.
- Ten to twenty minutes without interruptions, in a private place.
The setup, step by step
- Download the official app. Type the address by hand — trezor.io/start — and bookmark it. Never reach it through an advertisement, a sponsored search result or a link in an email, because lookalike addresses that differ by one character exist.
- Connect the device with the cable from the box. Plug it straight into the computer rather than through a hub. A data-capable cable matters: a charge-only cable will light the screen and nothing more.
- Install the firmware through the app. A new device ships without firmware, and the app writes it for you; the computer only relays the file while the device screen shows progress. Accept the fingerprint check if it is offered — it proves the software is genuine. Never install firmware from a file someone sent you.
- Create a new wallet. The app will ask whether you want to create a new wallet or restore an existing one. For a device you have just bought, choose create. If a brand-new, sealed device insists on restoring a wallet you have never had, stop immediately and do not continue.
- Write down your recovery words as they appear. The words are shown on the device screen, never on the computer monitor, and you copy them onto paper by hand, in the exact order shown. Do not photograph the screen, do not type them into a document, and do not keep them in a notes app or password manager.
- Set a PIN. You choose it on the computer but enter it on the device through a scrambled keypad, so the computer never learns it. Four to nine digits — pick something you will still remember in three years.
- Optionally add a passphrase and name the device. A passphrase opens a separate, hidden set of wallets. It is powerful and unforgiving: forget it and those wallets are gone, with no recovery route. For a first device it is fine to skip.
Receive a small test amount first
Before you move anything meaningful, generate a receiving address in the app and check that the same address appears on the device screen when you confirm it. That single comparison is your strongest defence against malware that quietly swaps addresses on a compromised computer. Then send a small amount, wait for the first confirmation, and only then send the rest.
The security rules that matter most
No support agent will ever ask for your recovery words
Not by email, not in a live chat, not over the phone, not in a direct message on social media. If someone claims your wallet needs "validation", "synchronisation" or "a migration", it is a theft attempt. Close the conversation.
Buy from the official store and inspect the packaging
Buying secondhand opens the door to a device that someone else has already initialised. If the box arrives already opened, or the device asks you to restore a wallet that is not yours, treat it as compromised.
Keep the firmware current through the official app
Updates bring bug fixes and new features, and the app will prompt you when one is available. Do a firmware update while you have the recovery words in front of you, in case you are asked to confirm them afterwards.
Store the paper copy properly
Two copies in two separate physical locations protects you against fire, flood and a single burglary. Metal backup plates exist for exactly this reason. Never store the words in the same place as the device itself.
Common questions
The app says it cannot find the device
Try another USB port, avoiding hubs and front-panel extensions. Swap the cable. Close and reopen the app, and check that the device screen is showing a prompt rather than a blank display.
My new device is asking me to restore an existing wallet
A factory-new device asks you to create. A restore prompt on something you bought as new is a warning sign. Do not enter anything, do not send funds to it and contact the seller or the manufacturer's support team first.
How many words is the recovery seed?
Twelve, twenty or twenty-four, depending on the model. Write down exactly what the device displays, in order, and do not "correct" anything that looks unusual to you.
Can I keep the words digitally if the file is encrypted?
No. Any digital copy lives on a device that can be infected, synced, backed up or stolen. Paper or metal, offline, is the standard for a reason.
Does the device need to stay plugged in?
No. It only needs to be connected when you send, receive or change settings. Between those moments it can sit unplugged with the funds untouched.
Quick checklist
- App downloaded from the official address, typed by hand and bookmarked.
- Firmware installed through the app, with the fingerprint check accepted.
- Wallet created, not restored.
- Recovery words written by hand, in order, never photographed or typed.
- PIN set and memorised.
- Receiving address verified on the device screen before any funds move.
- Paper backup stored in two separate safe locations.
Where to get real help
Official documentation and support live on the manufacturer's own site, and there is an active community forum for model-specific questions. This page is an independent walkthrough, not the manufacturer's site — which is precisely why nothing on it will ever ask you to type in your recovery words. If any page, popup or "agent" does, that is the moment to close it.