Make your recovery plan while you can still open the wallet: identify its exact backup method, record every credential or signer recovery requires, create and verify the backup using the wallet maker’s supported process, and store it securely with clear restore instructions. A recovery phrase, device PIN, optional passphrase, and provider recovery method are not interchangeable, so the right plan depends on your specific wallet and device.
1. Identify the wallet and its recovery design
Write down the wallet’s name, the device model, the account or wallet type, and the backup format it uses. Then confirm whether it is self-custody or provider-managed and find the current official recovery instructions for that exact setup. Do this before relying on a provider to reset access: Coinbase Wallet says Coinbase does not have access to users’ recovery phrases, and Phantom says it cannot retrieve lost credentials for them.
Wallet recovery designs vary. A conventional self-custody wallet may rely on a recovery phrase; a hardware wallet may require its backup words and a device-specific restore procedure; and an institutional wallet may use key shards, recovery passphrases, or additional signers. Email or social-login wallets may have a different recovery route. Do not assume that instructions or credentials for one wallet work with another.
2. Make a private inventory of everything recovery needs
Before creating a backup, determine which items are required to regain the same wallet. Record the requirements, not the secrets, in a separate planning note. Depending on the wallet, recovery may involve some combination of:
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- A recovery phrase or another wallet backup.
- An optional wallet passphrase in addition to the recovery words.
- A hardware device, device PIN, or provider account.
- Recovery shares, another signed-in device, or an additional signer.
Keep the inventory specific to each wallet. Coinbase Wallet says each recovery-phrase wallet has its own independent phrase; backing up one phrase does not back up every wallet in the app. BitBox explains that a wallet created with an optional passphrase requires that same passphrase during restoration. Coinbase Prime’s institutional recovery process is different again: its documented method uses a recovery passphrase to encrypt a backup of a key shard, and a signer from the same portfolio is also needed.
3. Create the backup while the wallet still works
- Open the genuine wallet interface. Reveal or export recovery information only through the official app or the maker’s supported device process. Follow the current instructions for your model and version; do not use a search result, message, or unsolicited support link as a substitute.
- Record every required element accurately. If the wallet uses recovery words, write each word in the right order and check its spelling. If it uses another supported backup method, follow that method exactly. Do not assume every wallet uses the same number of words or format.
- Keep the secret off ordinary digital channels. Do not photograph or screen-record a phrase, paste it into a website, or send it by email or message. Coinbase Wallet specifically advises against screenshots and recordings for manual phrase backups.
- Make a separate backup for each independent wallet. Label records clearly without writing the secret on the label. Store any separate passphrase or recovery share according to a plan that does not accidentally make it useless—or expose everything in one place.
Treat any person or service asking you to disclose a recovery phrase as suspicious. Coinbase says not to share a phrase or paste it into a website; BitBox says recovery words should be entered only on a hardware wallet device. Anyone who obtains a usable secret may be able to take the assets.
4. Store the backup for both privacy and survival
A useful backup must survive the loss or damage of the device without becoming easy for someone else to use. Keep it private, offline where practical, and protected from foreseeable physical damage. Consider whether a person who finds the backup could read and use it, and whether every copy is stored in a way you can still locate when needed.
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Ledger discusses durable metal plates and keeping physical backups in separate secure locations. A metal seed-phrase backup is optional, not a requirement; check that its format and encoding method suit your wallet, and verify product-specific claims rather than assuming a plate is fireproof, waterproof, or compatible with every backup. A readable physical copy still needs protection from theft.
Ledger warns against non-encrypted digital storage such as screenshots, notes apps, and cloud storage. Cloud backup behavior is provider-specific: Coinbase Wallet documents an encrypted iCloud or Google Drive option that requires a unique password. Do not assume another wallet offers the same protection or that access to a cloud account alone is enough to restore it.
5. Verify the backup before depending on it
Use the wallet maker’s official backup check or supported dry-run recovery process, and keep the working wallet safe while doing so. Confirm that the words and their order are correct and that any optional passphrase or recovery shares are accounted for. Trezor recommends checking backup accuracy before wiping or resetting a device and before firmware updates.
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Never test a phrase by entering it on an arbitrary website, in a support chat, or on an untrusted computer. BitBox’s restoration guidance warns that omitting a passphrase used for the original wallet can open a different, apparently empty wallet. A successful check should establish that the backup corresponds to the wallet you intend to recover, not merely that the words were copied.
6. Know what the backup format does—and does not—mean
Word count and recovery behavior depend on the wallet’s implementation. Trezor’s current backup guidance documents these formats for relevant device configurations:
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| Format described by Trezor | Backup arrangement | Recovery detail |
|---|---|---|
| BIP39 | 12 or 24 words | Trezor states that its 12-word BIP39 backup provides 128-bit security when the words are genuinely random. |
| SLIP39 | 20-word shares; configured as a single-share or multi-share backup | For a multi-share backup, the owner chooses the number of shares and a recovery threshold. Trezor’s example of 3-of-5 can recover the wallet after two shares are lost or damaged. |
These are Trezor-documented formats and figures, not a universal standard for every wallet. Trezor’s security figure depends on genuinely random words. Before choosing a backup approach, understand what a replacement device supports and exactly which words, passphrases, shares, or signers are required.
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Splitting a backup can reduce dependence on any single physical copy, but it adds coordination and recovery requirements. Ledger describes Shamir’s Secret Sharing as an advanced method that must be implemented carefully. Do not split a phrase or improvise a threshold scheme unless the wallet supports the method and you understand how to restore it.
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Keep a separate instruction sheet with the wallet and device identification, the location of the relevant backup, any additional recovery requirements, and where to find the official recovery guide. Do not put the secret phrase itself in a broadly accessible instruction document. If recovery depends on another person or signer, make their role and the steps they are expected to take clear in advance.
Institutional arrangements need wallet-specific continuity planning. Coinbase Prime recommends multiple Onchain Signers to provide redundancy if a device is lost or damaged. That is an example for its institutional product, not a general requirement for consumer wallets.
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What to do if the backup is already missing
The wallet still opens
Do not wait for the device to fail. Ledger advises creating a new wallet with a new phrase and moving funds if the old phrase is lost while the wallet remains accessible; Trezor similarly advises moving funds to a wallet with a known backup. Follow the maker’s official process carefully, and do not expose keys while setting up the replacement wallet or moving assets.
You have lost access and have no valid backup
Recovery may be impossible for a self-custody wallet if the device is inaccessible and no valid backup remains. Phantom says that a user logged out on all devices without a backup cannot restore access; Trezor likewise warns that a wallet cannot be recovered without a valid backup. Do not assume a provider, recovery company, or support agent can retrieve self-custody credentials or move funds for you.
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