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How to back up a seed phrase safely

Your seed phrase can restore your whole wallet. A good backup survives fire, theft and your own memory, and stays away from the internet.

GuidesGuide27 Oct 2026

By [Author name]. Reviewed by [Editor name]. 5-minute read. Draft for editor review.

An old iron strongbox with a keyhole and a lifting handle
An iron strongbox, about 1910.

What a seed phrase does

A seed phrase is a list of words that can restore your wallet on another device. Anyone who has those words can usually take everything in that wallet, without your password or your device.

What to do

  1. Write it down by hand when you set up the wallet, in the exact order shown.
  2. Check that every word is spelled correctly and the order is right.
  3. Store it somewhere private and protected from fire and water. For larger amounts, consider a metal backup.
  4. Consider a second copy in a separate secure place, so one event can’t destroy both.
  5. Test recovery with a small amount before relying on the backup, following your wallet maker’s official instructions.

What to avoid

  • Photos, screenshots, notes apps, email or cloud storage
  • Password managers or cloud accounts, unless you fully understand and accept the risk
  • Any website, app or person asking you to type it in to verify something
  • A device delivered with a seed phrase already written down. Treat it as compromised, and contact the maker through its official site.

No real support team needs your seed phrase. If anyone asks for it, stop.

If it may have been exposed

Assume the wallet isn’t safe. Create a new wallet with a new seed phrase, ideally on a device you trust, and move your funds there as soon as you can.

Sources

[The Editor links primary sources here before publication.]

Disclosures

[AI use, holdings and commercial relationships are shown here.]