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Backup & Recovery

How to safely backup your seed phrase and recover a hardware wallet. Metal backups, Shamir Secret Sharing, and crisis recovery guides.

5 in-depth guides
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Your seed phrase is the master key to your crypto. If you lose it, no manufacturer, no support team, and no blockchain can help you recover your funds. These guides cover how to back it up properly — and what to do if something goes wrong.

We go beyond "write it on paper and put it in a safe." You'll learn about metal backup solutions that survive fire and flood, multi-location storage strategies, Shamir Secret Sharing for splitting your seed across multiple locations, and passphrase-based hidden wallets.

We also cover recovery scenarios: what happens if your device breaks, gets stolen, or is seized. Each guide maps the scenario to concrete steps, so you're never guessing during a crisis.

Start Here: Essential Backup & Recovery Guides

New to backup & recovery? Begin with these foundational guides

Wallets That Defend Against These Threats

Reading about threats is step one. Step two is choosing a wallet built to handle them.

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Browse All Backup & Recovery Content

Explore 5 guides curated for backup & recovery

Seed Phrase Storage Best Practices

beginner

Where should you store your seed phrase? Paper, steel, safety deposit box? Here are the proven best practices.

8 min read

How to Backup a Crypto Wallet

beginner

Your wallet backup is your lifeline. Learn the right way to backup seed phrases, private keys, and wallet data.

8 min read

Steel Backup vs Paper Backup

beginner

Paper is free but fragile. Steel is durable but costs money. Which seed phrase backup is right for you?

8 min read

What Happens If You Lose a Hardware Wallet?

beginner

Lost your hardware wallet? Don't panic. Your crypto is safe if you have your seed phrase. Here's what to do.

7 min read

How to Restore a Wallet from Seed Phrase

beginner

Step-by-step guide to recovering your wallet using a seed phrase. Works for any wallet — hardware or software.

8 min read

Explore Other Topics

Complement your security knowledge with these related categories

How We Work

Transparency is our foundation. Here's how we build our Backup & Recovery recommendations.

Every Wallet Tested

We test every wallet we review — no pay-for-play listings.

Self-Custody Only

We only review self-custody wallets. Your keys, your crypto.

Documented Attack Vectors

Guides based on real, documented attack vectors — not hypotheticals.

Ratings Recalculated on Change

All ratings update when wallet specs change. See our open methodology.

How We Rate

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Backup & Recovery and hardware wallet security

What happens if I lose my hardware wallet?
Your crypto is not stored on the device — it is on the blockchain. The hardware wallet stores the private keys that control access. If you have your seed phrase backup, you can restore full access on a new device of the same or different brand. Without the seed phrase, your funds are permanently lost. This is why backup is the most critical step in crypto security.
Steel seed phrase backup vs paper — which is better?
Steel (or titanium) backups survive fire up to 1,500C and water damage. Paper backups are free but vulnerable to fire, flood, and degradation over time. If your holdings justify the $30-$100 cost of a metal backup plate, it is a worthwhile investment. For maximum protection, store backups in multiple geographic locations.
What is Shamir Secret Sharing for seed phrase backup?
Shamir Secret Sharing splits your seed phrase into multiple shares (e.g., 5 shares), where only a subset (e.g., any 3) is needed to reconstruct the original. This eliminates single points of failure: no single location compromise can expose your seed. Trezor supports Shamir backup natively. The tradeoff is increased complexity in setup and recovery.
How do I recover a wallet if my device is damaged?
Buy a new hardware wallet (same brand or any BIP-39 compatible device). During setup, choose Restore from seed phrase instead of Create new wallet. Enter your seed phrase words in the correct order. Your wallet, balances, and transaction history will reappear. If you used a passphrase, you will also need that to access the correct accounts.

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