How to back up your crypto wallet recovery phrase
Write your recovery phrase on paper or metal, in order, keep copies in separate places, and test the backup before you rely on it to restore your funds.
Vahe HakobyanEditor-in-chief
Updated Oct 5, 20263 min readFact-checked
On this page
- Write every word in order, by hand.
- Keep copies apart, safe from fire and water.
- A passphrase you set needs its own backup.
A recovery phrase is the list of words your wallet created, and anyone who reads it can restore the wallet and move the funds.
What to prepare before you start
Pick a paper sheet or a metal plate, since paper is cheap and metal survives fire and water better. Keep the phrase off screens, because a screenshot, a photo, a cloud note, or a password manager entry copies it onto a connected device.
Write and store the phrase step by step
Record the words in the order the wallet shows them. One missing or swapped word can make the backup useless.
- 1Copy every wordWrite them in the order shown and match the spelling on the screen, which many wallets show only once.
- 2Add the passphraseIf you set an optional passphrase, often called the 25th word, record it on a separate sheet. The phrase alone restores a different, empty wallet.
- 3Make a second copyWrite the list again by hand and compare both copies with the screen.
- 4Store them apartKeep each copy away from fire, water, and thieves, in different rooms or buildings.
After backup: verify and secure
A copy you never restore is only a guess. Install the same wallet app on a second device, choose restore, and enter the words there.
Avoid scams and report theft
Your phrase is the key to your funds. No wallet company, exchange, or support agent needs it, and any message that asks for it is a theft attempt.
- Report the theft to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- File a complaint with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3.
- Ask your exchange to flag the payment as fraudulent.
- Ignore paid recovery offers, which are recovery scams.
Frequently asked questions
A split phrase restores nothing, and losing one part loses the wallet. Keep each copy whole, stored apart.
Keep it in a separate protected place. Anyone who finds both records controls the wallet.
The phrase restores every account in the wallet. A private key controls one address.
Restore it in a wallet app you installed on a second device. Never type the phrase into a website.
