Back up your Bitcoin wallet: recovery phrases, passphrases and safe storage

What your recovery phrase is

When you create a wallet, it shows you a list of words, usually 12 or 24. Those words can recreate every key in the wallet on any compatible device. If your phone or hardware wallet breaks or is lost, the phrase is how you get your bitcoin back. If someone else gets it, they can take your bitcoin.

How to store it

• Write it by hand, in order, with the word numbers. Check every word against the screen.
• Never photograph it, type it into a computer or phone, store it in a password manager or the cloud, or send it to anyone.
• Keep it somewhere private and safe from fire and water. A metal backup plate survives far better than paper.
• Think about who could find it: a backup that is easy for you to reach may also be easy for others.

An optional passphrase

Many wallets let you add a passphrase, sometimes called a 25th word. With it, the recovery phrase alone is no longer enough to take your bitcoin. But if you forget the passphrase, the coins are gone for good, so store it separately from the phrase and make sure you can always recover it.

Where the randomness comes from

A recovery phrase is only as strong as the randomness used to make it. Generate it on a reputable wallet with up-to-date firmware, never with a website or a phrase someone gave you. Some devices also let you add dice rolls; Coinkite's July 2026 Coldcard advisory showed why that can matter.

Test your backup

Before you put savings in a wallet, prove the backup works: restore it on a second device or wallet app (or use the device's backup check), confirm you see the same receive addresses, then wipe the test. A backup you have never tested is a hope, not a backup.

For larger amounts and for your family

With multisig, no single phrase can move your bitcoin, so one lost or stolen backup is not a disaster. If you want your family to be able to inherit your bitcoin, leave clear instructions on where things are and how they work, without writing the phrase itself into a will or an email.