Getting started with trezor.io/start is a short, confidence-building journey designed to put you in full control of your cryptocurrency in about fifteen minutes. From the moment you unbox your hardware wallet to the first secure transaction you sign, every step is engineered to be transparent, verifiable, and beginner-friendly, so you can move your assets off exchanges and into cold storage with ease.(Trezor, Trezor)

1 — Unbox and inspect your Trezor
Begin by making sure the holographic seal on your device packaging is intact. Any sign of tampering—scratches on the seal, torn shrink-wrap, or misaligned labels—means you should pause and contact Trezor Support before proceeding. Inside the box you’ll find the hardware wallet, a USB-C or Micro-USB cable (model-dependent), two blank recovery seed cards, and a quick-start leaflet. Keep everything together; you will need the seed cards in a later step.

2 — Connect and open trezor.io/start
Plug your Trezor into a desktop or laptop you trust, then open a fresh browser window and type “trezor dot io slash start” into the address bar. The page automatically recognizes your model—Trezor Safe 3, Model T, or Model One—and directs you to use Trezor Suite, the official companion application. For the most seamless experience, choose the desktop version of Suite, though you can also select “Continue in browser” if installing software is not possible on your current machine.

3 — Download and install Trezor Suite
Click “Download Trezor Suite” and run the installer. On macOS, drag the Suite icon to Applications; on Windows, follow the standard setup wizard. Linux users may need to add udev rules so the operating system can talk to USB HID devices. When installation finishes, launch Trezor Suite and keep your hardware wallet connected. The app performs an initial scan, ensuring you are on an authentic trezor.io domain and that the downloaded binary is signed and up to date. This zero-trust approach prevents man-in-the-middle attacks.

4 — Install firmware and authenticate the device
Most units ship without firmware; Suite will prompt you to install the latest signed release. Confirm on both your computer and the Trezor screen. After flashing, Suite runs an authenticity check: you’ll see a confirmation on the wallet’s display asking you to approve communication with the desktop app. Press the right button to allow. The Safe 3 and Model T guides illustrate each screen so you can compare what you see in-hand with official images, helping you spot anything unusual.

5 — Create a new wallet and back up your recovery seed
Once authenticated, select “Create new wallet.” Suite generates entropy on the device itself and shows you the 12-, 18-, or 24-word recovery seed, one word at a time. Write each word—spelling matters—onto the supplied seed card in the exact order displayed. After you’ve recorded all words, the wallet will quiz you by asking for two random positions in the sequence, reinforcing that you have copied the seed correctly. Never photograph, type, or store this seed online; it is the single key to restoring your funds.

6 — Set a strong PIN and consider a passphrase
Next, establish a PIN. When you enter digits on your computer, the positions are scrambled on the Trezor screen, thwarting key-loggers and shoulder-surfing. Choose a PIN of at least four digits; longer is better. Experienced users can add an optional passphrase—a 50-character alphanumeric string stored only in your mind—which creates a hidden wallet that remains inaccessible even if someone gains both the device and the seed.

7 — Explore everyday tasks in Trezor Suite
With the wallet initialized, you’ll land on the Suite dashboard. Here you can view balances in real time (including fiat equivalents), generate fresh addresses for receiving funds, and use the built-in exchange to buy, sell, or swap directly within the same interface, minimizing the risk of phishing by eliminating the need to paste addresses across sites. Suite also supports watch-only portfolios, coin control for advanced UTXO management, and labeling through Dropbox or a local drive so transaction notes stay synchronized across devices.

8 — Keep firmware and Suite up to date
Security is a process, not an event. Trezor releases firmware and Suite updates several times a year; the March 2025 release, for example, added improved Tor connectivity and expanded coin support. When Suite notifies you, set aside a few minutes to install the new version—never skip updates, as they often include vulnerability patches in addition to new features. After each upgrade, verify the firmware signature on your Trezor screen before approving installation.

9 — Store and use your Trezor safely
Disconnect your wallet and keep it in a cool, dry place, ideally inside a fire-resistant pouch. Store seed cards in separate, secure locations—think safe-deposit box or hidden home safe—to reduce single-point-of-failure risk. For daily transactions, reconnect the wallet only on hardware you control and avoid public computers. If you ever suspect your seed has been exposed, move funds to a freshly generated wallet immediately. Following these best practices turns a simple plastic device into an ironclad vault, giving you long-term peace of mind on your journey through the world of digital assets.