Trezor.io/Start® - Starting Up Your Device - Trezor®

Getting Started with Trezor: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need at trezor.io/start

If you’ve just received your shiny new Trezor—or you’re finally pulling that Model T or Safe 3 out of the drawer where it’s been sitting for six months because “crypto is scary”—this is for you. I’ve set up more Trezors than I care to admit (five personal devices, three for family members who still call Bitcoin “internet money”), and every single time I end up back at the same place: trezor.io/start.

That simple URL is literally the safest on-ramp in cryptocurrency. No weird third-party sites, no fake apps, no phishing nightmares. Just Trezor’s official setup wizard that walks you through everything like a patient friend who actually knows what they’re doing.

Let’s do this properly, step by step, the way I wish someone had explained it to me the first time.

Step 1: Buy the Real Thing (Seriously)

Before you even type that URL, make sure your Trezor came straight from trezor.io or an authorized reseller. Amazon, eBay, random dudes on Telegram—those are where tampered devices live. I learned this the hard way when a friend bought a “new” Trezor One for 60 % off and it arrived with the bag already opened and a lovely pre-filled seed phrase. Spoiler: he didn’t use it, but he did have a minor heart attack.

If the holographic seal is broken or missing, throw it away and order a new one. Yes, literally throw it in the trash. It’s not worth the risk.

Step 2: Go to trezor.io/start (Only This URL)

Open your browser—preferably Brave or Firefox, because why not—and type exactly this:

https://trezor.io/start

Bookmark it. Tattoo it on your arm if you’re dramatic like me. Never Google “Trezor start” or click random links. Phishing sites copy the real one pixel-perfect now. The only way to be 100 % sure is to type it yourself or use your bookmark.

Step 3: Choose Your Device & Download Trezor Suite

The page immediately detects which model you have (One, Model T, Safe 3, Safe 5) and gives you two options:

Install Trezor Suite (desktop/web app) → Do this. Always.
Use the web wallet directly → Fine for quick checks, but Suite is better.

I always go full Suite. Download it, install it, let it update. Yes, it takes three minutes. Drink coffee. Pet the dog. Contemplate life choices.

Step 4: The Actual Setup (The Fun Part)

Plug in your Trezor. If it’s brand new, Trezor Suite will say “Yo, this thing is empty, let’s fix that.”

You’ll get two choices:

Create new wallet → 99 % of people want this.
Recover existing wallet → Only if you’re restoring from seed.

Pick “Create new wallet.” The device will generate a new seed phrase (12 or 24 words on older models, 12 words with Shamir backup on newer ones).

Critical moment incoming.

Your Trezor will show you the words ONE BY ONE on its own screen.** Write them down in order on the paper card that came in the box. Do NOT take a photo. Do NOT type them into your computer. Do NOT store them in Google Drive “just in case.”

I’ve seen things.”

I write them down twice—once on the official card, once on a separate piece of paper I hide somewhere else. Then I quiz myself the next day to make sure I didn’t fat-finger anything.

Confirm the words on the device (it’ll ask for random ones to prove you actually wrote them down). Set your PIN (4–9 digits, make it something you’ll remember but not 1234 or your birthday, please).

Optional but recommended: Set a passphrase (the “25th word”). This adds another layer only you know. I use it on every device now.

Step 5: You’re Done. No, Really.

That’s it. You now own your keys in the truest sense. Your crypto is safer than 99.9 % of people’s out there who still keep everything on exchanges or (gasp) MetaMask with a hot wallet seed stored in their Notes app.

Send a tiny test transactions first. I always send 0.001 BTC or $10 in ETH just to watch it arrive safely before moving real money.

Bonus Tips from Someone Who’s Screwed Up Enough for All of Us

Update firmware immediately. Every single time Suite nags you. Yes, even if you just did it last month.
Enable Shamir Backup on Safe 3/5 if you went that route. Splitting your seed into 2-of-3 or 3-of-5 shares is god-tier opsec.
Buy a Cryptosteel or Billfodl for your seed. Paper works, but fire/flood doesn’t care about your feelings.
Never, ever, ever enter your seed into any website that claims it will “verify” or “check” it. That’s how people lose everything.

Look, I’ve been in crypto since 2017. I’ve lost money to hacks, scams, rugs, and my own stupidity. The one thing I’ve never lost? Anything stored on a properly set-up Trezor.

So go to trezor.io/start, take your time, and do it right.

Your future self—who hopefully has way more Bitcoin in 2030—will thank you.