How do you safely keep your recovery phrase written on paper?

[tvplus006]

I am sure that despite the recommendations to write the seed phrase on a piece of paper, most users ignore this recommendation. And this can be explained by the high vulnerability of such a record from fire or flood. So everyone adheres to their own strategy of preserving the seed phrase. But do not forget that your heirs should have access to it, in case you yourself prematurely leave this world.

[Rockstarguy]

I am sure that despite the recommendations to write the seed phrase on a piece of paper, most users ignore this recommendation. And this can be explained by the high vulnerability of such a record from fire or flood. So everyone adheres to their own strategy of preserving the seed phrase. But do not forget that your heirs should have access to it, in case you yourself prematurely leave this world.

It can be risky to have only one option of storing the seed Phrase, no place is totally safe both online and offline.  Having alternative of storing seed phrase is not a bad idea incase if anything happens to option A which contains information of wallet or seed phrase,  then it can be easy to get the seed Phrase in the other place where the seed Phrase was stored.

[Laurendaldin]

All my knowledge about information security is that if you don't want important information to fall into the wrong hands, keep it as far away from the Internet as possible . I don't use a piece of paper, but a planner that is difficult to accidentally throw away. But the advice about making three backups makes me think.

[tadamichi]

I don't use a piece of paper, but a planner that is difficult to accidentally throw away. But the advice about making three backups makes me think.

A planner sounds risky to me. I would consider using tamper evident bags, so you actually know when someone broke your security, or tried to. It wouldnt actually be necessary to steal your planner, an attacker could just take a picture of the right page and you would never know, until its too late. Sometimes family members could also just take them for whatever reason.

So tamper evident bags combined with several paper and (optionally)steel backups, preferably in different hidden locations(but they need to be safe and trusted) if possible. Also make sure to use pencils that dont fade easily. Then regular checkups, to know if your security has been broken or not. Using a passphrase can buy you some time to transfer it to another wallet before attackers could, if just the seedphrase has been leaked.

[PX-Z]

I have mine written in a paper ^{(well, actually in a notebook)} and was keep together with all the important paper documents I had. Not that so paranoid of those who will get those papers coz it's nothing, like no value just personal thing/information and was kept in safe place. Well, in case of flood, it will be just one way to bring those things.
There is zero people^{(I guess)} knows about me having this kind on work^{(crypto life)} in my area, so...

[PrivacyG]

and was keep together with all the important paper documents I had.

And there goes everything.  If a robber breaks through your house, they will look for the most important stuff they can have.  So if you keep your recovery phrase next to everything else important you have, that could be just one of the top targets for robbery.

I sincerely suggest that you store your recovery phrase somewhere else, more concealed.  o_e_l_e_o has shared a few very cool ideas for much better storage that you should consider.

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Regards,
PrivacyG

[tadamichi]

I have mine written in a paper ^{(well, actually in a notebook)} and was keep together with all the important paper documents I had. Not that so paranoid of those who will get those papers coz it's nothing, like no value just personal thing/information and was kept in safe place.

A notebook is easy to grab, either accidentally by a kid or something that wants to draw etc/ or robbers that simply would check everything. They see a notebook with paper documents? They will probably take it and it could make you vulnerable to more attacks. If they smh were successful in finding keys in notebooks in prior robberies, then they will probably take all of them in the next ones. It’s just too easy to grab a notebook. And the information that enough people store their keys there, will reach them sooner or later.

So like i said above, my advice is something more fault tolerant, where even when your keys are stolen you still have enough time to move your funds. Where you know your security has been breached before it’s too late. And not being solely dependent on one location.

[PX-Z]

And there goes everything.  If a robber breaks through your house, they will look for the most important stuff they can have.  So if you keep your recovery phrase next to everything else important you have, that could be just one of the top targets for robbery.

I understand, but robbers here won't grab any paper files unless its money cash, gadget or jewelries.

Like i said im not that paranoid of keeping things such paper backups. Because if ever, a robber breaks^{(obviously, my house will be in a mess if that happens)}, then for safety measurement i will just sweep the balance to another wallet and abandon the backup written on that paper backup immediately.

A notebook is easy to grab, either accidentally by a kid or something that wants to draw etc/ or robbers that simply would check everything. They see a notebook with paper documents? They will probably take it and it could make you vulnerable to more attacks. If they smh were successful in finding keys in notebooks in prior robberies, then they will probably take all of them in the next ones. It’s just too easy to grab a notebook. And the information that enough people store their keys there, will reach them sooner or later.

That notebook isnt just keep in a bookshelves or anything that a kid can get. Like i said, i dont think anyone will interest a notebook, people just thought its just a diary/journal, recipe book or something else. Robbers here don't just go something unimportant to them something they cant sell immediately.
Aside from that this is my method since 2017 and never get compromised.

I appreciate all kinds of safety measures and notes but that is what is working with me because if not, then I probably try different method already.

[Rockstarguy]

I have mine written in a paper ^{(well, actually in a notebook)} and was keep together with all the important paper documents I had. Not that so paranoid of those who will get those papers coz it's nothing, like no value just personal thing/information and was kept in safe place.

A notebook is easy to grab, either accidentally by a kid or something that wants to draw etc/ or robbers that simply would check everything. They see a notebook with paper documents? They will probably take it and it could make you vulnerable to more attacks. If they smh were successful in finding keys in notebooks in prior robberies, then they will probably take all of them in the next ones. It’s just too easy to grab a notebook. And the information that enough people store their keys there, will reach them sooner or later.

So like i said above, my advice is something more fault tolerant, where even when your keys are stolen you still have enough time to move your funds. Where you know your security has been breached before it’s too late. And not being solely dependent on one location.

Note book would be the last place for arm robbers to go search for stuff,  what arm robbers want is money when they come to your house.  Their is this saying that if you want to hide a note of money from people in the house put it inside a book,  because not everyone is a friend to books. Writing seed phrase may not be properly safe in a place where children can easily have access to it. If a seed phrase is written in a book it should be kept in a place where no one will have access to it, no even water (flood) or cold environment.

[Victorik]

Yesterday, my mom did a general cleaning on my room and when she's done, I saw the recovery phrase of my Trezor hardware wallet on the garbage can which I placed on my computer table, I also have that same copy on my wallet but still can't stop myself to tremble in fear to lose that piece of paper. I didn't told her about it to avoid more argument because she wouldn't still understand what it is. This is what I've been scared about when people say to write your recovery phrases on a piece of paper instead of storing it online.

I would like to know how others keep these secret phrases if the people in your house are not really knowledgeable in crypto. Would it be safe if I store it online but the file is encrypted and password protected?

It is quite easy. Just the same way you keep your school certificate and other important documents out of reach of others, that's how you should keep your phrase.

[tadamichi]

Note book would be the last place for arm robbers to go search for stuff,  what arm robbers want is money when they come to your house.  Their is this saying that if you want to hide a note of money from people in the house put it inside a book,  because not everyone is a friend to books.

It’s just a matter of time until criminals adapt and look for seed phrases too. Also i wouldnt underestimate burglars, they’re much more sneaky and careful than robbers. And probably check every spot possible, depending on how they plan out their attack. The harder we make it for them to get anything out of it, the less they will try. I would simply choose a security model that covers most possibilities, there’s always the possibility that the unlikely scenario happens or maybe it wasn’t unlikely in the first place. And then it will have paid off to have added some extra measures for just barely more effort.

[isaac_clarke22]

~

I am curious about this. Would a common burglar/criminal know that such seed phrases would let them open a wallet that contains plenty amounts of coins to be sold? I had read these type of news before though I am curious on how many burglars are aware about crypto stuffs like usually I am thinking of that they only know about paper money and that is the thing that they would be only after at.

[tadamichi]

I am curious about this. Would a common burglar/criminal know that such seed phrases would let them open a wallet that contains plenty amounts of coins to be sold?

The common burglar might still be lagging behind. The more widespread Bitcoin becomes, the more they will know tho. And theres for sure enough that know already. Data breaches and KYC could even make people direct targets, centralized exchanges store your complete transaction history, identity documents and your residence. A burglar could choose his targets wisely. It could also simply be a trusted person, this happens again and again too, for various reasons.

I think its better to develop a strategy against a burglar that knows how to copy seedphrases without the owner ever noticing, and who might know how to bruteforce passphrases. So you actually gotta know when someone accessed your backup to protect yourself, and for this you need seals or tamper evident bags and regular checkups. If you can always outpace the attacker, then any attack will become useless. This is the most reliable strategy in my mind.

[LogitechMouse]

Yesterday, my mom did a general cleaning on my room and when she's done, I saw the recovery phrase of my Trezor hardware wallet on the garbage can which I placed on my computer table, I also have that same copy on my wallet but still can't stop myself to tremble in fear to lose that piece of paper.

Too careless.

First, you need to learn how to clean your own room (maybe you learned it now after you posted here ). Your mother doesn't know what it is and she will just think that it is just another trash in your computer table thus, she threw it in a garbage an. You are careless because instead of putting it in somewhere else that is secured, you just put it in a computer table where anybody can just see it. What if there is somebody who knows about recovery phrases and he knows anything about hardware wallet? Your money will be gone completely because of how careless you are.

I didn't told her about it to avoid more argument because she wouldn't still understand what it is. This is what I've been scared about when people say to write your recovery phrases on a piece of paper instead of storing it online.

That would be better because after all, she doesn't know about recovery phrases and if she knows it, for sure she will not throw it in a garbage can. I don't recommend writing it online either because what is the purpose of your hardware wallet being a hardware wallet if you will just write it online. Hackers can still get your recovery phrase if you make a single mistake on your computer that will cause hackers to have access to your own PC.

I would like to know how others keep these secret phrases if the people in your house are not really knowledgeable in crypto. Would it be safe if I store it online but the file is encrypted and password protected?

I have many wallets that have seed phrases and I wrote every recovery phrase of every wallet thrice so I have 3 copies of each of the recovery phrase of each wallet. 1 of them is being stored in a locker where I only have the keys to open it, 1 is being stored in my physical wallet and the other one is being stored somewhere in our house that only me knows it (or maybe I will also tell it to somebody I trust the most when my time comes). I'm the only one who knows about crypto but I don't have any problems in terms of storing it since I always keep it safe and I'm not putting it into somewhere else that anybody can get it.

Storing it online? I'm not doing it so I'm not recommending it.

[Findingnemo]

I still used to keep them in the offline digital storage, I know it's not highly secured but keeping the written seeds on a paper seems to hard for me to keep it by myself, yes I have the back-up written but not in my room its just kept somewhere safely which I don't access too often so let's say a bank locker for example.

[tvplus006]

It is quite easy. Just the same way you keep your school certificate and other important documents out of reach of others, that's how you should keep your phrase.

The difference between a school certificate and a seed phrase is that if your certificate burns during a fire, you can get a duplicate. But if your piece of paper with the seed phrase burns in a fire, then no one can provide you with a copy of it. So a place inaccessible to others cannot guarantee the safety of saving the seed phrase.

[isaac_clarke22]

~

Well considering that Bitcoin was already mentioned and could be part of the awareness of all at least, I see your point. Having a trusted person to become the one you are describing would be the most mind blowing thing to happen to me.
I never heard of any burglar yet that stole Bitcoin here in my country, maybe scammers, but not these literal scums that would just do nothing but directly ruin your life and savings.

[Desmong]

There are many places we can keep our recovery phrase to make them safe from damage or being lose. We can decide to keep our recovery phrase in the diary and keep it in the shelf or in other books. We can decide to bury it in a box in case of fire attack or other environmental damage. keeping our recovery phrase can be challenging sometimes that is why we need to keep them safe.

[o_e_l_e_o]

Aside from that this is my method since 2017 and never get compromised.

This is a poor metric for gauging whether something is a safe or not. My house has never been broken in to, which means I could have written my seed phrase in large letters across my bedroom wall and it still wouldn't have been compromised. That doesn't make it a good idea though.

It’s just a matter of time until criminals adapt and look for seed phrases too.

This. Your security should not depend on a criminal either not knowing to look for a seed phrase or not knowing what a seed phrase is when they find one. And when you consider how terrible most people are with their privacy - completing KYC, using centralized exchanges, using the same email for everything, posting things on social media, and so on - then many bitcoin thefts will be targeted attacks by criminals who know exactly what they are looking for.

[decodx]

It’s just a matter of time until criminals adapt and look for seed phrases too.

This. Your security should not depend on a criminal either not knowing to look for a seed phrase or not knowing what a seed phrase is when they find one.

Yes, exactly. How does it go, "Security by obscurity is no security at all"?

In conclusion, I think the best advice is to write down the seed phrase on paper and keep it safe or, if you really have to keep it in digital form, use strong encryption. But don't ever keep it in the cloud.