how do I keep my private key safe?

[Ayers]

...

The best way is using stainless steel plate where it's immunable against fire, corrosion, etc. It will be good if you teach your kids or someone you love about Bitcoin and tell where you leave your seed phrase.

This is also not the best way, with an earthquake like the one in Turkey recently, or a natural disaster that will wash away all your possessions, stainless steel plates will not be able to help you keep the property. Every solution has its pros and cons, no solution is absolutely safe, and everything has its risks. We need to be flexible on a case-by-case basis to use the most appropriate method. And the method of sharing with relatives is also the method that I am applying today.

[hd49728]

This is also not the best way, with an earthquake like the one in Turkey recently, or a natural disaster that will wash away all your possessions, stainless steel plates will not be able to help you keep the property. Every solution has its pros and cons, no solution is absolutely safe, and everything has its risks. We need to be flexible on a case-by-case basis to use the most appropriate method. And the method of sharing with relatives is also the method that I am applying today.

Storing all in all begs, all backups at one place, use only one format are very bad.

The extreme earthquake in Turkey, Beirut port explosion in Syria are good examples that if you have Bitcoin, you should diversifying how you store your bitcoin and your wallet backups.

Applying the same for your exchange account passwords, 2FA backups.

2020 Beirut explosion

[Venik]

I think two ways to keep your private key and/or seed phrase - to write it on paper and keep it somewhere safe, and to keep a screenshot somewhere deep in your PC and not upload it anywhere, that way you'll keep it in 2 places and if one will be lost you'll be able to recover it.

[BountySujon]

There is no such place where keeping your wallet private key will be completely safe and secure. Because, where you are afraid of Gmail being hacked after putting your private keys in Gmail. Just like that if I say that keep the private keys of your wallet in a secret place on the mobile. Then you must think that if the mobile is lost?
Then your private key ones will be lost. These words are true in real life as well.
If I tell you that you should write down your private keys in real life somewhere safe.
And if you think that later you forget about the place?Even then you lost your private key ones from there too.
So by no means get that much protection where you can be sure.
If you want to keep private key in place, keep the place safe.
You must save your mobile to prevent your mobile from being lost.
 If you write somewhere in real life, you must remember that place.

[Plaguedeath]

I think two ways to keep your private key and/or seed phrase - to write it on paper and keep it somewhere safe, and to keep a screenshot somewhere deep in your PC and not upload it anywhere, that way you'll keep it in 2 places and if one will be lost you'll be able to recover it.

Even you didn't upload it anywhere there's a chance your PC would be compromised if you use it as your daily driver. Too much security risk from internet connection, connect using USB stick or other device, clicking random links and have very low security etc. If you want to protect the folder or the file with password, the hacker can have a way to crack it. But you must make sure your PC never get touched by any person including the maintenance worker, because they might copied all of your files.

[Outhue]

I have wondered for long, if there is  anyway to recover my private keys when they get lost or when I don't remember them. Someone advised me to use Gmail and store them as mails then I taught again, what if my Gmail gets hacked. Is this actually the best way to store them or is there any other ways I can store or Keep them safe?

Gmail accounts are easier to hack than writing down your wallet keys somewhere offline, for the fact that Gmail works online 24/7, makes it a very bad place to keep important private keys and recovery seeds, if you are still thinking of doing such, erase the idea off your mind, if you can't afford to buy a hardware wallet then download Electrum wallet and write down your recovery phrase in a book, scared that books might get burnt or damage? Carve the words on steel, like stainless steel.

[kryptqnick]

I don't think Gmail is safe because email addresses to often get hacked and because a letter can disappear, get deleted or lost in the flow of others. I use encrypted messenger apps for that, but I know that it's not considered a safe option. It's just that I also realize that if I write it down somewhere, I'll probably forget where I put that piece of paper, I might accidentally leave it unattended while moving from one place to another, and I might not find it in my own flat. Memorizing is certainly not for me, as I'm very likely to forget the passphrase at some point. I consider the risk of such situations to be higher than someone getting access to my private messages in an app and finding the correct message there to hack me. Everyone should do their own thing and realize the risks of each solution. I'm thinking of moving offline with the seed phrase, but I haven't figured out a way that will work for me and minimize the risk of locking myself out due to forgetting where I put it.

[sulendra12]

I have wondered for long, if there is  anyway to recover my private keys when they get lost or when I don't remember them. Someone advised me to use Gmail and store them as mails then I taught again, what if my Gmail gets hacked. Is this actually the best way to store them or is there any other ways I can store or Keep them safe?

It's always a bad idea to store your credentials in cloud especially in cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox etc. There are numerous reports suddenly the user get hacked and the data is stolen either from the user's fault or any third parties out there. Would recommend to print your private key and buy safe box, it's just $30+ and you can put anything there easy and secure and also put it in secure place as well.

[Smack That Ace]

I have wondered for long, if there is  anyway to recover my private keys when they get lost or when I don't remember them. Someone advised me to use Gmail and store them as mails then I taught again, what if my Gmail gets hacked. Is this actually the best way to store them or is there any other ways I can store or Keep them safe?

keeping your private key on Gmail, drive or dropbox is not a good idea. Because all these depend on email Anyone who has access to emails can access them because there are thousands of stories of email hacks. So you can write down your private key in a diary and hide it or you can store it in a pen drive and hide that pen drive. Since memorizing a private key is almost impossible for a human being, storing your private key that way is the only way.

Actually, it's not a good idea to store it in a diary or a thumb drive because there are several problems. For instance, consider the earthquake in Turkey that destroyed everything. How would you find the pen drive among the rubble? Or what if a fire destroyed the diary? Instead, a solution to store it in the cloud could be to encode it into a trivial story where only you know the key, or to split it up and store it across multiple cloud services. This way, you could retrieve it at any time.

I currently store my seed phrases in 2 USBs and 3 written copies. I also share with my wife and children, but I am always insecure because incidents like natural disasters and fires can still make them disappear. I really like your idea, it's pretty cool, we can split them up and store them in different online services. This way, we can both be safe from attacks and easily accessible when needed.
I also thought of the option, we can swap the positions of the words in the original phrase, that also ensures in case if hackers get it, they won't be able to access our wallet.

[RockBell]

I have wondered for long, if there is  anyway to recover my private keys when they get lost or when I don't remember them. Someone advised me to use Gmail and store them as mails then I taught again, what if my Gmail gets hacked. Is this actually the best way to store them or is there any other ways I can store or Keep them safe?

There is no way to get your private key back once it has been lost, and saving it online is one of the worst decisions you can make. People have had their assets stolen simply because they were hacked, so keeping it offline is best. If you can, store it at the bank, this will help. What I'm trying to say is that you should do everything in your power to keep your private key offline and secure.

[m2017]

I have wondered for long, if there is  anyway to recover my private keys when they get lost or when I don't remember them. Someone advised me to use Gmail and store them as mails then I taught again, what if my Gmail gets hacked. Is this actually the best way to store them or is there any other ways I can store or Keep them safe?

This is the nuance with cryptocurrencies, that without private keys you cease to be the owner of crypto, therefore, in order not to forget or lose them, you should make backups. Of course, in a safe place, and not in the gmail. You correctly noted that mail can be hacked, like any online service, and employees of these same online services can also get access. Therefore, private keys can only be stored offline. Check out this thread - https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5389446.0. You can get a lot of ideas about key storage here.

[leonair]

I have wondered for long, if there is  anyway to recover my private keys when they get lost or when I don't remember them. Someone advised me to use Gmail and store them as mails then I taught again, what if my Gmail gets hacked. Is this actually the best way to store them or is there any other ways I can store or Keep them safe?

keeping your private key on Gmail, drive or dropbox is not a good idea. Because all these depend on email Anyone who has access to emails can access them because there are thousands of stories of email hacks. So you can write down your private key in a diary and hide it or you can store it in a pen drive and hide that pen drive. Since memorizing a private key is almost impossible for a human being, storing your private key that way is the only way.

Actually, it's not a good idea to store it in a diary or a thumb drive because there are several problems. For instance, consider the earthquake in Turkey that destroyed everything. How would you find the pen drive among the rubble? Or what if a fire destroyed the diary? Instead, a solution to store it in the cloud could be to encode it into a trivial story where only you know the key, or to split it up and store it across multiple cloud services. This way, you could retrieve it at any time.

In all cases, there is a risk. If you keep it online, you are afraid of being hacked, and if you keep it offline, you are afraid of theft or vandalism. So which approach do you take?  Want to keep both online and offline?  Then the risk will increase in this case. You are by no means completely safe

I have wondered for long, if there is  anyway to recover my private keys when they get lost or when I don't remember them. Someone advised me to use Gmail and store them as mails then I taught again, what if my Gmail gets hacked. Is this actually the best way to store them or is there any other ways I can store or Keep them safe?

keeping your private key on Gmail, drive or dropbox is not a good idea. Because all these depend on email Anyone who has access to emails can access them because there are thousands of stories of email hacks. So you can write down your private key in a diary and hide it or you can store it in a pen drive and hide that pen drive. Since memorizing a private key is almost impossible for a human being, storing your private key that way is the only way.

Actually, it's not a good idea to store it in a diary or a thumb drive because there are several problems. For instance, consider the earthquake in Turkey that destroyed everything. How would you find the pen drive among the rubble? Or what if a fire destroyed the diary? Instead, a solution to store it in the cloud could be to encode it into a trivial story where only you know the key, or to split it up and store it across multiple cloud services. This way, you could retrieve it at any time.

I currently store my seed phrases in 2 USBs and 3 written copies. I also share with my wife and children, but I am always insecure because incidents like natural disasters and fires can still make them disappear. I really like your idea, it's pretty cool, we can split them up and store them in different online services. This way, we can both be safe from attacks and easily accessible when needed.
I also thought of the option, we can swap the positions of the words in the original phrase, that also ensures in case if hackers get it, they won't be able to access our wallet.

your strategy is not too bad you can carry on. Hope your wife and son keep your seed phrases safe and you keep your 2 USBs carefully so they don't get lost.

[mendace]

[
I currently store my seed phrases in 2 USBs and 3 written copies. I also share with my wife and children, but I am always insecure because incidents like natural disasters and fires can still make them disappear. I really like your idea, it's pretty cool, we can split them up and store them in different online services. This way, we can both be safe from attacks and easily accessible when needed.
I also thought of the option, we can swap the positions of the words in the original phrase, that also ensures in case if hackers get it, they won't be able to access our wallet.

I believe that the two USB keys are only safe enough if they are stored in two different locations, hundreds of kilometers apart. This is because if they are in close proximity and something happens, they could both be destroyed or lost. On the other hand, storing data separately in the cloud provides enough sense of security, as compromising multiple services would be necessary and the exact sequence would also need to be known. To further increase security, a seed word can be added as an additional layer of protection, which you will need to memorize (choosing the position number) and then delete it from the list.

[mirakal]

...

The best way is using stainless steel plate where it's immunable against fire, corrosion, etc. It will be good if you teach your kids or someone you love about Bitcoin and tell where you leave your seed phrase.

This is also not the best way, with an earthquake like the one in Turkey recently, or a natural disaster that will wash away all your possessions, stainless steel plates will not be able to help you keep the property. Every solution has its pros and cons, no solution is absolutely safe, and everything has its risks. We need to be flexible on a case-by-case basis to use the most appropriate method. And the method of sharing with relatives is also the method that I am applying today.

Yes, I agree. There is exactly no possible solution about where or what is the safest way to secure our private keys as every way has its own pros and cons. But currently, I'm just storing it in a booklet where only me do knows where to find it and if ever someone can find their way to see it, they won't understand as I have created a way to hide it in plain sight. All you can see is a gibberish words scattered through pages that only me knows. And the other one (copy) is located in an isolated flash drive.

[MinoRaiola]

A hardware wallet to create a seed and transfer the coins. The seed on a fireproof steelewallet in a fireproof safe and the combination by keycode in a very hidden place. That's i think a good plan. Or in a safe in a bank, but that's kind of weird when i hear: Be your own Bank. How about a tattoo? You can hide the seed in art, or tattoo not all the words and the rest keep in mind.

[serjent05]

I have wondered for long, if there is  anyway to recover my private keys when they get lost or when I don't remember them. Someone advised me to use Gmail and store them as mails then I taught again, what if my Gmail gets hacked. Is this actually the best way to store them or is there any other ways I can store or Keep them safe?

Storing your private key online is not advisable and considered a risky method because of the possibility that your gmail might get compromised or hacked.  You can refer to this article [1] to know how to keep your private key safe.

It is advised to buy hardware wallets such as ledger and alike to keep your Bitcoin and private key safe.  Others advise creating a paper wallet and placing it in a place that is fire and waterproof.  Some of the members here even advise engraving your private key to a metallic object since it doesn't fade like the ink of a paper wallet.



[1] https://www.investopedia.com/news/bitcoin-safe-storage-cold-wallet/#:~:text=Users%20can%20lose%20bitcoin%20and,still%20convenient%20for%20some%20users.

[coolcoinz]

A hardware wallet to create a seed and transfer the coins. The seed on a fireproof steelewallet in a fireproof safe and the combination by keycode in a very hidden place. That's i think a good plan. Or in a safe in a bank, but that's kind of weird when i hear: Be your own Bank. How about a tattoo? You can hide the seed in art, or tattoo not all the words and the rest keep in mind.

Not a bad idea if you're already planning a tattoo. You could put the seeds somewhere within the image so that only you know how it works.
I see 2 problems with that though. Somebody has to tattoo you, so that person will know your seed. You'd have to either do it yourself, or trust someone.
The second problem is that even if it's on a covered part of your body, you'll expose it at some situations, for instance when sleeping with someone. Say it's your girlfriend and she writes it down while you're asleep and keeps it just in case you happen to break up with her, at which point she leaves with your money.

[albon]

Not a bad idea if you're already planning a tattoo. You could put the seeds somewhere within the image so that only you know how it works.
I see 2 problems with that though. Somebody has to tattoo you, so that person will know your seed. You'd have to either do it yourself, or trust someone.
The second problem is that even if it's on a covered part of your body, you'll expose it at some situations, for instance when sleeping with someone. Say it's your girlfriend and she writes it down while you're asleep and keeps it just in case you happen to break up with her, at which point she leaves with your money.

Not a bad idea, but a funny one, so how does someone inscribe their seed of 12-24 words into their body tattoo? Perhaps people from the stone age who did not recognize the invention of paper or notebooks do this 

I write everything down in a paper notebook and keep it in my iron safe. As for the private key, I put it on a USB flash and when I open the wallet, I put this USB on an empty computer and not my main computer. The idea of keeping the private key or the seed in a computer or phone connected to the Internet and crowded with programs and applications is a really bad idea, perhaps these devices may be infected, and the scammer can easily steal wallet information.

[MinoRaiola]

I see 2 problems with that though. Somebody has to tattoo you, so that person will know your seed. You'd have to either do it yourself, or trust someone.
The second problem is that even if it's on a covered part of your body, you'll expose it at some situations, for instance when sleeping with someone. Say it's your girlfriend and she writes it down while you're asleep and keeps it just in case you happen to break up with her, at which point she leaves with your money.

Ok ok, then plan a crazy combination of words or different characters for the words. In another language, for example Thai, Bulgarian or Russian. Or use numbers in the alphabet for single words. But carrying your seed with you everywhere is something special and maybe not so bad. I don't have it and I don't have a tattoo. In a fireproof safe as a steelwallet is maybe better, it's not betwenn of you when you and your girlfriend sleep or not.

[FinallyRegistered]

No clouds, no mails, no private keys. Just generate a seed phrase on an airgapped device. Let me quote myself:

Steps to configure an air-gapped Bitcoin wallet only device.

• Close your curtains.
• Download Tails (a privacy and security focused Linux distro)
• Verify the binaries <- Important step, you need to ensure the integrity of the OS. Do it on a clean environment.
• Burn the OS image to a USB.
• Take the device and physically remove any Wi-Fi antennas (and obviously, Ethernet cables if any).
• Plug the USB to that device, and start up.

You can see that Electrum comes pre-installed. The device will not connect in any network. It's also recommended to encrypt the electrum part of the USB (as shown in the Tails start screen), in case someone gains access to the USB.

Agreed.  I love using TAILS and electrum. A little complicated to set up, but extremely worth it to keep your privacy and bitcoin secure.