Skip to main content
The passphrase feature is one of the most powerful security tools available on your Trezor device. By entering any passphrase — a word, phrase, or string of characters — you unlock an entirely separate wallet derived from your recovery seed. Each unique passphrase produces a unique wallet, completely independent of your standard (no-passphrase) wallet and of every other passphrase wallet.

​
What Passphrase Wallets Are

Under the hood, a passphrase acts as an optional 25th word appended to your 12- or 24-word recovery seed during wallet derivation. Change even a single character of the passphrase — including capitalisation or spacing — and you arrive at a completely different wallet with a different set of addresses. Key properties of passphrase wallets:
  • Unlimited wallets — there is no cap on how many passphrase wallets you can create. Any string you enter is valid.
  • No registration — Trezor does not store or verify passphrases. The device simply uses whatever you enter to derive the wallet.
  • Completely invisible — a passphrase wallet leaves no trace on the device. There is nothing to indicate it exists.

​
Plausible Deniability

Because you can have multiple passphrase wallets alongside your standard wallet, you can implement a plausible deniability strategy: keep a small amount of funds in your standard wallet (or a decoy passphrase wallet) and store the majority of your holdings in a separate passphrase wallet. If you are ever coerced into revealing your PIN, you can reveal the decoy wallet without exposing your primary funds.

​
How to Enable Passphrase in Trezor Suite

By default, the passphrase feature may be disabled. To enable it:
  1. Open Trezor Suite and connect your device.
  2. Click the Trezor device icon or navigate to Settings → Device.
  3. Toggle Passphrase to the enabled position.
  4. Confirm the change on your Trezor device.
Once enabled, Trezor Suite will prompt you for a passphrase each time you access your wallet — or you can leave the field empty to access your standard wallet.

​
Accessing a Passphrase-Protected Wallet

1

Connect and Unlock Your Trezor

Plug in your Trezor and enter your PIN when prompted. This unlocks the device but does not yet open any passphrase wallet.
2

Enter Your Passphrase

Trezor Suite will display a passphrase entry field. Type your passphrase exactly as you set it — every character, including capitalisation, spaces, and punctuation, must be identical to your original entry.
3

Confirm on the Device (Model T / Safe Series)

On the Trezor Model T, Safe 3, and Safe 5, you can enter the passphrase directly on the device touchscreen, ensuring it is never transmitted to your computer. On the Model One, the passphrase is entered on the computer but is still encrypted before being sent to the device.
4

Access Your Hidden Wallet

Trezor Suite opens the wallet derived from your passphrase. The portfolio, accounts, and transaction history shown belong exclusively to that passphrase — switch to a different passphrase at any time to access a separate wallet.
There is no recovery mechanism for a forgotten passphrase. Unlike your PIN, the passphrase is never stored anywhere — not on the device, not on Trezor’s servers, and not in Trezor Suite. If you lose or forget your passphrase, access to that wallet and all funds within it is permanently and irrecoverably lost. Write your passphrase down and store it securely, separately from your recovery seed.

​
Passphrase vs. PIN — What Is the Difference?

Your PIN and passphrase work as complementary layers of security. The PIN prevents an attacker from using a stolen device; the passphrase protects your funds even if your recovery seed is discovered.

​
Entering the Passphrase on the Device Screen (Model T / Safe Series)

On the Trezor Model T, Safe 3, and Safe 5, you have the option to type the passphrase directly on the device’s touchscreen rather than on your computer keyboard. This is the more secure approach: the passphrase never passes through your computer’s input stack and cannot be captured by keyloggers or screen-recording malware. Always prefer on-device entry when handling high-value passphrase wallets.