#Tutorial. Lost your seed phrase but your wallet still works: what to do

Lost your seed phrase but your wallet still works? You still have the hardware wallet, you remember the PIN, and the balance is visible—but the sheet containing your seed phrase has disappeared. Perhaps it was lost during a move or renovation, or thrown out with old paperwork. At this point, how it happened no longer matters.

The most important thing to understand is that you still have access to your funds while the wallet is working. The real problem comes later. If the device breaks, goes missing, or wipes itself after failed PIN attempts, you will have no way to restore the wallet. The manufacturer does not store your phrase and cannot provide it: that is how any wallet that generates keys inside the device is designed. Ledger explains what to do while the device and PIN are still available in its official guide for a lost seed phrase; Trezor likewise states that without a backup, access cannot be restored after the device is lost or reset.

What happens next depends heavily on the wallet in front of you. A common mistake is to read instructions written for Ledger or Trezor and apply them to a device that handles backups differently. Some readers will not need to move any funds at all. Start with the next section, not with a transfer.

Lost your seed phrase? First make sure it is really gone

It sounds obvious, but it works: before starting the recovery process, check every place where the written backup might be stored. Look for a second copy, a drawer full of old documents, an envelope in a safe, or a copy left with your parents.

There is another possibility: you found a written phrase, but you are not sure whether it belongs to this wallet or whether one of the words was recorded incorrectly. You can verify it without putting your funds at risk. The feature has different names on different devices, but it works the same way: you enter the words, the device compares them with the phrase stored inside it, and tells you whether they match. Nothing is erased, and the phrase is not sent anywhere.

• Ledger: use the Recovery Check app, installed through My Ledger in Ledger Wallet—the new name for Ledger Live since 2026. Ledger says you can run the check as many times as necessary; a failed check does not lock your accounts or reset the device.
• Trezor: use Check backup in Trezor Suite, also known as a dry-run recovery.
• Keystone: use Seed Phrase Check under Device Settings → Wallet Settings.
• Other devices: look in the menu or documentation for an option containing check or verify backup. If your wallet does not offer such a feature, treat the phrase as unverified and follow the process below.

If the check succeeds, you can relax: the backup works, and there is no need to move anything. Store it more securely than before. If the check fails or you still cannot find the phrase, continue below.

There is one more Ledger-specific exception: if you subscribe to Ledger Recover, the service can restore your keys, so the situation is not immediately critical.

First determine which type of wallet you have

Based on how their backups work, hardware wallets can be divided into three groups. This determines whether you need to move your funds at all.

Group 1. The phrase is shown only once

This group includes Ledger, Trezor, and most devices that use a standard BIP39 backup. The phrase is deliberately not available for viewing again: Trezor states explicitly that once setup is complete, the backup cannot be displayed a second time. On a device like this, you can obtain a new phrase only by resetting it and setting it up again. You are in this group if the wallet displayed 12 or 24 words during setup and never offered to show them again. You will need to move your funds; the steps are explained below.

Group 2. The device can show the phrase again

Here, losing the paper backup is an inconvenience rather than an emergency. BitBox02 lets you display the recovery words on the device at any time after setup, specifically so you can create a paper or metal backup whenever it suits you. Coldcard offers View Seed Words under Advanced/Tools → Danger Zone → Seed Functions.

If your device belongs to this group, the plan is simple: display the words on the device, write them down again, and verify the new copy. You do not need to transfer any funds or reset anything. Do this in private, with no cameras nearby and no phone in your hands.

Group 3. Wallets that do not use a seed phrase

By default, Tangem does not generate a seed phrase at all. Its backup is the set of two or three cards, each of which can independently control the same wallet. Cypherock X1 splits the key into five shares stored across four cards and the device, and any two shares are enough to restore access.

If you are in this group and have been looking for a sheet of paper, you may be searching for something that never existed. Check that all the cards are still where they should be, because the cards themselves are the backup. Losing one card from the set is a separate situation that must be handled according to the manufacturer’s instructions, not by following this transfer process.

There is one exception for Tangem: if you deliberately enabled seed-phrase mode or imported an existing phrase, you belong to group 1 and should continue with the instructions below.

Cannot remember how the wallet was originally set up? Open the manufacturer’s documentation and answer one question: can the recovery words be displayed after setup? If yes, the wallet is in group 2. If no, it is in group 1.

What not to do while the funds are still on the old wallet

Right now, the device is your only key to the funds. The following actions can turn a manageable situation into a permanent loss:

• Do not guess the PIN. The attempt limit varies by model, so check the rule for your exact device. Ledger resets to factory settings after three incorrect attempts in a row. Trezor Safe 7 wipes itself after ten attempts, while Trezor Safe 3, Safe 5, Model One, and Model T wipe after sixteen. A wiped device with no backup means the funds are permanently inaccessible, so verify the limit before entering even one uncertain PIN.
• Do not reset the device to “start over” or “test recovery.” A reset removes every private key from the device, and without the phrase there is no way back.
• Do not update the firmware until the funds have been moved. Trezor recommends checking the backup before every firmware update because a failed update may require recovery from the phrase—which you do not have. Move the funds first; update the device afterward.
• Do not contact a “seed phrase recovery service.” A phrase that was never recorded cannot be reconstructed. Such services are relevant only when part of the phrase still exists, and many search-result advertisements are scams designed to obtain the remaining information or an upfront payment.

If you have a second hardware wallet

This is the simplest route for a group 1 wallet. The second device does not need to be made by the same company. The old wallet keeps its existing phrase, the new wallet generates a different one, and the two are not linked. Follow these steps:

1. Set up the second device as a new wallet (Set up as new device / Create new wallet). It will generate a new seed phrase. Write it down immediately: most devices show it only once. A group 2 device may let you view it again, but you should still create the backup now.
2. Make a test transfer. Generate a receiving address on the new wallet and send a small amount—just a few dollars. Trezor recommends testing a new wallet with a small transfer first. Wait for the funds to arrive.
3. Move everything else. Transfer every coin, account, and network balance. The items most commonly overlooked are listed in a separate section below.
4. Do not wipe the old device yet. Ledger recommends leaving it set up until you are certain that no asset was missed. Reset it only after every asset has been confirmed on the new wallet.

If you have only one device

The only way to create a new phrase on the same device is to erase the old wallet first. Because you do not have the old phrase on paper, there will be no way back after the reset. You therefore need a temporary wallet. The sequence below follows Trezor’s documentation; the logic is the same for Ledger and other group 1 devices:

1. Install a software wallet on a computer or phone and back up its seed phrase. It may be temporary, but while it holds the funds, its backup is just as critical.
2. Make a small test transfer from the hardware wallet to the temporary wallet. Wait for it to arrive.
3. Transfer all remaining funds to the temporary wallet.
4. Reset the hardware wallet and set it up as a new device. It will generate a new seed phrase. Write it down on paper.
5. Move the funds back: first send a small test transaction from the temporary wallet to the newly created wallet, then transfer the rest.
6. Retire the temporary wallet. Do not continue storing funds on it.

An account at an exchange you already use can serve as an alternative temporary destination. The drawback is obvious: while the assets are there, they are not under your direct control. For larger balances, we recommend a software wallet and as little time between steps as possible. The less time the funds spend in transit, the better. Complete the entire process in one sitting rather than spreading it over a week.

What people often forget to move

Once the old device has been reset, anything you forgot to move will be accessible only with the missing seed phrase. Before wiping the wallet, go through this checklist:

• Tokens on different networks. The same address may hold assets across several networks: ETH on Ethereum mainnet, stablecoins on L2 networks, and other tokens on BNB Chain. Check every network you have used.
• Accounts in third-party wallet apps connected to the device. This may include MetaMask or Rabby paired with the hardware wallet, or Electrum and Sparrow for Bitcoin. Trezor specifically notes that some assets are not supported directly in Trezor Suite and are managed through third-party applications instead. The same principle applies to Ledger, BitBox, and other devices.
• Passphrase wallets. If you used a passphrase—sometimes called the 25th word, although it can be an entire string—it creates a separate hidden wallet from the same seed phrase. Funds from every passphrase wallet must be transferred separately. The new phrase will not restore them automatically.
• Staked or locked assets. These cannot always be moved immediately. Make a list, begin the unstaking process, and transfer each asset as it becomes available. Move liquid assets now rather than waiting for everything to unlock.
• NFTs. These are often remembered only after every fungible asset has been moved. Check your collections on every network where you have bought or received one.

After the transfer

Make the new backup better than the old one. Store the phrase on paper or metal, with two copies in separate locations. Do not keep it in a phone photo, cloud storage, password manager, or notes app. We compare the options in our guide to five safe ways to store a seed phrase.

Verify the backup. A few days later, check the written phrase again using the manufacturer’s official tool: Recovery Check on Ledger, Check backup in Trezor Suite, or Seed Phrase Check on Keystone. Repeat the check every 6–12 months.

Reset the old device only after confirming that everything has been moved. A reset does not damage it: the device can be set up again and used as a second or backup wallet.

Where to buy a second device and get help

A second hardware wallet makes this transfer much easier and is useful as a long-term backup device. You can buy directly from Ledger, Trezor, BitBox, or another manufacturer. That gives you the primary source, but it also means international shipping and English-language support. Alternatively, you can order from us for local delivery within Ukraine, without customs delays, plus free help with setup and situations like this one. Both routes provide a genuine device whose authenticity you can verify during the first connection.