This guide focuses on Trezor’s “Check Recovery Seed” or “dry run” recovery feature, which can be used to check the seed backup and verify that the wallet recovery phrase is correct.
When you want to use the Trezor wallet mnemonic restore feature, check if your Trezor is backed up?
So, you bought yourself a new Trezor device to protect your cryptocurrency assets. When you first set up your device, whether the Trezor One or Trezor Model T, the hardware wallet will generate and provide you with a 24-word recovery phrase. The recovery phrase that appears on the screen is critical. You need to save this information because it is the only way to access your wallet in the future in case your Trezor device goes missing or breaks.
When backing up, it is sufficient to write down the given recovery phrase on a piece of paper. It is recommended that you do not store it digitally. Do not copy it to a text file, take screenshots with your smartphone, or upload it to cloud storage. All of this will just make the goal of having a hardware wallet irrelevant. So only physical backups; either write it down on a piece of paper or use fireproof / waterproof cryptocurrency steel plates to enclose this information.
Most importantly, remember to securely hide your backup copy in a place where no one can access it. Remember that a 12 / 24 word phrase to restore your wallet ensures that all your funds can be found even if your Trezor device breaks or is lost.
The wallet backup should be done when you first install the wallet. Because this is the only time the device shows the restore phrase. It tells you to back up the words shown in the exact order, and asks you to confirm that you wrote down the recovery phrase correctly. After you write it down, stash it in a safe place, and you’re done! You have successfully backed up your device.
Only after the backup you should start using the device.
When to check and test Trezor’s recovery seed?
So, you have recorded 12 or 24 words of the recovery seed and have successfully backed up your device. But wait! Did you write down the recovery phrase correctly in the exact order? The sequence of the words is very important, and you must write them down correctly. If you doubt that you have mixed up the sequence of words, you can check the seed backup, that is, perform a test restore.
Even if you have backed up your seed and are 100% sure of its accuracy, don’t use your wallet right away. Test the seed backup for recovery first and double-check its accuracy.
Don’t take any risks yet and don’t send funds to a new wallet. Only after confirming the validity of the backup you can start using the wallet, otherwise you will have to start all over again with a new wallet / new recovery phrase.
Not only at the beginning, but it is always advisable to periodically check the recovery phrase. Basically, if you keep this information on a plain piece of paper, make sure from time to time that it is still accessible and readable. The paper on which you recorded the information may have deteriorated, and keep in mind that the ink fades, making it difficult to read the recovery phrase.
It is also recommended that you check the restore phrase and double-check that the backup is correct before upgrading your Trezor firmware or wiping your device.
Fortunately, Trezor has a recovery phrase checker feature that allows you to check/test your recovery phrase backup.
Checking Seed Recovery – Recovery from Dry-Run
“Check Recovery Seed” or check backup is a Trezor feature that was originally called Dry-Run Recovery, which provides a useful way to check a recovery backup. This feature was only available through the command line interface. Now, with the latest Trezor firmware, this feature has been added to the wallet interface.
With this function you can check/verify your seed recovery phrase and make sure that you recorded it correctly and made no mistakes. You can verify without restoring or erasing the device.
Trezor’s “Recovery Seed Check” or “Dry Run Recovery” feature is a fairly straightforward process.
Essentially, you are performing a simulated recovery to check the recovery seed of your Trezor device.
By starting the checking process, you give the device a command to start the recovery process. But instead of restoring the seed, the device simply compares the seed that is already stored in its vault. The result of the comparison will be displayed on your wallet interface. If the word seed matches, the device will tell you that your backup is fine. If not, you will get an error message.
So, now let’s see how to use the Trezor Wallet Recovery Checker to check the recovery seed of your Trezor device. It’s always a good idea to check your backups and make sure you have everything in order.
How do I check the Trezor backup? Checking the seed restore
You will need:
- Trezor device (Trezor One or Trezor T)
- Trezor Suite – (Be sure to check the Trezor Suite, whether you are upgrading or installing it for the first time.)
- Finally, to check the seed backup and make sure the seeds are correct, you will need a seed recovery sheet.
The process is simple: Connect your Trezor device. Open the Trezor suite and go to the device settings. There you will find the check backup option. Click check backup and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restore check. By the end of the check, the device will tell you the status of your recovery sample.
If you have the right words written down in the right order, you can be sure and continue with your current wallet. Otherwise you will have to generate a new one.
Open the Trezor Suite and connect your Trezor
The first step is to open the Trezor package. Then connect and unlock your Trezor device. Once connected, click the gear icon in the upper right corner to open the settings menu. Then navigate to the device settings.
You will find the backup check function. Click the check backup button and run the simulated restore check.
Start a recovery check
Depending on the settings, your initial word may contain 12, 18 or 24 words. First you need to select the number of words in the seed. Then you need to enter all the words in the correct order. You will be prompted to enter the words from your seed in the order that is displayed on your device. For an extra measure of security, you may also be asked to enter some words that are not part of your recovery seed.
Note: This is just a simulated check and will not affect your device. This check is exactly the same as the normal recovery process. You should only trust the information and instructions displayed on your Trezor.
Click start to perform a simulated recovery check.
On the next screen, select the number of words in your sample.
Now there are two types of recovery checks you can choose from, and this is only for Trezor One users. Trezor Model T users have only one option, in which they immediately enter the opening words using the device’s touch screen.
- Standard Restore: With Standard Restore, you will have to restore the initial words on the computer, which is in the Trezor package interface.
- Advanced recovery: You will have to select each word of the recovery seed with the Trezor device.
You can choose either the standard shuffled recording option on your computer or the advanced recovery process. The choice is up to you.
Standard recovery
Standard recovery is safe. During the process, the Trezor device will dictate the seed order. It will display the seed number, for example, “Enter the 12th word,” then “Enter the 22nd word,” and so on.
The order will be a mess, and note that you should never rely on an external interface, which is the software interface. The order in which you enter words is dictated only by your Trezor device, not by your browser or any third-party software. Don’t fall victim to a phishing site/software, and don’t fall prey to scammers.
Most people feel uncomfortable typing the recovery seed on their computer. So should you bother typing the recovery phrase on the Trezor package interface using your computer keyboard? Can you trust Trezor on this issue? If your initial word consists of 24 words, you can proceed with standard recovery.
Suppose your opening word is 24 words, and you go to standard reconstruction. We hope no one is recording your screen. Suppose there is malware on your computer and someone has recorded your initial word in an encrypted order.
The factorial of 24 is 6.204484017e+23 or 620448401733239439360000.
It is impossible for a human to enter every combination, but possible for a machine, but still realistically 24 words cannot be deciphered.
On the other hand, the 12 factorial is 479001600, which is not feasible for manual decryption. But there are certain tools, such as BTC Recovery, which can reverse engineer the 12-word BIP39 seed.
So if your recovery phrase consists of a shorter 12-word seed, we recommend using extended recovery.
Advanced recovery
Unlike the standard recovery method, the advanced recovery method uses Trezor screen input to load the recovery seeds. You do not need to enter anything. This method ensures that the recovery seed is not exposed in any way, making it safer to use. You can perform this operation even on the most untrusted, malware/key log infected computer and be completely safe. Still, you may have to hide any cameras that may record your Trezor screen and mouse movements.
For this reason, we recommend using advanced recovery.
Select Advanced Restore and here’s how to run the Dry Run Recovery process and verify that the existing backup seed phrase is correct.
Select advanced recovery and enter your Trezor Wallet PIN.
All letters are now displayed on your Trezor device. If this is a Model T, you can use the device’s touch screen to navigate. If Trezor one, you need to write each word of your recovery phrase using the keyboard shown on the Trezor package interface, according to where the letters are shown on your Trezor screen.
Start typing each word of your phrase to recover. Start by selecting the first few letters, and Trezor will automatically fill them with sentences. Select the first word. Then do the same process for all 24 words.
When you select all the words, the device will display the result.
Matches or mistakes Seed
If your wallet interface tells you that the seed matches after completing the test, that’s great. This means that the seed is real and matches the seed in the device. You can have peace of mind knowing that your backup is safe.
But if the wallet gives you an error, here’s what you need to do. Try running the test again. If it fails again, you need to transfer your funds from that wallet as soon as possible.
Transfer all funds to the exchange or to a temporary BIP39 wallet. Then wipe your device and start with a fresh wallet. Create a new wallet, back up the new starting phrase, and transfer all your crypto assets back to the newly created Trezor wallet.
Note: Sending cryptocurrency to and from Trezor will cost you network fees depending on the type of cryptocurrency and the amount you hold.
This time, make sure that you have correctly backed up the new recovery seed. Again, it is worth doing a test restore to make sure that the new seed is backed up correctly before you send funds to it.
You can use the Trezor backup feature as many times as you want to perform a backup check. Therefore, do not hesitate. Make sure that your paper copy of the recovery seed matches the seed that is in Trezor.
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