What is a Secret Recovery Phrase?

What it is

A Secret Recovery Phrase is the ordered list of words generated for a wallet. It is used to restore the wallet on a new or reset device and can recreate the keys that control the wallet's onchain assets.

It controls wallet recovery

The phrase is not an app login, support code, or cloud account password. In a self-custodial wallet, possession of the phrase is effectively possession of recovery access to the wallet. Anyone who gets it may be able to restore the wallet and sign transactions.

Taopilot cannot recover it for you

Taopilot does not custody funds and does not keep a copy of your Secret Recovery Phrase. If the phrase and any other usable backup are lost, Taopilot cannot reset it, look it up, or recover the wallet on your behalf.

How to back it up

• Write the words down in the exact order shown by the wallet.
• Store the backup offline, somewhere private, durable, and physically secure.
• Consider keeping more than one physical backup in separate secure locations.
• Verify the backup before relying on it, and keep it separate from your everyday device.

What never to do

• Never share the phrase with support, friends, validators, websites, bots, or social accounts.
• Never type it into a website, form, chat app, email, or screen-sharing session.
• Avoid storing it in screenshots, cloud notes, passwordless documents, or unencrypted files.
• Treat any person or page asking for your phrase as malicious.

When you should use it

Use the phrase only when restoring your wallet inside a trusted wallet recovery flow, such as after replacing a device or reinstalling the app. Confirm that you are using the legitimate app before entering it anywhere.

If you think it was exposed

Assume the wallet may be compromised. Create a new wallet with a new Secret Recovery Phrase, move assets to the new wallet after carefully verifying the address and transaction details, and stop using the exposed phrase for future storage.