1. Authenticity Check: Trust Only Hardware

Before anything else, conduct a thorough physical inspection. Check the **holographic seal** on the box and the sticker covering the USB port. Trezor packaging is designed to be tamper-evident. If you notice *any* signs of prior opening, damage, or inconsistencies with the official packaging, **stop immediately** and contact Trezor support. Your Trezor device is shipped without firmware installed; this is a security feature ensuring the device is a blank slate until you, the owner, initialize it. This first connection, initiated from this page, is your guarantee of starting clean.

2. Downloading Trezor Suite: The Only Official App

Security starts with software source. Do not rely on search engine results which may lead to malicious clones. Navigate directly to the official download section (linked from this page) and download the **Trezor Suite desktop application**. The Suite is your secure interface for managing your wallet, built to isolate your private keys from the connected computer. Install the application on a clean, trusted machine. Once installed, connect your Trezor with the supplied **USB cable** and launch the Suite.

3. Firmware Installation and Verification

The Trezor Suite will detect your new, uninitialized device. The next step is mandatory: **installing the official Trezor firmware**. This software defines the core functions of your wallet. During this process, the Suite and your device perform a crucial **cryptographic signature check**. This ensures the firmware being installed is genuinely signed by SatoshiLabs, making it impossible for a malicious third party to load compromised software onto your device. Proceed with the installation and allow the device to restart.

4. Generating Your Recovery Seed: The Master Key

This is the most critical step. Select **Create New Wallet** in the Trezor Suite. Your device will begin the process of generating a unique **Recovery Seed**, typically 12, 18, or 24 words. **These words are your private keys, encoded.** The seed is generated using entropy from your device's internal random number generator and your own inputs, ensuring ultimate randomness. The words will be displayed **ONLY on your Trezor screen**—never on the computer screen. This air-gaps the creation process. You must transcribe them carefully, in order, onto the provided paper **Recovery Seed Card**. Do not digitize, photograph, or store these words on any electronic device, ever.

5. Confirming and Securing Your Seed

The Trezor Suite will guide you through a confirmation step, asking you to enter selected words of your seed to verify your transcription. This is your chance to ensure accuracy. Mistakes here can lead to permanent loss of funds if you lose your device. Once confirmed, store the Recovery Seed Card in a secure, fireproof, and private location, separate from your Trezor device. **The seed is your final and only true backup.**

6. Setting the PIN: Physical Access Protection

Finally, you will set a personal **PIN** (4 to 9 digits). The PIN is the daily access code to your Trezor. To defeat keyloggers, you enter the PIN using your computer mouse on a shuffled number grid in Trezor Suite, referencing the unique layout displayed on your Trezor screen. This ensures a malicious computer cannot deduce your PIN. A secure PIN prevents unauthorized access if the device is lost or stolen. After three incorrect attempts, the delay for the next attempt increases exponentially, making brute-forcing impossible. Choose a PIN you can remember but is difficult to guess.

Upon completion, the Trezor Suite will confirm the successful setup. Your device is now initialized, protected by firmware verification, secured by a unique PIN, and backed up by your offline Recovery Seed. You are ready to receive and manage your crypto assets with confidence, knowing you have performed the official, maximum-security setup as detailed at **Trezor.io/Start**.