How to Set Up a Trezor: Firmware, 20-Word Backup and Your First USDT

Before you start

• Check the box: a holographic seal covers the USB-C port, and the two backup cards must be blank. If words are already written on them, don't use the device. (Peeling the seal leaves "VOID" marks; that's normal.)
• Use a computer for the first setup if you have an iPhone with a Safe 5 or Safe 3: iOS doesn't support their USB-C connection. The Safe 7 can be set up from a phone over Bluetooth.
• Download Suite only from trezor.io/start (or use the web version at suite.trezor.io/web).

Step 1: Install Trezor Suite and connect

Open trezor.io/start, choose Download for desktop (or continue in the browser), and plug the Trezor in with its USB-C cable. Suite shows a short device security check: bought from a trusted source, seal intact, package sealed.

Safe 7 on a phone: pair over Bluetooth and check that the code on the phone matches the code on the Trezor.

Step 2: Install the firmware

A Trezor ships without firmware on purpose. Suite offers Standard firmware (all coins, including USDT) or Bitcoin-only. Choose Standard if you want USDT. The device checks the firmware's signature every time it connects.

Step 3: Let Suite check the device is genuine

Suite runs an authenticity check of the Trezor's Secure Element to confirm it was made by Trezor. If it fails, stop and contact Trezor support.

Step 4: Create the wallet and write the backup

Choose Create new wallet. By default Suite uses a Single-share Backup of 20 words.

1. Write all 20 words, in order and numbered, on the backup card.
2. The Trezor then asks you to select specific words to confirm them.

Other options exist (12 or 24 words through "Legacy Backup Types", or a multi-share backup split into several parts), but the default 20 words is fine for most people.

Step 5: Set your PIN

Choose a PIN of at least 4 and up to 50 digits. After 16 wrong attempts the Trezor erases itself, and you restore it from your 20 words.

The optional passphrase (a "hidden wallet") adds a word only you know. Skip it unless you understand it: if you forget a passphrase, nobody can recover it, not even Trezor.

Step 6 (recommended): Check your backup

In Suite, run the recovery check: you enter your words on the Trezor and it confirms the backup is correct, without changing anything.

Step 7: Add an account to receive USDT

In Trezor Suite, each account is one network. The network you pick on the exchange must match the account you receive into.

For USDT on TRC20 (Tron):

1. On the computer, click + next to Accounts (or Settings → Coins) and turn on Tron.
2. Open the Tron account → Receive → Show full address.
3. Check that the address on the screen matches the one on the Trezor. The same address receives TRX and every TRC-20 token, USDT included.

Tron works on the Safe 7, Safe 5, Safe 3 and Model T, not on the old Model One. In the Suite mobile app, Tron is still an experimental option (Settings → Experimental), so use the computer for TRC20.

For USDT on BEP20: click +, add BNB Smart Chain, then Receive. USDT and other BEP-20 tokens show under the account's Tokens tab.

Step 8: Send a small test first

Copy the verified address, withdraw a small amount on the same network, and wait for it in Suite. Your Trezor doesn't need to be connected for coins to arrive. Full steps per exchange: Transfer USDT from an exchange to Ledger or Trezor.

Sending USDT out later

Each network's fee is paid in its own coin: TRX for TRC20, ETH for ERC20, BNB for BEP20. On Tron, a new account has no "energy", so Trezor says a USDT transfer burns roughly 6 to 13 TRX. Keep enough TRX in the account before you send USDT back to an exchange.

Trezor official shop →

Frequently asked questions

Does Trezor support USDT on TRC20?

Yes, in Trezor Suite on the computer, with the Safe 7, Safe 5, Safe 3 and Model T. On mobile it's still an experimental setting, and the Model One doesn't support Tron.

Why does my Trezor have no firmware?

It's on purpose: Trezor ships devices without firmware so you install a genuine, signed version through Suite.

Can I use a Trezor with an iPhone?

The Safe 7 works fully on iPhone over Bluetooth. Other models can only track, buy and receive on iPhone; to send, use a computer or an Android phone.

I bought my Trezor before June 2024 and got 12 words. Is that wrong?

No. 12 words was the default for the Safe 3 and Model T before June 2024. Both backups work.

What if I forget my PIN?

After 16 wrong tries the Trezor wipes itself. Restore it with your 20 words and choose a new PIN.

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Last updated: 13 October 2026 · Sources: Trezor official guides (setup, backups, Tron, BNB Smart Chain, receiving, scams).