First published 13 February 2019; rewritten August 2026. The old analogy — “your wallet is like an email address” — is how people click seed-phrase phishing. Addresses can be shown. Phrases must not.
Two different products
A software or hardware wallet holds keys that can sign Bitcoin transactions. A company account labelled “wallet” holds an IOU. Both can display a number. Only the first one lets you move coins if the company disappears. For the longer version, use how crypto wallets actually work.
Addresses are not secret. Keys are.
You can share a receive address. You should treat a 12- or 24-word phrase as a master key to whatever it controls. Support will not ask for it. A PDF in your email is not a backup. A screenshot is a backup for thieves.
Bitcoin-only versus multi-coin
Some wallets speak only Bitcoin. Some speak many networks and then let you pick the wrong one. If you are only learning Bitcoin, a Bitcoin-only device or app reduces the number of ways to send to the wrong chain. Convenience is a feature. It is also how mix-ups happen.
Next step
Practise with an amount you can shrug at. Restore on a second device before you need to. Then read the security checklist. This page is not a shopping list and not financial advice.
