This is the feature this site is named after, and the place where our two halves meet. Everyday passwords and crypto secrets share the same idea: a long string of random words that you keep to yourself. This is part of Crypto secrets.
The idea in one picture
Your seed phrase opens one wallet. Your seed phrase plus a passphrase opens a completely different one. Nothing about the first wallet gives away that the second exists.
Our main article explains this in full: what is the 25th word?
Where it fits among your secrets
People often confuse three things:
| Secret | Unlocks | Forgotten? |
|---|---|---|
| Device PIN | One physical wallet | Reset the device and restore from your phrase |
| Seed phrase | Your whole wallet | Your backup is gone, so funds may be lost |
| Passphrase | A separate wallet | Funds behind it are lost, even with your 24 words |
The trade-off
A passphrase adds one kind of safety and removes another. If someone finds your written words, they find nothing of value. But if you forget the passphrase, you are the one locked out, for good. It also makes inheritance much harder to plan.
So the order matters, and should you use a passphrase? helps you decide. First, back up your seed phrase and test it. Only then consider adding a passphrase.
When things go wrong
Small slips cause most problems. See typos, case and spaces, and what is recoverable if you forget it. Careful users can also create hidden and decoy wallets. If the terms confuse you, see passphrase vs PIN vs password.
Making a strong one
A thief who has your words can test passphrases at speed, with no lockouts, so it must be strong. The everyday guide to passphrases versus passwords explains why random words work, and how to create a strong password shows how to generate them with dice. Aim for six or more truly random words, as our guide to choosing a strong passphrase explains.