Hardware Wallet Troubleshooting FAQs
What is SLIP39?
SLIP39 (Shamir's Secret-Sharing for Mnemonics) is a mnemonics sharding standard proposed by SatoshiLabs. It uses "Shares"and"Threshold" to manage and protect your mnemonic words:
Shards: Split one master key into multiple mnemonic phrases.
Threshold: When restoring the wallet, at least N copies of the mnemonic phrase must be provided to successfully regenerate the master key.
Give an example: If you set 5 copies of the mnemonic phrase and set the threshold to 3, then when restoring the wallet, you only need to provide any 3 of the 5 copies to complete the recovery. This mechanism effectively reduces the risk of single point of failure caused by the loss or leakage of a single mnemonic phrase, and is very suitable for scenarios with high personal security needs, family property inheritance, or team co-management scenarios.
Applicable devices and versions: UKey Pro Hardware Wallet since 1.15.0 and above Supports SLIP39 standard. This tutorial starts with UKey Core 26 As an example, we will show you the operation process of creation and restoration.
1. Create a SLIP39 wallet
Preparation: You need a brand new UKey hardware wallet, or have reset your existing hardware wallet to factory condition.
Operation steps:
Initialize device: Turn on the device and select "Create New Wallet" on the initial screen.
Set PIN: Follow the on-screen prompts to set a secure startup PIN for your hardware wallet.
Select mnemonic type:
When the device screen displays the mnemonic phrase (recovery phrase), click the 12 Words option in the upper right corner of the screen.
In the pop-up interface, find the "20-digit word backup type" and select "Multiple Mnemonic Words".
Set the number of shares and thresholds:
Number of shares: Set how many different sets of SLIP39 mnemonics need to be generated.
threshold: When setting up a future wallet recovery, the minimum number of mnemonics required to be entered.
(For example: set "Number of Shares 5" and "Threshold 3").
Confirm safety prompts: Carefully read the precautions displayed on the screen and check to confirm.
Backup mnemonic shards: The system will display multiple sets of SLIP39 mnemonics in sequence. Please be sure to check each one carefully.
Security warning: Please use pen and paper to completely copy all mnemonic phrase fragments. It is strictly prohibited to take photos, screenshots or enter mnemonic phrases into any internet-connected device. UKey You will not be asked to provide a mnemonic phrase under any circumstances.
2. Restore SLIP39 wallet
Preparation: You need a brand new UKey hardware wallet, or have reset your existing hardware wallet to factory condition.
Operation steps:
Select recovery path: Turn on the device, and select "Import Wallet" > "Recovery Phrase" in the initialization interface.
Set PIN: Follow the on-screen prompts to set a startup PIN for your hardware wallet.
Select import type: In the import type selection interface, click to select "20 words".
Enter mnemonic fragments: According to the threshold (threshold) you set when creating, enter the corresponding number of mnemonic fragments in sequence.
(Example: If you set the threshold to 3, just enter any 3 mnemonics from your backup).
Complete recovery: After the system verifies that the mnemonic fragments you entered are correct, the wallet master key will be successfully restored and you can use the wallet normally.
Recommendations for daily use and storage
To maximize the security benefits of SLIP39, we recommend that you adopt the following security strategies:
Physically dispersed storage: Do not store all mnemonic phrase fragments in the same physical location (such as the same drawer or the same safe) to prevent them from being lost due to force majeure such as fire or theft.
Reasonable allocation strategy: You can hand over different shards to trusted family members or team members for safekeeping respectively, thereby improving the overall architecture's ability to prevent single points of failure.
Regular drills: It is recommended that you regularly try to use backup devices to perform recovery operations in a safe and private environment to verify the accuracy and availability of mnemonic fragment records.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: If the number of mnemonic shards I find is less than the set threshold, can I still restore my wallet? Answer: No. The cryptographic design of SLIP39 dictates that you must provide equal to or more than a set threshold number of shards. If it is less than the threshold, your master key and assets will not be recovered. Be sure to keep a sufficient number of shards in a safe place.
Q: Why is the SLIP39 standard recommended? Answer: Once the traditional single set of mnemonic words is lost or maliciously stolen, the assets will directly face irreversible losses. SLIP39 introduces a threshold mechanism so that even if some fragments are lost or damaged, As long as the remaining shards reach the threshold, you can still retrieve your assets; at the same time, even if the thief obtains a shard, he cannot control your wallet. It greatly increases the fault tolerance and security of asset backup.