> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.jup.ag/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> These docs cover what users see and do on jup.ag, Jupiter Mobile and Jupiter Wallet.
> Universal Deposit, the GUM routes in Bridge & Swap (GUM Universal Bridge, GUM Universal Deposit) and other GUM integrations on jup.ag are built by GUM. For how they work, their full fee rules, security model and APIs, the reference is the GUM docs: start from https://docs.gum.ag/llms.txt.
> When the GUM docs and these docs differ on how a GUM product behaves on jup.ag, describe the jup.ag experience from these docs and the mechanics and fees from the GUM docs.

# Protecting your private keys

> Why your seed phrase and private key control your wallet, how to store them offline, and how to back up a Jupiter ID wallet that has no seed phrase.

export const GuideMeta = ({level, minutes, author, avatar, published, updated}) => <div className="jg-meta not-prose">
    <div className="jg-badges">
      <span className={`jg-level jg-level-${level.toLowerCase()}`}>{level}</span>
      {minutes ? <span className="jg-read">About {minutes} min read</span> : null}
    </div>
    <div className="jg-byline">
      <img noZoom className="jg-avatar" src={avatar} alt="" width="32" height="32" />
      <span>
        Written by <span className="jg-author">{author}</span>
        {published ? <span className="jg-origin">
            Originally published on Jupiter Academy, {published}{updated ? " · Updated for Jupiter Docs" : ""}
          </span> : null}
      </span>
    </div>
  </div>;

<GuideMeta level="Beginner" minutes={2} author="Bryan" avatar="/images/guides/authors/bryan.webp" published="February 23, 2026" updated />

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/jupiter-support/p5FdkagPcbEGL8wN/images/guides/safety-private-keys/cover.webp?fit=max&auto=format&n=p5FdkagPcbEGL8wN&q=85&s=075f29105154aa37c2c6db52e51f624a" alt="A padlock linked to a masked password field, the cover of this lesson" width="1920" height="1080" data-path="images/guides/safety-private-keys/cover.webp" />

Your seed phrase, the sequence of words (usually 12 or 24) generated when you first create a [wallet](/user-docs/guides/basics/crypto-wallets), is the master key to your funds. It is not a password that can be reset: it is the secret your private keys are mathematically derived from, and whoever holds it holds your wallet, *unconditionally*.

Think of it like this: your public address is your home address, safe to share so people can send things to you. Your private key is your house key. Your seed phrase is the master mold that can cut that key again from scratch. You would not leave a copy of your house key taped to your front door. The same logic applies here.

<Note>
  Not every wallet has a seed phrase. A wallet created with a social login (Jupiter ID on jup.ag and in Jupiter Wallet, a Quick Account in Jupiter Mobile) has none: its private key is the backup, exported from jup.ag. Treat it exactly like a seed phrase. See [Connecting with Jupiter ID](/user-docs/manage/connect-wallet#connecting-with-jupiter-id) and [Exporting your Quick Account private key](/user-docs/global/mobile/managing-wallets#exporting-your-quick-account-private-key).
</Note>

## Best practices

* Write your seed phrase down by hand, on paper or metal, never digitally.
* Store it in at least one secure, offline location (for example a safe or a locked drawer).
* Consider a second physical copy stored in a separate location: fire, flooding and theft are real risks.
* Never photograph it, paste it into a notes app, or store it in cloud storage like Google Drive or iCloud.
* Never type it into a website, a form or a chat. The only place it belongs is a wallet app you installed from its official source, when you import or restore a wallet there.

The same rules apply to a private key.

## Never share your seed phrase

<Warning>
  If anyone, whether a support agent, a giveaway, a helpful stranger or a website, asks for your seed phrase or private key, it is a scam. No exceptions. Jupiter Support will never ask for this information.
</Warning>

For how these requests usually reach you, see [Phishing attacks and social engineering](/user-docs/guides/safety/phishing-and-social-engineering).

## Go deeper

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Jupiter Wallet security" icon="shield-halved" href="/user-docs/manage/extension-wallet/security">
    Export your keys, set the password and lock options, and recover after a forgotten password.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Managing wallets in Jupiter Mobile" icon="mobile" href="/user-docs/global/mobile/managing-wallets">
    Back up a recovery phrase, export a Quick Account private key, add a hardware wallet.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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