Step by step: unbox a SafePal S1 or S1 Pro, create the wallet, back up the phrase, find your bc1 address and use it for payouts.
Basics
The SafePal S1 and S1 Pro are hardware wallets with no cable, no Bluetooth and no Wi-Fi. The device and the phone app talk only by showing each other QR codes, so the keys never touch the internet. Plan 30 minutes, a pen, and a room where nobody can see your screen. Screens and button names can change with SafePal updates: if something differs, follow the device and SafePal's own guide.
Buy it from the official source
Buy from the official SafePal store at safepal.com or a reseller listed there. Never buy a used hardware wallet, and never accept one that arrives with a recovery phrase already printed or filled in. A phrase someone else has seen is a wallet someone else controls.
Check the box and the device
Check that the package has not been opened and that the anti-counterfeit stickers on the box are intact.
Check that nothing is missing, including the blank cards for writing your recovery phrase.
Charge the device and switch it on. A new device opens on the language screen. If it opens on a wallet that already exists, stop and contact SafePal support.
Choose your language. The device shows a QR code for device authentication. Scan it with your phone's browser.
The page that opens asks for a 6-digit code. Type the code shown on the device and tap Authenticate.
The page tells you whether the device is genuine and unused. If it is, tap Next on the device and scan the QR code on the result page to activate it.
Create the wallet and back up the phrase
On the device choose Create New Wallet. The other option, to recover a wallet, is only for restoring a phrase you already own.
If the device asks how many words you want, pick one of the options and note which. All of them are secure.
The device shows your recovery phrase. Write every word on the paper card, numbered, in order, in clear handwriting. Paper only: no photo, no screenshot, no notes app.
The device asks you to confirm the words in order. This proves that what is on your paper matches what is in the device.
Set a PIN. Avoid birthdays and patterns such as 123456. The PIN protects the device. The phrase protects the bitcoin.
Give the wallet a name if the device asks for one.
Good to know: You can test your paper backup at any time: on the device open Settings, then Seed Verification, and enter the words. The device only confirms whether they match.
Pair the device with the SafePal app
Install the SafePal app using the download link on safepal.com. Search results and ads can lead to fake apps.
Open the app and set its security password, plus fingerprint or pattern if you want them.
In the app choose to add a Hardware Wallet and tap Next. The app shows a QR code.
On the device tap Scan, scan the app's QR code, and enter your PIN to approve the connection.
The device now shows a series of QR codes. In the app tap Next and scan them. The two are paired.
Find your Bitcoin receive address
In the app open Bitcoin (BTC) and tap Receive.
If the app offers several address types, choose Native SegWit. The address starts with bc1.
On the device open Asset Management, choose Bitcoin and show the address. Compare it with the app: the first 6 and last 6 characters must match.
Copy the address from the app. Never retype it by hand.
Receive a small test
Send a small amount of BTC to the address from an exchange or another wallet.
Wait for it to show in the app. You can also paste the address into mempool.space to see the payment confirm.
Once the test has arrived, the address is proven to work and to be yours.
Send the address to Firsthand
Email the address as text to hello@firsthandbitcoin.com from the email address on your Firsthand account, and say it is your new payout address. We confirm it with you before anything changes. The full steps are in Set your payout wallet.
Using only the SafePal app
The app also works on its own as a software wallet. In the app choose to create a software wallet, set the security password, write the recovery phrase on paper and confirm it when asked. Then find the Bitcoin receive address the same way. The keys live on your phone, so treat this as a wallet for smaller amounts and move to the hardware device as your balance grows.
Good to know: Firsthand co-branded SafePal wallets are coming: you can ask for one from the Academy home page.
Careful: Your recovery phrase is entered only on the SafePal device itself. Never type it into a website, a phone, an email or a chat. Neither SafePal nor Firsthand Bitcoin will ever ask for it.