Backing up your seed phrase is routine but man, a small mistake can cost you big time. I wrote down my seed phrases and thought I was safe. Months later, my laptop crashed and I tried to recover my wallet with the seed phrase... only to find out I had 11 words instead of 12. How did I miss that?
At least it’s a mistake you can check and try to recover from... recovery tools exist for that. But yeah, I remember when some wallets allowed shorter seed phrases, like 11-13 words, which is kinda sketchy.
Honestly, I’ve opened tons of Bitcoin wallets for fun, and I’ve never seen a seed phrase with repeated words. Imagine having the same word pop up right after itself, that’s just wild. But for real, you should always count your words.
I don't get how you didn't catch it sooner. Most wallets need the seed phrase entered immediately to work. If you forgot it or your wallet didn’t ask, that’s on you. But I’ve never seen a seed with consecutive same words, that’d be crazy.
True, but some people don’t realize that BIP39 allows repeated words. You got lucky you could fix your laptop. Always verify your backup right after you write it down. Don’t assume it’s correct till you check it on a trusted wallet.
One smart move is to re-enter the seed phrase before using the wallet. Most new wallets won’t let you proceed until you confirm your seed. I’ve never had repeated words, but if it happens, a brute force method might work to recover the missing word.
Which wallet did you use? I’m guessing you copied and pasted it instead of writing it down? Mistakes like that are rare in Electrum, but they can happen if you didn’t directly enter from your backup.
I’ve never messed up like that. I always double-check my seed phrase before saying it’s good. I also test it on a different wallet to ensure it’s correct. Making sure the addresses match is key.
How do you not know seed phrases should be 12, 15, or 24 words? You gotta count before assuming it’s correct. Did you write it down as shown or just guess? Most wallets ask you to confirm the seed when backing it up.
I had to look into this when I read OP’s post. Apparently, it’s possible for two words to repeat in a seed phrase, but it’s super rare. Take this as a lesson to treat your seed phrase seriously. Write it down exactly as shown.
Never faced this issue myself, and I hope I don’t. Mistakes like these can really hurt. OP got lucky but others might freak out if they lose access after a big investment. Always double-check your seed phrases.
Never encountered this. I count my words to avoid missing one. We all check our phrases after writing them down. OP, were you distracted or something? First time hearing about repeating words in a seed phrase.
This feels like one of those small errors that can lock you out of your wallet. I’m careful with spelling but not always with the number of words. A repeated word might trick your brain into thinking it’s fine.
This could happen to anyone. I think OP thought they made a mistake when they saw a repeated word. Probably didn’t count everything after backing it up. I bet their backup on the device was fine, but the paper was wrong.
I always number my phrases to avoid mistakes. Early on, I saved my seed on my computer, but after a scare with a reinstall, I switched to writing it down. Keeping it offline is safer.
You’re right, just saving it on your PC isn’t enough. Writing it down is key. BIP39 allows repeated words, so be careful when writing. I also check each word manually.
Are you sure you wrote it down right? Missing a single word can lock you out. You need to write it exactly as shown. Slow down when noting your seed phrase.
I’ve made similar mistakes, even misspelling words. Nothing is 100% safe, even offline storage has risks. Just gotta be cautious because one slip can cost a lot.
Are you not double-checking? I always try to restore after writing it down, just to be sure. Last time I set up my wallet, I did that and it worked great.