Using passphrases for security and privacy

Hello, thank you in advance for you help. I use the Trezor model one, very happy with it. I am just a shrimp right now but would like to have multiple wallets in the future, so as to keep a lower balance in any one transaction. But I would like to reduce the number of seeds I am memorizing. My question is, if I use a passphrase/25th word in a hidden wallet, is that wallet connected to the main wallet (24 word see phrase) in any way? Will transactions show the balance of all wallets connected to that seed phrase, regardless of passphrases, or will the passphrase create an entirely separate wallet? I wish to keep them completely separate for safety reasons.

Hi @tigerearthquake,

Each passphrase creates a separate wallet that uses the seed + passphrase as your backup information. When you open a passphrase wallet, it is only displaying funds that have interacted with that specific wallet, not all of your funds.

Please note that memorizing a recovery seed and/or passphrase is incredibly risky, and not recommended as a sole method for managing the backup of your Trezor. I’m sorry to be morbid and mean this with all due respect, but if you suffer a brain injury or die, you or your heirs respectively might not be able to access cryptocurrency secured with your Model One.

Thank you. I have another question: would making a separate account in the wallet achieve the same goal?

If your goal is to segregate cryptocurrency being used for different purposes, then yes, having multiple accounts is a much safer way to segregate your cryptocurrency in one wallet, rather than using multiple passphrase wallets tied to a single recovery seed.

For example, you could use your first Bitcoin account for bitcoin you hold personally and your second Bitcoin account for bitcoin held by a business you operate.