Where Does Proton Wallet Store Keys and Backups?
Proton Wallet seed phrases, app sandbox keys and where backup exports actually go.
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Proton Wallet is self custodial, so there is no wallet file to copy. Each wallet is a BIP39 12 word seed created on device, encrypted end to end (Proton itself cannot see it). Keys live in the mobile app sandbox and OS keystore behind biometrics.
Everything portable is an export you make deliberately. View the seed in Settings, write it down offline, and treat any PDF or clipboard copy as live money. Proton Account recovery (phrase, file, trusted device) restores your Proton login, not your Bitcoin seed. The two recoveries are separate systems.
Where Proton Wallet stores this, by platform
App-private storage (exports are user-chosen)
Live keys in private internal storage and keystore, unreachable without root. Back up via in-app seed display to paper or an encrypted offline copy. Each wallet has its own 12 words; accounts inside a wallet share it.
App sandbox and Keychain (exports via share sheet)
Same model on iPhone and iPad (macOS runs the iPad app on Apple silicon). Export through Settings > Security, then save outside the phone. Import the same seed into any BIP39 wallet to recover.
Frequently asked questions
how do I back up Proton Wallet
Open Settings, show the 12 word recovery phrase for each wallet, and copy it word by word in order onto paper stored apart from your phone. That phrase imports into Proton Wallet or any BIP39 compatible wallet, including hardware ones.
does my Proton Account recovery phrase back up my Bitcoin
No. The Proton Account phrase and recovery file unlock Proton encrypted data (mail, drive, passwords). Wallet seeds are independent BIP39 phrases per wallet. You need both kinds of backup if you use both products.
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