Create
Choose phrase length, chain family, derivation path, and account index when you create a wallet. Record what you set — those numbers are part of the backup.
Derivation
Choose the path.
Reach the index.
The phrase opens the tree. Path and index choose the account. Set them during create and import — including a high account index that casual scanners never try.
Create and import
Full derivation control. Built in.
Import
Restore an existing account with the same controls. The phrase is required. Path and index must match the original or you open a different, empty wallet.
Why it exists
The phrase is not the whole wallet.
HD wallets derive many accounts from one recovery phrase. Path and index decide which account you actually open. Most consumer wallets hide that. GreyWallet puts it in create and import — so you can restore precisely, or sit off the defaults on purpose.
If someone has your seed phrase, they still need the family, the path, and the account index. That extra coordinate is why derivation is a security control — not just a restore setting.
Honest limits: this is not a vault password and not undetectable crypto. It does not hide on-chain activity. It does mean a leaked phrase on a napkin is not an automatic empty of every account you ever used — if you did not leave funds on index 0.
HD Wallet → derivation path → account branch → index → address
[01]
Phrase length
When you create a wallet, choose 18, 21, or 24 words. Longer phrases are a preference, not a higher security grade. Defaults remain recommended.
Why you need it
For a first-time user: more words means more possible combinations if someone only saw part of a backup. It is still one secret you must write down completely — a longer phrase does not forgive a screenshot in the cloud.
If you already run HD wallets: length is entropy and compatibility. Import whatever length the original wallet generated. Do not assume 24 is “more professional.” Operational backup beats word count.
[02]
Chain family
Bitcoin, EVM, Solana, Aptos, Sui, XRP, and Tron each have a default path. Review it before you save. Switching families after a custom path requires saving first.
Why you need it
Same phrase, different family — different keys. Selecting Bitcoin will not surface your Ethereum or XRP account. For beginners, think of families as separate lockboxes that happen to share one written backup.
Coin type and key space are not the same as picking a network in the app. EVM L2s and Cronos share one family; Solana, Move, XRP, and Tron do not. Restore the family the original account used, then select the network you need.
[03]
Customize the path
Keep the default path, or edit it. Custom paths restore an existing account or specify a path other than the family default.
Why you need it
Most wallets live on the family default. If you keep that default, anyone with the phrase and a standard importer can find index 0. A path you chose — and wrote down — is another coordinate they have to know.
Use a custom path to match Ledger, older software, or a scheme you already documented. Defaults are recommended unless you have a reason. A path is not a password; if you forget it, GreyWallet cannot infer it.
[04]
Account index
Account index is not limited to 0, 1, and 2. Set the index required by the wallet you are restoring — or the index you want this account to occupy.
Why you need it
Treat a non-zero index like a PIN on the seed phrase. If someone gets the words, they still have to know which account holds funds. Typical wallets scan 0, 1, 2. You can sit on 47, 1994, or a number only you recorded — far past what a casual thief tries.
Index selects the account branch under the path. It is not encryption and not invisible on-chain. It raises the search space: phrase alone is not enough. Record the index with the phrase. Guessable numbers (public birthdays) are weaker than a number that exists only in your backup.
Write it down
Phrase plus coordinates.
Setup is sequential: phrase length, chain family, derivation path, then account index. Complete it in that order. If you set a high index or a custom path, store those numbers with the phrase — offline. Support cannot reconstruct them. You cannot either, from memory you never recorded.