Tether Wallet is a self-custodial mobile wallet app for storing, sending, and receiving USDt, XAUt, USAt, and Bitcoin.
\nTether Wallet is a mobile app a user installs on an Apple or Android smartphone. It generates and stores private keys locally on the device. The wallet does not hold custody of user funds: the user does, via the Secret Recovery Phrase (a 12-word seed phrase) generated at wallet creation. Tether cannot access, manage, or recover user funds.
No government ID, KYC documents, or bank account information is required to create a Tether Wallet account. Any active email address is sufficient.
Tether Wallet is published by Tether Data, S.A. de C.V., a different legal entity from Tether International, S.A. de C.V. (the issuer of USDt, XAUt, and USAt).
This distinction matters when a user asks about a freeze, a blacklist, or anything regarding the token contract: those actions are administered by Tether International, not by Tether Data. The wallet app cannot freeze, unfreeze, or blacklist anything. See the Group A refusal template (active freeze) for the verbatim response when a user is dealing with an active freeze, and templates B through H for related cases.
No other tokens or networks are supported. If someone sends an unsupported token (such as ETH or USDC) to a Tether Wallet address, those tokens will not appear in the app.
\nOfficial download links (only install from these sources):
\nWARNING: Never download Tether Wallet from unofficial sources, links in messages, or third-party app stores. Fake wallet apps that capture seed phrases are a real and common scam.
\nTo create a new Tether Wallet: download the app from official sources, open it, select Create a New Wallet, enter an email address, verify with a 6-digit code, choose a Tether.me username, and optionally set up Cloud Backup and biometric authentication.
Requirements: a mobile device (iOS or Android), any active email address, and an internet connection. No government ID or KYC required.
Important: the Tether.me username is permanent and cannot be changed after creation. The email address used to create the account also cannot be changed later. Choose both carefully.
When the wallet is created, the app generates a 12-word Secret Recovery Phrase (BIP39 standard). This is the master key to the wallet and the only way to restore access if the device is lost and Cloud Backup is unavailable.
The Secret Recovery Phrase exists only on the device and in any offline copy the user makes. It is never stored on Tether servers, never stored in iCloud or Google Drive, and never transmitted over the internet.
Backup guidance: write the phrase on paper, store copies in two separate secure locations, never photograph it, never type it into a notes app or cloud service, never share it with anyone. No legitimate company or support agent will ever ask for it.
If the user loses both the Secret Recovery Phrase and Cloud Backup access, the wallet cannot be recovered by anyone, including Tether. This is a fundamental aspect of self-custody.
Self-custodial means two things in practice:
\nThe first point is the benefit. The second is the cost. Both are real. This is different from a bank or custodial exchange, where the company controls the funds and can freeze accounts, reverse transactions, or recover access.
\nTether CANNOT: access or manage user funds, reverse or cancel any blockchain transaction, recover a wallet without the Secret Recovery Phrase or Cloud Backup.
Tether CAN: provide the wallet software and app updates, store encrypted backup data (unreadable without the user’s cloud encryption key), provide support guidance through FAQ and knowledge base, take compliance actions on Tether-issued tokens (USDt, USAt, XAUt) at the token-contract level when required by law or regulation.
Tether Wallet currently supports sending, receiving, and storing digital currencies. Direct buying and selling (fiat on-ramp and off-ramp) is not available in the current version.
To add funds, the user can: receive tokens from someone who already holds them (via Tether.me username or wallet address), or purchase tokens through a cryptocurrency exchange and send them to the Tether Wallet address.
A common setup:
\nTether Wallet sits in the daily-use role. It is designed to be the wallet the user opens every day to send and receive, not a long-term vault.
\nTether Wallet does not charge any fees. Blockchain network fees (gas fees) are paid to the network, not to Tether. Fee amounts vary by network and network congestion.
Typical transaction times: Bitcoin Lightning on Spark is nearly instant (under one second). Polygon and Arbitrum usually complete within seconds. Ethereum usually takes a few minutes but can take longer when busy. Standard Bitcoin takes roughly 10 minutes and up to an hour during busy periods.
The app always shows the exact fee, the amount the recipient will receive, and the total cost before the user confirms any transaction.
Tether Wallet uses a Safe smart contract account for its primary address. This means importing the Secret Recovery Phrase into a standard third-party wallet will not show the same address or balances, because most wallets derive a standard externally-owned-account address rather than connecting to the Safe smart contract.
This architecture also allows gas-fee payments in the same token being sent, rather than requiring a separate native gas token in every case.
Balances on the Safe smart contract account can be viewed on the relevant blockchain explorers using the Tether Wallet address.
Tether Wallet does not offer investment advice. Tether will not contact users directly to offer services.
No legitimate Tether representative will ever ask for: the Secret Recovery Phrase, Cloud Backup encryption details, or payment. Any such request is a scam.
Wallet Drainer scams: fake websites offering free airdrops or NFT mints can gain permission to empty the wallet if the user approves a malicious transaction. Only connect the wallet to websites that are fully trusted. Never approve transaction requests from unknown sources.
If the device is stolen: immediately transfer funds to a new wallet from another device. Create a new wallet with a new Secret Recovery Phrase. Do not reuse the old phrase.
For technical issues beyond general guidance (stuck transactions, suspected compromise, account-specific problems), Tether Wallet Support is the right destination. Have the asset, network, transaction ID, and error message ready.
Official resources:
Community channels are available on Keet (peer-to-peer messaging app). The Tether Wallet Releases Room provides APK updates; the Tether Wallet Support Room is for questions and bug reports. These are community channels with human moderators, not official live support.
\nImportant: human agent support is not available at this time. The Tether support team will never ask for the Secret Recovery Phrase or Cloud Backup details. Any contact claiming to be Tether support that asks for this information is a scam.
\nA common, sensible setup people land on:
\nTether Wallet sits in the middle role. It is designed to be the wallet you actually open every day to send and receive, not a long-term vault. For that vault role, a hardware wallet is the more conservative choice once you are holding an amount you would be devastated to lose. See the section on hardware wallets in the safety page.
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