Are my private keys safe with Exodus wallet?

Private Key Ownership and Control

1. Exodus grants full ownership of private keys to the user at all times. No third party, including Exodus developers or support staff, has access to those keys.

2. The wallet does not store private keys on remote servers. All cryptographic material remains exclusively on the device where the wallet is installed.

3. Private keys are encrypted using a locally generated passphrase derived from the user’s 12-word recovery phrase and device-specific entropy.

4. Users can verify their private key derivation path by exporting extended public keys (xpubs) and cross-referencing them with open-source BIP-32/44 tools.

Recovery Phrase Security Model

1. The 12-word recovery phrase is generated client-side using cryptographically secure random number generation compliant with RFC 6979 standards.

2. Exodus never transmits the recovery phrase over any network connection—not during setup, backup, or restoration.

3. If the phrase is written down and physically secured, it serves as the sole authoritative source for regaining access to funds across devices and platforms.

4. Typing the phrase into third-party services or cloud storage solutions introduces external attack vectors unrelated to Exodus’s architecture.

Device-Level Encryption and Isolation

1. On desktop versions, private keys are stored in an encrypted SQLite database protected by OS-level keychain services such as Windows DPAPI or macOS Keychain.

2. Mobile builds leverage Android Keystore and iOS Secure Enclave to isolate cryptographic operations from application memory space.

3. Memory scrubbing routines actively overwrite sensitive data structures after signing operations complete.

4. Debugging interfaces and developer mode features are disabled by default, reducing surface area for memory-dumping exploits.

Firmware and Hardware Wallet Integration

1. Exodus supports Ledger and Trezor hardware wallets through direct USB and Bluetooth communication without intermediary proxies.

2. When connected to a hardware device, Exodus delegates all private key operations to the secure element inside the hardware wallet.

3. Transaction signing occurs entirely offline within the hardware device; only signed payloads return to Exodus for broadcast.

4. Firmware updates for supported hardware wallets must originate directly from the manufacturer’s official channels, not via Exodus software.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can Exodus employees access my wallet if I contact support?A: No. Support agents cannot view, retrieve, or reconstruct private keys. They lack technical capability and legal authority to do so.

Q: Does Exodus collect analytics that include wallet addresses or balances?A: Exodus anonymizes usage telemetry by default. Address strings, transaction values, and balance information are explicitly excluded from all data collection pathways.

Q: What happens if I lose my recovery phrase and forget my password?A: There is no recovery mechanism. Loss of both the 12-word phrase and the wallet password results in permanent loss of access to associated assets.

Q: Is the Exodus mobile app subject to Apple App Store or Google Play Store security policies?A: Yes. Both app stores enforce sandboxing, code signing, and runtime permission models that constrain Exodus’s access to system resources and other apps’ data.