What is a seed phrase and how is it different from a password?

A seed phrase, also called a recovery phrase, is a list of 12 or 24 ordinary words that can fully restore your wallet on any device. It is the master key to your coins. A password, by contrast, only unlocks the wallet app on one particular device and can usually be changed. The crucial difference is recoverability: if you forget a password, you can often reset it using your seed phrase, but if you lose the seed phrase itself, nobody on earth can recover your coins. Treat the seed phrase as far more precious than any password. Write it on paper, store it offline, and never type it into a website, a chat, or a cloud document of any kind.