Can I swap from a wallet I only have a seed phrase for without importing it into a hot app
No, you cannot swap from a wallet using only its seed phrase without importing that seed into some software. Any swap requires a signed transaction, and a seed phrase alone cannot produce a signature.
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The seed phrase is a human-readable encoding of the master private key. To sign anything, that master key must be reconstructed and used by a program that can generate the specific private key for the address holding your coins. This process inevitably exposes the seed to the environment where the reconstruction happens.
If you type a seed phrase into a web browser, a mobile wallet app, or a desktop tool, you are importing it into a hot app. The software now has full control over every key derived from that seed. Even if the app claims it does not store or transmit the seed, the moment the phrase is entered, the private keys exist in memory on that device. Malware, browser extensions, or network snooping can capture them.
The only way to avoid exposing the seed is to keep it inside the hardware device it belongs to. A hardware wallet stores the seed in secure firmware. It never reveals the seed to the computer or phone it connects to. The device receives a transaction, signs it internally, and outputs only the signature. The seed never leaves the hardware.
Some people attempt a compromise: they restore the seed into a "temporary" hot wallet, swap the coins, then delete the wallet. This defeats the purpose. During those seconds or minutes, the seed and private keys exist in a hot environment. An attacker does not need the physical device; they need only the seed or the derived keys that were briefly live in memory.
A better approach is covered in the hub page "Swapping from a hardware wallet without exposing the seed". That page explains how to keep the seed inside the hardware device throughout the entire swap process. It is the only method that does not require importing the seed anywhere.
If you no longer have the hardware device that generated the seed, you face a harder problem. The seed is still usable, but any swap will require importing it into software. No method exists to sign a transaction from a seed phrase alone. The seed is data, not a signing machine.
Some services offer "seed-only swaps" where you paste the seed into their interface. This is a hot import. The service could record the seed, the keys, and the transaction. Even if the service is honest, your seed has now touched the internet, the server's memory, and possibly logs.
To summarize: a seed phrase is a backup, not a signing tool. Swapping requires a live private key. The only safe way to use a seed without importing it is to have it inside a hardware device that signs for you. Without that device, you must accept the risk of a hot import.
Read the hub page for the full reasoning on keeping the seed inside hardware. It connects directly to this question.
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