A new hardware wallet can feel like something you need to get exactly right on the first try. The good news is that setup is not complicated. It mostly asks for patience, a little attention to detail and an evening without interruptions.
This walkthrough keeps the steps general so they apply to most devices. Follow your manufacturer's instructions for the exact screens, and use this as the order of things and the reasons behind them.
Before you start
Give yourself time. Setup itself does not take long, but rushing is how small mistakes happen. Plan for a relaxed evening rather than a spare few minutes.
Have these ready:
- A quiet, private place. You will see your recovery phrase on the device screen. No one else should see it, and no camera should be pointed at it, including video calls, security cameras or a phone propped up nearby.
- A pen that writes clearly and does not smudge.
- Your backup material. The recovery card that came in the box is fine for tonight. A metal backup can come later.
- Your computer or phone, charged and up to date.
Leave your crypto where it is for now. Nothing needs to move until the very end.
Check the package and the device
Open the box slowly and look at what you have.
- Check any seals or packaging features your manufacturer describes, and compare the contents with the list in the box.
- Make sure the recovery card is blank. A hardware wallet should create a new phrase for you during setup. If the box contains a phrase that is already printed or written down, do not use the device.
- If the device appears to be already set up when you turn it on, or asks you to enter an existing phrase you were given, stop and contact the manufacturer.
A genuine new device starts empty and creates its own keys in front of you.
Install the companion app from the official source
Download the companion app only from the manufacturer's official source. Type the address yourself rather than following links from ads, emails or messages, since fake wallet apps exist and can look convincing.
Once the app is installed, connect the device as instructed. If the app offers a check that the device is genuine, run it. If it offers a firmware update, install it before you create your wallet.
Create your wallet and set a PIN
This is the most important part of the evening.
- Choose to create a new wallet. The device will generate a recovery phrase, usually a list of 12 or 24 words.
- Write the words on your recovery card in order, exactly as they appear. Number them. Write clearly and check the spelling of each word.
- Never photograph, type or copy the phrase into a phone, computer, notes app or cloud storage.
- Confirm the words when the device asks you to. This step catches mistakes while they are easy to fix.
- Set a PIN. Choose one you will remember but that others could not easily guess. Avoid birthdays and simple sequences.
The PIN protects the device. The recovery phrase protects your funds. If you lose the device, the phrase is what brings everything back.
Many devices reset after a number of wrong PIN attempts. That is a security feature, and it is one more reason the phrase needs to be stored safely and correctly.
Put the recovery card somewhere private before you continue.
Add an account and receive a small test
Now you can prepare to receive funds.
- Add an account in the companion app for the coin you plan to store.
- Generate a receive address and check it on the device screen. The device screen is the part you can trust. Compare the beginning, the end and a section in the middle with what the app shows.
- Send a small test amount to that address from wherever your crypto is now. Make sure the network you choose is one your wallet supports for that coin.
- Wait for it to arrive and show in the companion app.
A small test proves that your address, your network choice and your setup all work before anything significant moves.
Do a test recovery
Before you send real value, prove that your written phrase works. There are two common ways, depending on your device:
- Use the device's backup check feature, if it has one, to confirm the words without erasing anything.
- Or reset the device and restore it from your recovery card, then check that the same account and the same receive address appear.
If the test amount reappears after a restore, your backup is correct. If something does not match, you have found the problem while very little is at stake.
Only after this step should you move larger amounts.
What to leave for later
You do not need to do everything tonight. These are worth doing soon, but not in the same sitting:
- Copying the phrase onto a metal backup that resists fire and water.
- Choosing a long-term storage spot, separate from the device.
- Adding an optional passphrase, once you understand how it works and how you will remember it.
- Creating more accounts or adding more coins.
- Connecting third-party apps or services to your wallet.
- Planning how a trusted person would know a backup exists if something happened to you.
Take each of these one at a time, with the same calm approach. Tonight's goal is simpler: a wallet you created yourself, a phrase you know is correct and a small test that arrived safely.