Setting Up a Hardware Wallet Step-by-Step
The safest path from unboxing to first transaction, without shortcuts.
Buy the hardware wallet from the manufacturer directly or from an authorized reseller. Secondhand or third-party devices can be tampered with in ways that are difficult to detect after the fact.
During setup the device will generate a seed phrase and display it once. Write it down on paper or, better, stamp it into a metal backup plate. Never photograph it, type it into any device, or store it in a password manager or cloud note.
Set a PIN on the device and, if the model supports it, enable a passphrase — an extra word appended to the seed. A passphrase creates a separate wallet that only appears when the passphrase is entered, which adds meaningful protection against physical theft.
Before sending any real value, do a small test: send a tiny amount to the wallet, then send it back out. Confirm both addresses on the device screen itself, not just in the companion app, since the screen is the only display you can fully trust.