This walkthrough applies to essentially every reputable hardware wallet — Trezor, Ledger, Coldcard, BitBox, Jade, Passport. Model-specific quirks exist, but the safety-critical steps are universal. Set aside a calm, unhurried hour.
Before you start
- Confirm the box came factory-sealed, bought directly from the manufacturer.
- Work in private: no cameras, no screen-sharing, no smart speakers with cameras, no other people’s eyes.
- Have two pens and the supplied backup cards (or plain paper) ready.
The setup, step by step
- Verify the device. Follow the manufacturer’s authenticity check — modern devices cryptographically prove they are genuine during setup.
- Install the official app from the manufacturer’s website — type the URL yourself; never follow a link from an email or search ad.
- Update firmware when prompted, before generating any keys.
- Generate a NEW wallet on the device. The seed phrase must be created by the device, in front of you. If a seed came pre-printed in the box, stop — it is a scam. Return path: dispute the charge.
- Write down the seed phrase by hand. Numbered, legible, double-checked. Not typed. Not photographed. The device will quiz you on a few words to confirm.
- Set the PIN — this protects the physical device from casual access.
- Do a test round-trip. Receive $10–20 of bitcoin, verifying the address on the device screen (not just the computer). Then send a small amount back out. This proves send, receive, and your understanding all work.
- Move real funds only after the test round-trip succeeds.
After setup
Upgrade the paper backup to metal within the first weeks — paper survives neither fire nor flood (see our seed storage guide). And schedule one annual check: device still works, backup still readable, you still remember the PIN. Twenty minutes a year keeps the whole system honest.
The mistakes that actually cost people money
- Typing the seed phrase into a computer “just to check it” — this is how most hardware wallet users get drained
- Photographing the seed “temporarily”
- Buying second-hand or marketplace devices
- Skipping the test transaction and fat-fingering the first real one
- Storing device and seed backup in the same drawer — one burglary takes both