The device protects keys; your process protects the wallet.
A hardware wallet cannot protect a recovery phrase you photographed, a transaction you approved without reading, or a fake support request you trusted. Use this checklist before and after moving meaningful funds.
Never share your wallet backup or recovery phrase. Trezor and Ledger both state that their support teams will not ask for it, and both advise keeping it off computers and phones.
Before buying
- Buy from the manufacturer or an authorized reseller you can verify.
- Avoid unknown used devices and marketplace sellers with unclear provenance.
- Check that the model supports your operating system, coins and intended connection method.
- Read the recovery documentation before paying, not after setup.
During setup
- Use official software and authenticity checks.
If the vendor reports a firmware/device authenticity problem, stop and use official support.
- Generate the wallet yourself.
Do not use a device that arrives with a prewritten recovery phrase or instructions to import someone else’s words.
- Write the backup offline.
No screenshots, photos, cloud notes, email, password managers or general-purpose computers.
- Set a PIN you can manage.
Understand what happens after repeated failed attempts and how recovery works if the device resets.
- Verify a receiving address on the device display.
Do not trust only what the computer or phone shows.
For every meaningful transaction
- Read the address, amount and transaction details on the hardware-wallet display before approval.
- For a new destination or new workflow, send a small test amount first.
- Do not approve transactions you did not initiate.
- Treat urgent messages asking you to “verify,” “synchronize” or “restore” your backup as phishing until proven otherwise through official channels.
Protect the backup more carefully than the device.
A stolen or broken device can usually be replaced if the backup is intact. A stolen backup can allow another person to recreate the wallet.
Ongoing maintenance
- Install firmware/app updates only through official channels and verify unexpected warnings.
- Review your backup locations periodically without digitizing the words.
- Re-test recovery after major changes to passphrases, multi-share setups or inheritance plans.
- Keep a written non-secret recovery procedure so trusted heirs know what systems exist without exposing the backup itself.
- If you suspect the backup was exposed, treat the wallet as compromised and move funds to a newly generated wallet.
Bottom line
Most hardware-wallet security failures are process failures. Authentic hardware, offline recovery material, careful on-device verification and resistance to phishing form a system; skip one and the device cannot compensate.
Primary sources checked
The checklist intentionally follows overlapping safety guidance from both major manufacturers rather than relying on one brand’s marketing.