How to fix Ledger Live not detecting my Nano S Plus on Mac?

Device Connection Verification

1. Ensure the USB-C to USB-A adapter is fully seated and functional. Some third-party adapters lack proper data transfer capability, causing detection failures.

2. Try connecting the Nano S Plus directly to a built-in USB port on the Mac—avoid hubs or extension cables that may introduce signal degradation.

3. Confirm the device is powered on and displays the Ledger logo before launching Ledger Live. A blank or unresponsive screen indicates insufficient power or firmware lockup.

4. Check whether the Mac recognizes the device at the system level: open System Information → USB section and look for “Ledger” under connected devices.

5. Restart the Nano S Plus by holding both side buttons for 10 seconds until the screen resets and reboots.

macOS-Specific Driver and Permission Handling

1. macOS Ventura and later versions require explicit permission for Ledger devices in Privacy & Security settings. Navigate to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Security → Hardware Access and enable access for Ledger Live.

2. Verify that no conflicting USB drivers are installed—especially from older Ledger tools or blockchain development kits that may override default HID protocols.

3. Disable any active antivirus or endpoint protection software that might block low-level USB HID device enumeration.

4. Run Terminal and execute sudo killall -u $USER to terminate all user-space processes that could interfere with device polling.

5. Reset the USB controller by unplugging all USB peripherals, restarting the Mac, then reconnecting only the Nano S Plus before opening Ledger Live.

Ledger Live Application Configuration

1. Confirm Ledger Live is updated to version 2.98.0 or higher—the Nano S Plus requires specific firmware handshake logic introduced in this release cycle.

2. In Ledger Live, go to Settings → Experimental Features and toggle on “Enable USB device detection on macOS” if available.

3. Delete the application cache: navigate to ~/Library/Application Support/Ledger Live/ and remove the “cache” folder while Ledger Live is closed.

4. Launch Ledger Live while holding the Option key to trigger diagnostic mode—this forces verbose device enumeration logging visible in the console window.

5. Avoid running multiple instances of Ledger Live simultaneously; background processes may monopolize the HID interface.

Firmware and Bootloader State

1. Check the current firmware version displayed on the Nano S Plus screen during boot. If it shows “Bootloader” instead of “Ledger”, the device is stuck in recovery mode and requires manual firmware reinstall via Ledger Live’s Device Manager.

2. Use Ledger Live’s Device Manager to detect bootloader state—if no device appears there either, the issue lies outside application layer logic.

3. Perform a factory reset only as last resort: hold both buttons for 15 seconds until “Reset device?” appears, then confirm using right button. This erases all app data but preserves the 24-word recovery phrase.

4. After reset, initialize the device again through Ledger Live using the original recovery phrase—do not skip the backup verification step.

5. Install only firmware signed by Ledger SAS—unsigned or patched binaries will prevent Ledger Live from establishing secure channel negotiation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use Ledger Live on macOS with Rosetta 2 emulation?A: Yes, but native Apple Silicon support is mandatory for Nano S Plus USB enumeration. Running Ledger Live under Rosetta 2 disables required HID protocol extensions and causes silent detection failure.

Q: Why does my Nano S Plus show up in System Information but not in Ledger Live?A: This indicates successful hardware enumeration but failed application-layer handshake. Most commonly caused by outdated Ledger Live binary or revoked certificate trust in macOS Keychain.

Q: Does enabling Developer Mode in macOS affect Nano S Plus detection?A: No. Developer Mode impacts kernel extension loading—not USB HID class device recognition. Ledger devices operate at standard HID level and do not require kext installation.

Q: Is Bluetooth involved when connecting Nano S Plus to Ledger Live on Mac?A: No. The Nano S Plus uses wired USB-C connection exclusively for ledger-live communication. Bluetooth functionality exists only on Nano X and Stax models.