How to troubleshoot when your hardware wallet is not connecting?

Troubleshooting Physical Connection Issues

1. Ensure the USB cable is fully inserted into both the hardware wallet and the computer’s port. Some cables are charge-only and lack data transfer capability—verify that the cable supports data transmission by testing it with another device.

2. Try a different USB port on your computer. Front-panel ports may suffer from insufficient power delivery or signal interference, especially on desktops. Prefer rear-mounted ports directly connected to the motherboard.

3. Avoid using USB hubs or extension cables unless they are powered and certified for HID device compatibility. Unpowered hubs frequently fail to recognize security-focused devices like Ledger or Trezor due to strict firmware handshake requirements.

4. On Windows machines, check Device Manager for unrecognized or malfunctioning Human Interface Devices. A yellow exclamation mark next to “USB Composite Device” or “HID-compliant device” indicates driver-level failure.

Firmware and Software Compatibility Conflicts

1. Confirm your hardware wallet’s firmware version matches the minimum required by the desktop application you’re using. For example, Trezor Suite v22.10.0 mandates firmware 2.5.2 or higher for Model T units.

2. Disable browser extensions such as ad blockers, privacy scripts, or wallet injectors when accessing web interfaces like MyEtherWallet or MetaMask via hardware wallet support. These tools often intercept WebUSB calls and block device enumeration.

3. On macOS, verify that no other process is holding exclusive access to the device. Run ls -l /dev/tty. in Terminal while the device is plugged in—if no matching /dev/tty.usbmodem entry appears, the OS failed to mount the interface.

4. Linux users must ensure udev rules are installed and active. Missing or outdated rules prevent non-root users from accessing the device node. The official Trezor and Ledger repositories provide up-to-date rule sets compatible with kernel versions 5.15 through 6.8.

Browser-Specific WebUSB Limitations

1. WebUSB functionality is only enabled in Chromium-based browsers—Chrome, Edge, Brave, and Opera—on desktop platforms. Firefox and Safari do not implement the WebUSB API, making them incompatible with direct browser-based wallet interactions.

2. In Chrome, navigate to chrome://flags/#enable-webusb and confirm the setting is set to “Enabled”. Restart the browser after toggling this flag if it was previously disabled.

3. Sites must be served over HTTPS or localhost to request WebUSB permissions. Attempting connection from an HTTP URL—even on local networks—triggers immediate permission denial without visible error messages.

4. Clear site data and cached permissions for the wallet interface domain. Stale permission grants can cause silent failures where the browser believes access is already granted but fails during actual device handshake.

Recovery Mode and Hardware Reset Procedures

1. For Ledger Nano S and X, hold the left button while plugging in the device to enter bootloader mode. This bypasses the standard app loading sequence and allows firmware reinstallation via Ledger Live.

2. Trezor Model T enters recovery mode when the right button is held during boot. The screen displays “Recovery mode” and waits for seed phrase input—this state also permits firmware updates even if normal operation fails.

3. Never perform a factory reset unless instructed by official support documentation. Doing so without prior backup verification risks permanent loss of access to stored assets.

4. If the device screen remains blank or displays garbled glyphs, disconnect immediately and inspect for physical damage to the display flex cable—especially common after repeated bending near the hinge region on older Nano S units.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I use my hardware wallet with multiple computers simultaneously?Yes, but only one instance of the wallet software should communicate with the device at any time. Concurrent connections cause race conditions and enumeration failures.

Q: Why does my Ledger show “Processing…” indefinitely on Chrome?This usually occurs when the Ledger Live desktop app is running in the background. Close Ledger Live completely before attempting browser-based usage.

Q: Does enabling Developer Mode on Android allow Trezor Model One to connect via OTG?No. Trezor Model One lacks Android USB host support entirely. Only Trezor Model T and newer firmware-enabled devices support Android connections, and only with specific OTG adapters certified for HID traffic.

Q: Is it safe to update firmware while the device shows “Waiting for host”?Yes, provided the update is initiated from the official application and the device remains physically connected throughout the entire process. Interrupting mid-update may brick the device.