Preserving a hardware wallet after a death

A hardware wallet (Ledger, Trezor and other brands) holds keys offline and is backed up by a recovery phrase. The device itself is not the wallet, it is a key holder, and the contents are determined by the seed phrase loaded into it.

What a hardware wallet is

A hardware wallet is a small device that keeps private keys offline and signs transactions without the keys ever leaving it. It is a kind of safe: without the device and the correct PIN, access is usually not possible. A visible balance after entering the PIN says nothing about ownership or legal title, and the device does not show a full overview anyway.

Which hardware wallet is it?

Hardware wallets differ in appearance, but the estate rules are the same: the device holds the keys, the recovery words are the backup, and nothing should be reset, updated or guessed. This list helps you identify a device found after a death, identification only, not a recommendation or a review.

The first move is always the same: preserve the device with its box and cable; never guess the PIN.

Brand	How to recognise it	Official support
Ledger	Small device with a screen (Nano S, Nano X, Nano S Plus, Stax, Flex)	Support
Trezor	Device with a screen and two buttons (Model One, Model T, Safe 3, Safe 5, Safe 7)	Support
BitBox	Compact metal-bodied device (BitBox02)	Support
KeepKey	Larger device with a screen and a single-button design	Support
Coldcard	Device with a numeric keypad (Coinkite)	Support
SafePal	Device with a screen and a camera for QR codes	Support
Ellipal	Sealed device with a large screen and a camera (Titan)	Support
NGRAVE	Metal-framed device with a screen (ZERO)	Support
SecuX	Device with a screen and USB/Bluetooth (V20, W20, X20)	Support
Foundation	Device with a screen and buttons (Passport)	Support
Blockstream	Device with a screen and a camera (Jade)	Support
OneKey	Device with a screen (Classic, Touch)	Support
D’CENT	Device with a screen and a small keypad (Biometric)	Support
Keystone	Device with a large screen and a camera (3 Pro)	Support
Tangem	Card without a screen, tapped near a phone	Support
Cypherock	Device with a screen and separate cards (X1)	Support

Whatever the brand, never reset or update the device, the recovery words matter more than the device itself.

What to do

• Leave it as found, with its packaging, cable and manual if present.
• Note the model and any label, without photographing the screen.
• Record where it was found and who handled it.
• Preserve any recovery sheet found with it, flat, dry, out of sight.
• Store the device somewhere dry and safe; an empty battery is not a problem.

What never to do

• Do not guess the PIN. Many devices wipe after a small number of wrong attempts (commonly between 3 and 16, depending on the device (for example 3 on Ledger devices and up to 16 on some Trezor models)) and a wiped device is one less path to the funds (the recovery phrase still matters most).
• Do not factory-reset. A reset wipes the PIN and the seed phrase from the device.
• Do not update firmware or connect the device to unfamiliar software: an update can make an old device unusable for restoration purposes.
• Do not photograph, scan or type the recovery phrase anywhere, never with an online phone. The only legitimate place it is entered is the official device or wallet software from the official channel that you are certain is genuine, after authority is confirmed.

PIN, seed phrase and passphrase

Three separate components determine access:

• PIN, protects the device itself. A forgotten PIN does not mean everything is lost, but it does not mean everything can be restored either.
• Seed phrase, the words (commonly 12 or 24) that can restore the wallet on a new device. Without it, a broken device cannot be replaced.
• Passphrase: an extra word added on top of the seed phrase. If one was set, the same seed phrase without the passphrase opens a different; usually empty, wallet.

Whoever has only the device does not yet have access. Whoever has only the seed phrase may be able to replace the device, but without the passphrase may see an empty wallet.

Why these rules

The device proves nothing by itself: a visible balance or a power-on screen is not proof of ownership, access or legal title. The recovery phrase (plus any passphrase) is what matters, and it must never leave your hands until the estate’s authority is clear.

Authority before access

The device has been found, but who may open it depends on the succession situation: who the heirs are and which documents establish the executor’s or representative’s authority. Technical steps follow only after that authority is assessed.

What to do with it

• Access is the device plus the PIN plus the recovery words (and the passphrase, if one was set). The words matter most, the device is replaceable, the words are not.
• When the estate is ready: with the recovery words (and passphrase), the wallet can be rebuilt on compatible hardware or software. With only the device and PIN, the wallet stays tied to that device.
• The classic mistake: guessing the PIN (many devices wipe), resetting, or updating, each can close a path to the funds.
• If the words are missing and the device is lost, broken, wiped or its PIN unknown: read what is realistically possible in wallet recovery.
• Until authority is confirmed, preserve the device with its box and cable and never guess the PIN.

Next

Understand what a passphrase changes, it can make an otherwise correct seed phrase open an empty wallet. See wallet passwords and passphrases for how that affects an estate.

For the full index of every wallet format, see the wallet format library.