SELF-CUSTODY, ON YOUR TERMS
Find a hardware wallet that fits your phone.
Understand the trade-offs. Make your own call.
Your phone is the starting point.
Choose how you want to connect, then look closer at the details that matter.
8 options to explore
Maintenance may use a different connection from signing. The filter covers routine firmware, not every recovery or fault. Tangem cards have fixed firmware. Read each model’s conditions.
TREZOR
Mobile maintenance documented
A dedicated touchscreen and Bluetooth connection, with mobile setup documented for both phone platforms.
On iPhone, USB-C supplies power only. Pair through Bluetooth in Trezor Suite.
LEDGER
Check the update conditions
A compact device with physical buttons. Works with iPhone over Bluetooth and Android over Bluetooth or USB.
Bluetooth OS updates require Ledger OS 2.4.1 or later. Older devices need a wired desktop or Android update first.
TANGEM
Mobile maintenance documented
NFC cards powered by your phone. No battery to charge; transaction details are reviewed on the phone screen.
Full NFC support is required. Some phones can scan a card but cannot create backups. Check your exact model.
LEDGER
Phone platform unsupported
A USB-powered option for Android. It does not support iPhone, even when the iPhone has a USB-C port.
Android only for mobile use. Check that your phone and cable support USB data, not just charging.
LEDGER
Mobile maintenance documented
A larger E Ink transaction display with Bluetooth phone use and documented mobile firmware updates.
Routine OS updates work over Bluetooth. A device stuck in Update Mode may need Ledger Wallet on desktop.
LEDGER
Mobile maintenance documented
A touchscreen Nano with Bluetooth on iPhone and Android. Its workflow is different from the older two-button Nano models.
NFC serves Recovery Key and Security Key features. Ordinary phone signing uses Bluetooth or supported Android USB.
SAFEPAL
Computer in update guide
QR signing with the SafePal phone app and a separate colour screen. Plan computer access for firmware updates.
SafePal explicitly says S1 firmware upgrades do not support mobile. Its documented update uses a computer and USB.
KEYSTONE
Computer in update guide
A 4-inch touchscreen for QR-based signing with compatible phone wallets. The documented maintenance path includes a computer.
Both official firmware methods list a computer. Below firmware 1.0.4, the first update must use MicroSD.
BLOCKSTREAM
Mobile maintenance documented
A Bitcoin-focused signer with mobile Bluetooth, QR options and a distinctive PIN-unlocking dependency to understand.
Normal PIN unlocking uses a companion-mediated PIN oracle. QR mode in Blockstream app supports Bitcoin, not Liquid assets.
No model matches all three filters. Try another connection or maintenance path.
A match is a starting point. Check your exact phone, firmware and supported coins.
How we research02 / LOOK AT THE WHOLE JOURNEY
A useful comparison follows the wallet beyond day one. These are the four moments we look at.
Your phone-only checklistCan you initialise the device and make your backup with the phone you already own?
Setup & backupCan you review and approve a transaction? Viewing a balance is a different capability.
Transaction signingWill firmware updates work over your chosen connection, including from an older version?
Firmware & app updatesIf a device is lost, what backup, replacement hardware and phone access would you need?
Backup dependenciesConnection support is only one part of the picture. Here’s what the manufacturer documentation tells us.
| The essentials | Trezor Safe 7 ↗ | Ledger Nano X ↗ | Tangem Wallet ↗ | Ledger Nano S Plus ↗ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone connection | Bluetooth | Bluetooth | NFC | Not supported |
| Android connection | Bluetooth / USB-C | Bluetooth / USB-C | NFC | USB-C |
| Review on | Dedicated colour touchscreen | Dedicated monochrome display | Phone screen only | Dedicated monochrome display |
| The update detail | Mobile firmware installation documented in Trezor Suite. | Bluetooth: Ledger OS 2.4.1+. Older OS: wired desktop or Android required. | Card firmware is fixed and cannot be updated. The phone app is updated separately. | Wired connection required. Confirm the current Android update instructions before purchase. |
| Read the source | Manufacturer docs | Manufacturer docs | Manufacturer docs | Manufacturer docs |
Documented compatibility, not hands-on testing or a security ranking. Recovery and exact phone requirements need a separate check. Read our method. Explore all 9 models and compare up to three.
Start with your phone.
Keep the conditions in view.
Eight documented options, with the connection and update conditions attached.
Compare USB, Bluetooth, NFC and QR for your Android workflow.
Setup, signing, updates and recovery: check the whole phone-only journey.
THE BEDROCK APPROACH
We link the sources, explain the conditions and leave room for what we haven’t verified. So you can make a choice with your eyes open.
Meet the method