Hardware Wallets
Beam supports integration with popular hardware wallets to enhance security and protect private keys from exposure on your host machine.
This section provides an overview of hardware wallet support, installation, and usage.
Currently, Beam supports Ledger and Trezor devices with varying levels of functionality.
⚠️ Smart contract transactions are not yet supported for hardware wallets.
Supported Devices
| Manufacturer | Model | Support Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ledger | Nano S | ✅⚠️ Supported (slow performance) | Discontinued but compatible |
| Nano S Plus | ✅ Recommended | Full support and stable performance | |
| Nano X | 🚧 Not supported | No sideloading support until official approval | |
| Stax | 🚧 Not supported | No development environment available | |
| Trezor | Model One / Model T | 🧩 Experimental | Under investigation for unofficial release |
Getting Started
To use a hardware wallet with Beam:
- Make sure you have the latest version of the Beam Desktop or CLI wallet installed.
- Connect your hardware device to your computer.
- The Beam wallet should automatically detect and communicate with it — no extra configuration is required on Windows, macOS, or Linux.
🐧 Linux users: You may need to set appropriate USB permissions to allow Beam access to your hardware wallet.
Follow the Linux setup instructions to install the necessary udev rules.
Installation & Setup Guides
- Ledger Setup Guide →
Learn how to install the Beam app on Ledger devices, including sideloading instructions and device-specific notes. - Trezor Setup Guide →
Step-by-step guide to preparing and using Trezor devices with Beam.
Usage Notes
Hardware wallets are used in Beam not only for sending, but also for receiving transactions.
If your hardware device auto-locks, Beam will not be able to process incoming transactions until you unlock it.
Recommendations
- Receiver:
If you expect to receive transactions continuously, consider disabling auto-lock temporarily.
Otherwise, keep it enabled for security. - Sender:
Use standard transactions when the receiver is online.
If not, use offline or max privacy transaction types — these are non-interactive and do not require the receiver’s participation.