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Multisig Setup

Checklist

Sparrow can’t find your hardware wallet? Fixes

Last reviewed: October 2026

TL;DR

Usually it’s something simple: the maker’s app is still open, the device is locked, or the cable only charges. Work through the checks below in order, starting with the ones for every device. Nothing here touches your seed, and your coins aren’t affected: they’re on the blockchain, not in the device.

You open Connected Hardware Wallet in Sparrow, click Scan and nothing shows up. Or the device appears for a second and then disappears. In my setup that means a Trezor Safe 5, a BitBox02 or a Ledger Nano S Plus on a Windows signing laptop, but most of the checks apply to any USB hardware wallet. The fixes below come from Sparrow’s own documentation and FAQ, checked October 2026.

First checks, for every device

  • Close the maker’s app. Quit Trezor Suite, the BitBoxApp and Ledger Wallet completely, not just their window. Sparrow’s documentation puts it plainly: only one application can talk to the device at a time.
  • Unlock the device first. Enter the PIN or password on the device, then click Scan again. Sparrow’s guide names a locked device as the first thing to check.
  • Try another cable. Some USB cables only carry power. The device lights up and charges, but no data gets through. Use the cable that came in the box, or one you know transfers data.
  • Plug straight into the laptop. Take hubs, docks and adapters out of the chain, and try another USB port. Sparrow’s guide suggests a different cable or port when a device still doesn’t appear.
  • One device at a time. Unplug the other two while you work on one. It keeps the scan result clear.
  • Restart the computer. Sparrow’s FAQ suggests a reboot to clear USB problems that survive everything else.

Trezor

  • Windows driver. If the Trezor still isn’t found on Windows, Sparrow’s FAQ says a driver may be missing and describes a fix with Zadig. The steps are below.
  • Passphrase Required. If you use a passphrase, Sparrow does find the Trezor but lists it as Passphrase Required. That isn’t an error. Click Set Passphrase, type it, click Send Passphrase and confirm on the device. With Sparrow you type it on the computer, not on the touchscreen.
  • Firmware. Update it through Trezor Suite, then quit Suite before going back to Sparrow.

The Zadig fix, as Sparrow’s FAQ describes it:

  1. Download Zadig from the link in Sparrow’s FAQ (it points to the developer’s GitHub releases page). Don’t take it from a search ad.
  2. Run Zadig and connect the Trezor.
  3. Choose Options → List all devices and select the most likely device. It may show as “Unknown device”.
  4. Leave WinUSB selected to the right of the green arrow and click Install Driver or Replace Driver.
  5. Wait until it’s done, close Zadig and restart the computer.

BitBox02

  • The BitBoxApp holds on to it. According to Sparrow’s FAQ, BitBoxApp 4.47.0 and older takes exclusive hold of the device. Quit the app, unplug the BitBox02 and plug it back in.
  • Password and pairing code. Unlock it with its password on the device. The first time it meets Sparrow, both may show a pairing code: check they match and confirm on the device. Since Sparrow 2.1.0 you don’t need to pair it with the BitBoxApp first.
  • Old firmware. Sparrow 2.5.4 and newer needs BitBox02 firmware 9.4.0 or later. Update in the BitBoxApp, then quit it.
  • Passphrase. If you use one, the BitBox02 asks for it on the device after the password. Sparrow waits until you’ve entered it.

Ledger

  • Ledger Wallet still running. Sparrow’s FAQ lists this first for a Ledger that won’t connect.
  • Bitcoin app not open. Unlock the Ledger and open the Bitcoin app on the device. Sparrow can’t talk to the Ledger from its dashboard. If the device locks itself while you wait, unlock it and open the app again.
  • Old Bitcoin app. Multisig needs Bitcoin app 2.1 or newer. Update it in Ledger Wallet, then quit Ledger Wallet.
  • Antivirus or another program. On Windows, the FAQ mentions antivirus software blocking Sparrow, and other programs using ports 2222, 21324, 11044 or 9999.
  • Passphrase. If you attached it to a second PIN, unlock with that PIN. Sparrow will find the Ledger either way, but with the normal PIN you get the wrong wallet.

Linux and Mac

Linux: hardware wallets need udev rules before Linux lets Sparrow reach them. In Sparrow, choose Tools → Install Udev Rules and run the commands it shows. More in Windows or Linux.

Mac: on a Mac laptop with Apple silicon, macOS asks whether to allow each new USB accessory. If you clicked Don’t Allow, unplug and plug in again, or look under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessories. I haven’t run this setup on a Mac myself; Sparrow on a Mac has the details from Apple’s and Sparrow’s documentation.

Found, but the wrong wallet

Sometimes Sparrow finds the device fine, but the master fingerprint doesn’t match your notes, or the wallet suddenly looks empty. That’s almost never a connection problem. It’s usually a passphrase that wasn’t entered, or entered with a typo: a different passphrase opens a different wallet without any error. Check the fingerprint against your notes (see master fingerprint explained) and multisig shows zero balance.

No fix needs your seed words

Nothing on this page asks for your 24 words, and no real fix ever does. A “driver”, “repair tool” or support agent that wants them is a scam. See someone asks for your seed words. Install software only from the maker’s own site or from Sparrow’s links.

Still nothing?

Try the device on another computer with its own maker app. If the maker’s app can’t see it either, the problem is the device or the cable, not Sparrow. In a 2-of-3 that isn’t urgent: the other two devices can still sign. If the device turns out to be broken, follow lost or broken hardware wallet.

Common mistakes

  • Leaving Trezor Suite, the BitBoxApp or Ledger Wallet open in the background.
  • Using a charge-only cable from a drawer.
  • Clicking Scan before the device is unlocked, or before the Ledger’s Bitcoin app is open.
  • Treating Passphrase Required on the Trezor as an error.
  • Downloading a “driver fix” from a search ad.

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