Ledger Nano S: Discontinued Status, Limits and How to Upgrade

The Ledger Nano S is the original two-button Ledger hardware wallet, launched in 2016 and now discontinued. Ledger declared it end of life in June 2022 and lists it under discontinued products. It still signs transactions with keys held on its secure chip, but its 320 kB of memory and frozen software mean many coins, apps and features no longer work on it. If you own one, keep your 24-word recovery phrase safe and plan a move to a supported device.

This guide covers what the Nano S is, what Ledger itself says about its support status, the limits you will run into, how it compares with the Nano S Plus and Nano X, and how to migrate without losing anything. Facts below come from Ledger’s own support pages and policies, checked in October 2026.

What the Ledger Nano S is

A hardware wallet keeps private keys on a dedicated chip and only exposes signatures to the computer it is plugged into. The Nano S does this with a Secure Element, an ST31H320 chip, plus a small screen and two buttons. You read the payment details on the device and press both buttons to approve, so malware on the computer cannot sign a transaction on its own.

On first set-up the device asks for a PIN of 4 to 8 digits and then shows a 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase, one word at a time. That phrase is the only backup of your keys. Ledger keeps no copy, and the device displays it only once. Read our wallet basics guide if the idea of keys and recovery phrases is new to you.

Coins never live on the device. Your Bitcoin or Ether stays on its blockchain, and the Nano S simply holds the keys that can move it. Lose the device and you lose nothing as long as the recovery phrase is intact.

Discontinued: the support timeline in Ledger’s words

Ledger publishes a Ledger OS and Device Apps Policy with a list of end-of-life devices. Two models are on it: the Ledger Blue (February 2020) and the Ledger Nano S (June 2022). The same policy sets out what end of life means:

That commitment never covered features added after the end-of-life date, or new Ledger apps released later. Apps written by third-party developers follow their own schedules. The last operating system release for the Nano S, Ledger OS 2.1.0, came out on 30 November 2021 and added Schnorr signatures for Bitcoin’s Taproot upgrade.

Ledger’s support notice puts it plainly: it is phasing out the Nano S, and future blockchain changes may affect compatibility, features and security enhancements. Your recovery phrase and funds stay secure, but the device will gradually do less.

Why the memory runs out

The ST31H320 chip has 320 kB of flash. That was enough in 2016, when most owners held a couple of coins. Ledger’s limitations page breaks down a typical install on the latest OS:

• Operating system: 182 kB
• Bitcoin app: 62 kB
• Ethereum app: 42 kB
• Exchange app: 28 kB
• Space left for anything else: about 6 kB

In practice you juggle apps: uninstall Ethereum to make room for another chain, sign, then swap back. Deleting an app is harmless because the keys come from the recovery phrase, not from the app, yet constant reinstalling is tedious and every extra step is a chance to approve something by mistake.

RAM is the other bottleneck. Ledger notes that the chip’s working memory is much lower than on its touchscreen models, which is why several newer features cannot run at all.

Features the Nano S cannot use

Ledger lists these as unsupported on the Nano S because of hardware limits (the list is marked non-exhaustive for staking and swap providers):

• Ledger Recover and Ledger Sync
• Recent and future Clear Signing improvements, plus Transaction Check, the automated scam detection on the touchscreen models
• Sending NFTs through Ledger Wallet (the app formerly called Ledger Live)
• Staking through Ledger Wallet with providers such as Coinbase, Ledger by Bitwise, Yield.xyz and Kiln
• Swaps through THORChain, Uniswap, LI.FI, 1inch, Velora or OKX, and swaps on chains such as TON, Cardano, Cosmos, NEAR, Aptos, Hedera, Avalanche, Polkadot and Sui
• The XRP and Exchange apps, which are no longer supported, and selling XRP
• On-device language packs

The XRP point matters if you hold it: plan the migration before you need to move those coins. Our XRP guide explains destination tags and the reserve, which still apply on any new device.

Connection options are also narrow. The Nano S uses a micro USB cable. Ledger supports it on Windows 10 or 11, recent macOS versions and 64-bit Ubuntu LTS on desktop, and on Android 8.1 or later on mobile. It cannot connect to an iPhone.

Nano S, Nano S Plus and Nano X side by side

Ledger now groups the two-button models as its Classic Nano range. The newer two are still sold and supported. Figures below are from Ledger’s own comparison and support pages.

Pick the Nano S Plus if you only ever sign from a computer and want the closest thing to the Nano S experience. The Nano X adds Bluetooth and a battery for phone use. Ledger’s touchscreen models (Nano Gen5, Flex, Stax) are the ones that get Transaction Check and the newest signing screens. None of this is a recommendation to buy hardware from Ledger specifically: Trezor, Coldcard, BitBox and others make supported devices, and any BIP39 wallet can restore a Ledger phrase.

Still using a Nano S? A safe-use checklist

1. Check the recovery phrase first. Find the sheet, confirm all 24 words are legible and in order, and store it offline. Ledger’s update policy advises checking it before any firmware change.
2. Update to Ledger OS 2.1.0 if the device runs something older. Ledger keeps a separate guide for updating from outdated versions.
3. Use only the official Ledger Wallet app. Download it from Ledger’s site, not from an ad or a search result.
4. Read every screen. On a small two-button display it is easy to approve without checking the address. Compare the first and last characters at minimum.
5. Keep only coins that still work. If a network you hold has dropped support, move those coins before you need them.
6. Use an 8-digit PIN. Ledger’s set-up guide calls an 8-digit PIN the optimal level of security.

Phishing aimed at Ledger owners

Ledger owners are a known target. On 25 June 2020 an attacker used an exposed API key to reach Ledger’s e-commerce and marketing database. According to Ledger’s own disclosure, about 1 million email addresses were exposed, and for 9,500 customers names, postal addresses, phone numbers or ordered products as well. No payment details or recovery phrases were involved, because Ledger never holds them, but the leak fed years of fake emails, texts and even posted letters asking owners to “validate” their 24 words.

One rule covers all of them: Ledger will never ask for your recovery phrase. No support agent, app update, letter or website needs it. If a device arrives with a PIN already set or a phrase printed on a card, do not use it and contact Ledger.

How to migrate to a newer device

Moving off a Nano S does not involve sending coins anywhere. You load the same keys onto a second device:

1. Install the current Ledger Wallet app and have your 24-word phrase ready.
2. Power on the new device, choose a PIN, and pick the option to restore from a recovery phrase rather than set up a new wallet.
3. Select 24 words and enter each word from your Nano S sheet. The device confirms the phrase.
4. Install the apps you need. Your existing accounts and balances appear in Ledger Wallet automatically.

Because no transaction happens, there is no network fee and no address change. Ledger suggests keeping the old Nano S as a backup signer, locked with a strong PIN, since both devices now hold the same keys. If you would rather start with fresh keys, set up the new device as new and then send your coins across in small test amounts first.

If you plan to hold coins on an exchange during the switch, read our exchange guide on custody risk first. For network-specific details see our Bitcoin and Ethereum pages.

What changed since our old Nano S page

Our earlier review described the Nano S as one of the latest-generation wallets, quoted a price of €58 and told readers to install a Chrome app. All three are out of date. The device is discontinued, the Chrome apps were replaced long ago by Ledger’s desktop and mobile app (now called Ledger Wallet), and Ledger itself now advises Nano S owners to upgrade. The core idea still holds: a hardware wallet keeps keys off your computer, and the recovery phrase is what really matters.