Ledger + Shielded ZEC on iPhone and Android: How It Works in 2026

Updated November 4, 2026.

Ledger Wallet's own mobile app can't hold shielded ZEC. Ledger supports private ZEC only in Ledger Wallet Desktop. To use a Ledger with shielded ZEC on your phone, pair it over Bluetooth with a companion wallet such as Vizor. The phone syncs and builds the transaction, and the Ledger signs it. You need Ledger's Zcash app 3.10.0 or newer for NU7.

Quick answer

• Works today: Vizor on iPhone and Android with a Bluetooth Ledger. Send, receive, shield, vote, and move Orchard funds to Ironwood, with every approval on the device.
• Also works: Zodl 3.17 and later, over Bluetooth, one Ledger account at a time, without voting or migration so far.
• Doesn't work: shielded ZEC inside Ledger Wallet mobile, and the old Zondax "Zcash Shielded" device app after NU7.

What Ledger's own app does and doesn't do

Ledger shipped shielded ZEC in Ledger Wallet Desktop on September 23, 2026. Its announcement says it is "available on Ledger Wallet Desktop only. Mobile support is not available at this time, but is coming soon."

Ledger's product lead added detail in the Zcash forum:

• Desktop only. "There is no private balance on mobile."
• Ironwood only. Ledger Wallet reads and spends the Ironwood pool. Sapling and Orchard funds don't appear there.
• Requirements: Ledger Wallet desktop 4.21 or later and Zcash app 3.9.4 or later. The Nano S isn't supported and won't be.
• Other wallets work too. "The same device app is already supported by zkool and Vizor."

So the Ledger device app supports shielded ZEC. Ledger's phone app doesn't use it yet. A companion wallet fills that gap.

Phone wallets that sign shielded ZEC with a Ledger

Zodl connects one Ledger account at a time. Its 3.17 notes say sending, shielding, swapping, and payments sign on the Ledger, and that "voting and migration do not yet". We found no later Zodl release that changes that. For the full comparison, see Zodl vs Vizor.

What you need

• A Ledger that connects over Bluetooth. Vizor's iPhone notes name the Ledger Flex and Nano Gen 5. The Nano S isn't supported for shielded ZEC at all.
• Ledger's Zcash app, current version. Ledger lists 3.9.4 or later for shielded ZEC. Vizor asks for 3.10.0 or newer before NU7, along with updated device firmware. Install both from Ledger Wallet.
• Vizor on your phone, from the App Store or Google Play. Install Vizor, then come back to the steps below.

Step by step: pair your Ledger with Vizor

The flow is the same on iPhone and Android.

1. Update the Ledger first. In Ledger Wallet, update the firmware and install the Zcash app (3.10.0 or newer).
2. Open Vizor and add a Ledger account. You can do this when you first set up the wallet, or add one next to your existing accounts. Vizor holds several accounts in one wallet, so a Ledger account can sit next to a software account.
3. Unlock the Ledger and open the Zcash app. Turn on Bluetooth on your phone and allow Vizor to use it.
4. Pick your Ledger and confirm the pairing on both screens.
5. Approve the viewing-key export on the Ledger. Vizor then syncs the account. Saved devices skip repeated viewing-key approval later. Ledger accounts also recover existing transparent history and balances.
6. Receive. Open Receive and copy or share your shielded address.
7. Shield, send, or vote. Review in Vizor, then approve on the Ledger. Vizor checks that the connected Ledger matches the account before it sends any transaction data for signing.

A few things Vizor does to make Ledger signing faster:

• It generates transaction proofs while you review on the device, so you wait less after you approve.
• Large transparent balances shield through consecutive device approvals, with progress shown between them.
• Non-English and emoji memos work with Zcash app 3.9.4 or later. The device shows them as a hash.

For how shielded sends work, see how to send ZEC privately.

Android notes

Vizor's Ledger support was built for desktop and mobile together. A follow-up fix made Android Bluetooth signing handle the largest Ledger commands, and was confirmed on a physical Android device.

Vizor on Android also has Tor, so you can hide your IP from the server while you sync and sign. Turn it on before a migration or a vote.

Voting and Ironwood migration from a Ledger

Voting. Vizor added coinholder voting for Ledger on iPhone in September 2026. For the NU7 vote, Zcash Labs listed Vizor, Zodl, and Zkool as supported wallets.

Ironwood migration. Since v0.0.63, Ledger accounts can move Orchard funds to Ironwood using Immediate migration. The change needs Zcash app 3.10.0, because 3.9.4 rejects that transaction. Private (staged) migration isn't available for Ledger accounts, because it signs many transactions in advance. Immediate migration moves the balance in one transfer, so that amount is public on-chain. Full details are in Orchard to Ironwood.

The old Zondax "Zcash Shielded" app

Before Ledger's own shielded support, YWallet and Zkool used a separate device app built by Zondax, called "Zcash Shielded" (4.3.5). Ledger said it stops working at NU7 and won't be carried through the upgrade.

The risk is Sapling funds. That app derives keys from a non-standard input, so the new Ledger app can't reproduce those accounts. Ledger warned that after NU7, Sapling funds held through the old app can no longer be moved with a Ledger device, and that other recovery routes aren't guaranteed. Ledger's forum post links its step-by-step transfer guide. Transparent funds in those accounts use standard derivation and are less exposed.

For everything else NU7 changed, see Zcash NU7: what changed.

Troubleshooting Bluetooth pairing

• Pairing fails or gets stuck. Vizor's iPhone releases added step-by-step pairing recovery (0.0.58). Follow it first. If pairing still fails, remove the Ledger from your phone's Bluetooth settings and pair again from Vizor.
• Bluetooth access is restricted. Allow Vizor to use Bluetooth in your phone's settings. Vizor shows recovery steps for restricted Bluetooth access and invalid pairings.
• You declined by mistake. Vizor explains how to recover after a declined request. Start the action again.
• "Ledger app update required." Install Zcash app 3.10.0 or newer in Ledger Wallet, then try again.
• New funds won't spend yet. Ledger says newly shielded funds need about 10 confirmations to mature in Ledger Wallet. Give them a few minutes.

Prefer a cable? Vizor desktop supports Ledger over USB on macOS, Windows, and Linux. For cold storage habits, see how to store ZEC safely.

FAQ

Can Ledger Wallet's mobile app hold shielded ZEC?

No. Ledger supports shielded ZEC only in Ledger Wallet Desktop and says mobile support is coming later. To use a Ledger with shielded ZEC on a phone, pair it with a companion wallet such as Vizor or Zodl. The keys stay on the Ledger, and you approve each transaction on the device.

Which phone wallets work with a Ledger for shielded ZEC?

Vizor supports Ledger over Bluetooth on iPhone and Android, including Ledger Flex and Nano Gen 5 on iPhone, and Ledger accounts can vote and move Orchard funds to Ironwood. Zodl added Ledger over Bluetooth in version 3.17; it connects one Ledger account at a time, and its notes say voting and migration don't work with Ledger yet.

Which Ledger Zcash app version do I need?

Ledger lists Zcash app 3.9.4 or later for shielded ZEC. Vizor needs 3.10.0 or newer for NU7 and to move Orchard funds to Ironwood from a Ledger. Install the latest version from Ledger Wallet.

Does the Ledger Nano S work with shielded ZEC?

No. Ledger says the Nano S is not supported for shielded ZEC and won't be. Every current Ledger signer is supported. On a phone you also need a Ledger that connects over Bluetooth.

What happened to the Zondax Zcash Shielded app?

Ledger retired the legacy Zcash Shielded app (4.3.5), built by Zondax, at NU7. Ledger warned that Sapling funds held through it can't be moved with a Ledger device after NU7, and that recovering them by other means isn't guaranteed.

Is my seed phrase ever on my phone when I use a Ledger with Vizor?

No. The phone wallet syncs, builds the transaction, and broadcasts it. The Ledger holds the keys and signs. You never type your Ledger recovery phrase into Vizor or any other app.

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Use your Ledger for private ZEC on your phone. Get Vizor for iPhone or Android, or for Mac, Windows, and Linux (Ledger over USB) at vizor.cash/get. It's free, open source, and made by a team with years of experience building crypto wallets. Comparing phone wallets? See the best Zcash wallets for iPhone and Android.