Ledger Live Wallet — Get Started with Ledger®

A clean, step-by-step presentation to set up Ledger Live, secure your hardware wallet, and manage your crypto safely. Includes official Ledger resources and links for quick access.

1. What is Ledger Live? (h2)

Ledger Live is the official desktop and mobile application that connects to a Ledger hardware wallet to manage cryptocurrencies, NFTs, staking, and swaps. It keeps your private keys on the hardware device while letting you view balances and sign transactions from your computer or phone.

Quick benefits (h3)

  • Private keys stay on your Ledger device (cold storage).
  • Portfolio overview and transaction history.
  • Buy, swap and stake from within Ledger Live (where available).
  • App manager to install blockchain apps to your device.

2. Before you begin: safety checklist (h3)

  1. Buy only from the official store or authorized resellers.
  2. Never share your recovery phrase with anyone.
  3. Download Ledger Live only from the official site.
  4. Keep your device firmware and apps up to date.

Important warning (h4)

Ledger will never ask for your 24-word recovery phrase. If any interface asks for it, stop and treat it as a scam.

3. Install Ledger Live (h3)

Steps to get Ledger Live on your machine or phone:

  1. Visit the official download page linked in the resources panel.
  2. Choose your operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux) or mobile store.
  3. Run the installer and follow the on-screen setup wizard.

4. Set up your Ledger device (h3)

Follow Ledger Live's "Get started" flow to initialize your device (create a PIN, generate your recovery phrase). Write the recovery phrase on a physical backup and keep it offline.

Recovery best practices (h4)

  • Write your recovery phrase on the included recovery card or a steel backup.
  • Store copies in geographically separate, secure places.
  • Never keep a digital copy or photo of your recovery phrase.

5. Using Ledger Live day-to-day (h3)

Ledger Live provides a dashboard to check balances, send/receive crypto, and manage apps on your device. For sending transactions, the device will ask you to confirm details — always verify the recipient address and amount on the device screen.

Installing apps & adding accounts (h4)

  1. Open Ledger Live and go to Manager.
  2. Connect and unlock your device.
  3. Install the blockchain app (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum) onto the device.
  4. Add an account for that asset in Ledger Live.

6. Updates & troubleshooting (h3)

Firmware and app updates improve security and compatibility. Ledger Live will display update notifications; follow the instructions to update the device through the app.

Troubleshooting tips (h5)
  • Restart Ledger Live and reconnect the device if it’s not detected.
  • Check the official status page if network or service issues appear.
  • Contact Ledger Support for order or device-specific issues.

7. Extra features & learning (h3)

Explore Ledger Academy for guides and Ledger’s Developer Portal if you’re building apps or integrations.

Security extras (h4)

  • Use the Ledger Recovery Key & alternative steel backups.
  • Enable passphrase (advanced) for an extra account layer.
  • Use the Status Page to monitor service health.

8. Quick reference commands (h3)

# Example: Update flow (summary) 1. Open Ledger Live → My Ledger → Connect device 2. If prompted: Update Firmware & installed Apps 3. Confirm updates on device display

9. Final tips (h3)

Keep software and firmware updated, never disclose your recovery phrase, and buy devices only from official channels.