Ledger Live® is the official companion application for Ledger hardware wallets. It helps you initialize your device, manage multiple cryptocurrency accounts, install coin-specific apps, check balances and portfolio performance, and securely sign transactions — always requiring physical confirmation on your Ledger device. This page explains why Ledger Live exists, how it works, how to install and troubleshoot it, and best practices to keep your digital assets safe.
Your private keys stay on the Ledger device. Ledger Live prepares transactions but requires confirmation directly on the hardware; that means malware on your computer cannot sign a transaction without your explicit approval.
Ledger devices support many blockchains through modular apps. In Ledger Live's Manager, install only the apps you need (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, etc.), keeping the device lean and secure.
Track balances across accounts, view historical portfolio performance, and check market prices — all in a single, privacy-respecting interface that never exposes your private keys.
Ledger Live acts as a secure, user-friendly layer between you and the blockchain. It handles account management, transaction construction, app management for the device, and portfolio tracking. Crucially, the only place private keys exist is inside the secure element of the Ledger hardware — a tamper-resistant chip with strong protections. When you perform a transaction, Ledger Live sends a prepared transaction to the device and the device displays a human-readable summary (addresses, amounts, fees). You must confirm this summary on the device for the transaction to be signed. This physical confirmation step dramatically reduces the risk of remote compromise.
Ledger Live builds the unsigned transaction and shows the details.
The Ledger device displays and requires manual confirmation for the transaction.
Once signed, Ledger Live broadcasts the transaction to the network and updates your account balance.
Use only official downloads from Ledger.com/start. Do not follow links from unsolicited emails or social media posts. Below are concise installation and initialization steps for desktop and mobile.
Ledger Live greatly reduces risk, but security is a combination of hardware, software and user behavior. The single most important element is your recovery phrase (the 24-word seed): anyone with this phrase can restore and control your funds. Treat it as the highest-value secret you own.
Ledger Live will never ask for your recovery phrase. Official recovery only occurs on the device itself. If anyone or any website asks for your seed phrase, it is a scam — stop immediately.
Always verify that the receiving address shown in Ledger Live matches the address displayed on your Ledger device. This prevents malware from substituting addresses on the host computer.
Only update firmware and apps through Ledger Live or official instructions. Firmware updates are signed and provide important security fixes; installing from unofficial sources can be dangerous.
If you suspect your recovery phrase was exposed or photographed, move funds immediately to a new wallet created with a new device and a freshly generated recovery phrase. Do this on a trusted computer and avoid entering recovery data into any online form or app other than the one used to restore on a hardware device.
Ledger Live supports advanced users with features such as optional passphrases (BIP39 passphrase) and multiple account management. These features provide extra security or organizational flexibility but also increase responsibility — mistakes can be irreversible.
A passphrase is an additional secret combined with your recovery phrase to derive a different wallet. This enables hidden wallets and plausible deniability but introduces the risk that if you forget the passphrase, you permanently lose access to those funds. Use passphrases only if you understand the trade-offs and have a reliable, secure method to store them.
Ledger Live allows you to add multiple accounts for the same coin (useful for segregating funds) and manage multiple cryptocurrencies in one app. Install only required apps on the device to avoid running out of space. If you need more apps than the device supports simultaneously, you can uninstall apps without losing funds — the recovery phrase still controls the accounts.
Try a different USB cable or port; avoid hubs. On macOS, check System Preferences → Security & Privacy for any blocked helper. On Linux, ensure udev rules are installed and reloaded: sudo udevadm control --reload-rules && sudo udevadm trigger. On Windows, try running Ledger Live as Administrator.
Ensure Ledger Live and device firmware are up to date. Reconnect the device, reopen Ledger Live, and retry. If persistent, collect logs from the Help → Support section and contact official support. Never follow troubleshooting instructions from unknown sources that request your recovery phrase.
Pending transactions can appear due to network congestion or low fees. Ledger Live shows transaction status but cannot accelerate a transaction directly — consult the receiving network's options (replace-by-fee, if supported) or contact the recipient if needed.
Developers building integrations that support Ledger devices should use official libraries and transports (WebUSB, WebHID, WebSocket-to-USB connectors, Bluetooth where applicable). Never ask users for private keys or recovery phrases; request only the minimum authorizations needed and always present clear human-readable transaction details that users must confirm on their device. Test extensively on testnets and follow best practices for transaction construction and signature verification.
WebHID and WebUSB are common for browser-based integrations. For desktop apps, native USB libraries can be used. Mobile integrations generally use Bluetooth (for supported devices) or OTG. Consider fallback flows and clear error messages for missing permissions.
For articles, videos and direct support, visit Ledger’s official support pages. If you believe you are being targeted by a scam, stop and contact official support. Never follow instructions from unknown callers or websites that request your recovery phrase.