A friendly, practical walkthrough to log in, protect, and begin using Ledger Live alongside your Ledger hardware device.
Ledger Live is Ledger's official application (desktop and mobile) that lets you securely manage cryptocurrency accounts when paired with a Ledger hardware device. It provides portfolio overview, send/receive, staking, swap integrations, and connections to supported third‑party services.
Official pages: Ledger.com • Ledger Live • Start guide.
Always verify installation files using Ledger's published signatures and checksums when prompted. See Ledger's binary signatures info on the official site for guidance.
Go to the official download page (Ledger Live download) and choose the correct installer for your operating system (macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android). Open the installer and follow on-screen steps.
On first run, Ledger Live presents a clear onboarding flow. Choose your Ledger device model and select whether you are setting up a new device or restoring an existing wallet using your recovery phrase.
Connect the Ledger device to your computer or phone using the official cable; enter your PIN on the device itself to unlock. Ledger Live will guide you through installing the Ledger app(s) required for the cryptocurrencies you want to manage.
Ledger Live has a local app authentication and your Ledger hardware requires a PIN. You don’t ever enter your recovery phrase into Ledger Live — instead you unlock with PIN and confirm transactions on the physical device.
Ledger Live may ask you to unlock the local app or to connect your device. Treat any unexpected prompt for the recovery phrase as a phishing attempt and disconnect immediately.
From Ledger Live's Accounts tab you can add crypto accounts (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.). Ledger Live supports many assets — check the full list of supported coins on Ledger's site: Supported crypto assets.
Ledger Live shows a consolidated portfolio and supports viewing NFTs. For advanced interactions (marketplaces, DeFi), use Ledger Live together with trusted third‑party integrations.
Ledger publishes guidance and alerts on support and academy pages. If something looks suspicious, consult Ledger Support: Ledger Support.
If Ledger Live fails to detect your device, try a different USB cable/port and ensure your OS drivers are up to date. Use the official support articles for step-by-step fixes: Getting started with Ledger Live.
Advanced users can verify the Ledger Live binary using the published SHA512 signatures. See Ledger's download & signature guidance on their site.
ledger.com.