Welcome! This guide walks you through setting up your Ledger hardware wallet safely, connecting to Ledger Live (desktop or mobile), creating or restoring an account, and following security best practices. Read each step carefully — hardware wallets provide strong protection, but they only work if set up correctly.
Only purchase Ledger devices from the official store or an authorized reseller. When you unbox, check the tamper-evidence seal and packaging. Ledger devices ship with a recovery sheet — never store the sheet and device together.
If packaging looks damaged or tampered with, contact Ledger Support before proceeding.
Download Ledger Live only from https://www.ledger.com/start or the official app store. Ledger Live lets you manage apps, accounts and firmware. Choose the desktop or mobile version depending on your preference.
Do not install Ledger Live from third-party websites; verify the URL and certificate in your browser.
Power on the device, select "Set up as new device" if you are creating a new wallet, or choose "Restore from recovery phrase" if you already have one. Choose a secure PIN (6+ digits) and memorize it — do not store the PIN on your computer or phone.
Your device will generate a 24-word recovery phrase (sometimes 12 or 18 — follow device prompts). Write it on the provided recovery sheet, in order. This phrase is the only backup of your wallet — anyone with it can access your funds.
Never store your recovery phrase digitally (photos, cloud storage, text files). Consider multiple physical backups stored in separate secure locations.
Open Ledger Live and go to Manager. Connect your device and approve the connection on the device. Install the official apps for the blockchains you plan to use (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.).
In Ledger Live, go to Accounts > Add account, choose a currency and follow the prompts. Ledger Live will query the blockchain and add your existing addresses and balances after device confirmation.
Before sending large amounts, send a small test transaction to confirm everything works as expected. Always verify addresses on the device screen before approving transactions.
Hardware wallets like Ledger isolate private keys from your computer and phone. That significantly reduces risk from malware and phishing. Still, attackers try to trick users. Follow these concrete practices to keep funds safe:
Ledger integrates with many wallets and DeFi platforms — such as MetaMask, WalletConnect-enabled apps, and exchange withdrawal flows. When connecting Ledger to third-party services:
A: If you have your 24-word recovery phrase, buy another Ledger (or compatible hardware wallet) and use the "Restore from recovery phrase" option during setup. If you lost both the device and the phrase, funds cannot be recovered.
A: Ledger Live requires an internet connection to sync account balances and broadcast transactions. The Ledger device itself keeps private keys offline while signing transactions locally.
A: The recovery phrase is a deterministic seed created by your device. You cannot change it — to move to a different phrase you must create a new wallet and transfer funds to it. If you use a passphrase feature, that acts as an additional secret layer.
For power users: the passphrase (also called 25th word) creates separate hidden wallets derived from the same recovery phrase. It offers strong protection if properly managed, but losing the passphrase will make those hidden wallets inaccessible.
Consider a split-backup or multisig approach for large holdings — storing full control across multiple devices/people reduces single-point-of-failure risk.
Try a different USB cable, a different computer USB port, or power source. If still unresponsive, contact Ledger Support with photos and device serial number (if available).
Make sure you are running the latest Ledger Live version. Reconnect the device, allow the computer to install device drivers, and check firewall/antivirus settings that may block the app.