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Ledger Live Desktop Independent guide

Ledger Live Desktop setup, from unboxing to first transfer

Allow about half an hour and do it somewhere quiet. The order below matters: install the app first, initialise the device second, and only then add accounts. Skipping ahead is how people end up with a device they cannot restore.

  1. Before you start
  2. The eight steps
  3. System requirements
  4. Troubleshooting

Preparation

Before you start

  • A Ledger hardware wallet, ideally purchased directly from the official store so the supply chain is intact
  • A computer with a free USB port and a stable internet connection
  • The USB cable that came in the box — some cables charge only and cannot carry data
  • Pen and paper for the recovery phrase, or a metal backup plate
  • Ten quiet minutes with no one watching your screen

If anything in the box looks tampered with

Check the packaging, the seal and the contents. If a device ever arrives with a pre-written recovery phrase card, treat it as compromised and contact official support — a genuine wallet never ships with a phrase already generated.

Use your own computer

Set up on a machine you control and trust. Avoid shared, borrowed or heavily managed computers for the initial setup, where the recovery phrase is displayed for the only time.

The walkthrough

Eight steps, in order

  1. 1

    Download Ledger Live Desktop from the official site

    Open a browser and type the official address yourself rather than clicking a search result, an advert or a link sent to you. Pick the build for your operating system — Windows, macOS or Linux. Because this is the one file that will talk to your wallet, it is the single most attractive target for imitation.

    Open the official download page Check the domain before you open the file
  2. 2

    Install and open the application

    Run the installer the way you would install any desktop program. On macOS you may need to allow the app in System Settings; on Windows, accept the prompt from the publisher; on Linux, follow the package instructions for your distribution. When it opens for the first time, take a moment to set an application password — it locks the interface, not your funds, and it is worth having on a shared or portable machine.

  3. 3

    Initialise the hardware wallet

    Follow the on-screen prompts on the device itself. You will choose a PIN — four to eight digits — and the wallet will display a 24-word recovery phrase. Write it down by hand, in order, on the card provided or on paper you keep safe. Then confirm the words back to the device when asked.

    The phrase is the wallet

    Anyone who has those 24 words can move your funds from anywhere in the world, without your device and without your PIN. Do not photograph them, do not type them into a computer or phone, and never share them — not with support, not with this site, not ever.

  4. 4

    Connect the device to Ledger Live Desktop

    Unlock the wallet with its PIN and connect it with the supplied cable. The app should detect it within a few seconds and ask you to allow the connection; confirm on the device. On models with Bluetooth you can pair wirelessly instead, keeping the device unlocked during the pairing.

    If nothing appears, work through the troubleshooting list before reinstalling anything — nine times out of ten it is the cable, the port or the PIN lock.

  5. 5

    Add the accounts you actually use

    The app reads the accounts that belong to your device and offers them for you to add. Add only what you hold — a short, tidy list is easier to check. Give each account a name you will recognise later, especially if you keep separate accounts for personal and business use.

    Adding an account does not create anything on the blockchain and costs nothing; it is a local view of an address that already exists. Removing it later is just as free.

  6. 6

    Install the coin apps on the device

    Open the device section of Ledger Live Desktop and install the application for each network you use — the wallet has limited storage, so a handful at a time is normal. Install, check the balance appears correctly, then move on. Firmware updates also live here: run them from inside the app, with the device connected and unlocked.

  7. 7

    Receive a small test amount

    In the account you want to fund, choose to receive and let the app generate an address. Verify it on the device screen before you share it — the wallet showing the same address is your proof that the computer has not been tampered with. Send a small amount first, wait for it to confirm, and check that the balance and the transaction history both update.

  8. 8

    Make one small send, then you are done

    The last rehearsal is a transfer out. Pick a modest amount, paste the destination address, choose a fee, then check the amount and the address on the device screen before approving. Once that confirmation lands, you know the whole loop works: the app prepares, the device authorises, the network settles.

    Then stop and make a backup plan

    Confirm where your written phrase lives, that it is legible, and that a trusted person could find it if something happened to you. That single decision protects your family more than any app setting.

Compatibility

System requirements

Platform What to have ready
Windows A current 64-bit Windows release, a free USB port and permission to install desktop software
macOS A supported macOS version and permission to open an app from an identified developer
Linux A modern 64-bit distribution; USB access rules may need to be installed for the wallet to be detected
All platforms Roughly a few hundred megabytes of free disk space and a stable internet connection

Supported versions move with time. The official Ledger Live page always lists the current requirements for each operating system.

Good practice

Habits worth building now

  • Keep the app updated — but only through the app itself or an official download
  • Lock the wallet when you step away; the PIN is your first line of defence
  • Confirm every address on the device screen, no matter how small the amount
  • Store the recovery phrase separately from the device, in a place that survives fire or flood
  • Review the security guide once a year, and after any scare

When something goes wrong

Troubleshooting the common snags

None of these fixes require your recovery phrase. If a “solution” someone offers you involves typing those words somewhere, it is not a solution.

My device is not detected
Work through this in order: unlock the wallet with the PIN; use the cable that came in the box (some cables carry power only); try a different USB port, ideally straight into the computer rather than through a hub; close other apps that may be holding the device, such as a competing wallet or a phone app; and on Linux, make sure the udev rules for USB access are installed. Restarting both the app and the computer clears the remaining cases.
The balance looks wrong or out of date
Try a manual synchronisation first, then check an independent block explorer for the address to see what the network itself reports. A missing account is another common cause — the address may hold funds in an account you have not added yet. A stale figure is a display problem, never a loss of funds, because your holdings were never inside the app.
A coin app will not install — not enough space
The wallet holds only a few network apps at once. Remove the ones you are not actively using to free up room — removing an app from the device does not affect the assets it manages, and you can install it again whenever you need it.
A firmware update stopped part-way
Do not unplug the device. Restart the update from inside Ledger Live Desktop with the wallet connected and unlocked, and avoid letting the computer sleep during the process. If the device will not start afterwards, follow the official recovery-mode instructions from Ledger support — the recovery phrase is what restores access, and it works on a replacement device.
I think my computer has malware
Stop transacting from that machine. Malware can change an address in the clipboard, but it cannot approve a transaction on your device — so verify the destination on the wallet screen before every confirmation. Move to a clean computer, check the app you installed came from the official site, and consider creating a fresh wallet with a new recovery phrase and transferring your assets there, if you believe the phrase was exposed.
Where do I get real help?
The official support site is support.ledger.com, reached by typing the address yourself. Ignore unsolicited direct messages, “support agents” on social platforms and anyone offering remote access to your computer. Genuine help never requires your recovery phrase.

Get the installer from the official source

Every download link on this site points to the official Ledger website. We do not host, mirror or repackage the application — and you should be sceptical of anyone who does.

Official download Security guide