What Is Ledger Live?

Ledger Live is the desktop and mobile app you use with a Ledger hardware wallet. Since late 2025 it has been called Ledger Wallet: same app, new name (Ledger Support). You use it to set up your Ledger, install the app for each coin, check balances and send, receive, buy, swap or stake crypto. Your private keys stay on the Ledger device, and every transaction has to be approved on the device before it goes through.

Key Takeaways

• Ledger Live and Ledger Wallet are the same app. The name changed at Ledger’s Op3n event in October 2025.
• Download it only from ledger.com. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and on iOS and Android.
• Install a coin app (such as Bitcoin or Ethereum) on your device through My Ledger before you can receive that coin.
• Always check the address and amount on the Ledger screen before you approve a transaction.
• Your 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase is the real key. Never type it into a computer, phone or website.

Ledger Live vs Ledger Wallet: What Changed?

Ledger announced the new name at its Op3n event in Paris on 23 October 2025, alongside the Ledger Nano Gen5 (Ledger, October 2025). Ledger Support says the full name change reached Ledger Live Desktop and Ledger Live Mobile by 3 November 2025. Your accounts, balances and device set-up carry over, so if your app still says Ledger Live, update it from inside the app or from ledger.com.

The main additions Ledger listed with the rename were:

• Direct dApp connections: connect your Ledger to selected decentralised apps without a browser extension in the middle. 1inch was the first partner.
• Clear Signing and Transaction Check: the device screen shows what you are approving in readable form, rather than a code you cannot check.
• Cash-to-Stablecoin: a bank top-up feature run by a partner called Noah, launched for USD and EUR. Check whether it is offered in your region before relying on it.

What Is a Hardware Wallet?

A hardware wallet is a small physical device that stores the private keys to your crypto offline. It is for anyone holding crypto they would not want to lose to a hacked laptop or a failed exchange. It works by signing transactions inside the device: your computer or phone prepares the transaction, the device shows you the details, and nothing moves until you press the buttons to approve it. Ledger now calls its devices “signers”, but they do the same job.

If you are new to wallets, start with what a cryptocurrency wallet is and how cryptocurrency is stored.

How to Download and Set Up Ledger Live

	Desktop	Mobile
Operating systems	Windows, macOS, Linux	iOS, Android
Where to download	ledger.com	App Store or Google Play, via the links on ledger.com
How the device connects	USB cable	Bluetooth on Bluetooth-enabled Ledger devices, or USB cable on Android

1. Type ledger.com into your browser yourself. Do not click search ads or links in emails, because fake Ledger apps are a common scam.
2. Download Ledger Wallet for your computer or phone and install it.
3. Open the app and choose whether you are setting up a new device or connecting one you already use, then follow the prompts.
4. Set a PIN on the device. For a new device, write the 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase on the card provided and store it somewhere safe and offline.
5. Let the app check that your device is genuine and update the firmware if asked.

Ledger will never ask for your recovery phrase. If any app, website, email or “support” person asks for it, it is a scam.

How to Install Apps on Your Ledger (My Ledger)

Before you can receive a coin, its app has to be installed on the device. Think of it like installing an app on your phone.

1. Open Ledger Wallet and select My Ledger.
2. Connect and unlock your device with your PIN, then allow the secure connection on the device screen.
3. Search the app catalogue for the coin, for example Bitcoin or Ethereum, and select Install.
4. Go to Accounts and add an account for that coin.

The Ethereum app also covers tokens that live on Ethereum, so you do not need a separate app for each of those tokens.

How to Receive and Send Crypto With Ledger Live

Receive

1. Select Receive and choose the account.
2. Connect and unlock your device and open the matching coin app.
3. Check that the address on the device screen matches the address in the app, then copy it.
4. If you are moving coins from an exchange, send a small test amount first and confirm it arrives.

Send

1. Select Send, choose the account and paste the destination address.
2. Enter the amount and choose a network fee.
3. Review the address, amount and fee on the Ledger screen. With Clear Signing the details are shown in readable form.
4. Approve on the device only if everything matches.

Staking With Ledger Live

Ledger Wallet offers staking for assets including Ethereum, Solana and selected stablecoins through third-party providers (Ledger). Your coins stay in your own wallet and each staking transaction is approved on the device. Reward rates, lock-up periods and unbonding times are set by each network and provider, and rewards are not guaranteed. Read our guide to staking cryptocurrency before you start.

Using Your Ledger as a Security Key

Your Ledger can also act as a physical security key for logins. Ledger’s Security Key app supports passkeys and two-factor authentication on services that accept FIDO2 security keys (Ledger Support). Install it from My Ledger like any other app. Older FIDO U2F registrations are not compatible, so register the key again on each service. Learn more in what is two-factor authentication (2FA).

Ledger Live Security Checklist

• Buy Ledger devices from Ledger or an authorised reseller, and set them up yourself.
• Keep the recovery phrase on paper or metal, offline, and never photograph it.
• Keep Ledger Wallet and the device firmware up to date.
• Check every address on the device screen, not just on your computer.
• Be wary of tokens or NFTs you did not buy. Do not visit links attached to them.

Where a Hardware Wallet Fits in a Crypto Plan

Storage is a planning decision, not an afterthought. In the SHIFT Method, step two is “Hold Bitcoin as your core”, which includes deciding in advance how you will hold it and where it is kept. Our free crypto investing guides cover wallets, security and the order to learn things in.

Want the key facts about Collective Shift in one place? See our Collective Shift facts page, or browse more guides in Collective Shift Insights.

General information only. Collective Shift provides research and education, not personal financial advice. We don’t manage your money or hold your crypto. Consider your own circumstances and speak with a licensed adviser and a registered tax agent before acting. Digital assets are volatile and you can lose money. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. Third-party products are named for education only; Collective Shift does not endorse them and they can change their features at any time.