Ledger.com/Start® | Getting Started™ | Ledger®

Purchase your Ledger hardware wallet through Ledger or an authorized seller, and inspect the package when it arrives. A genuine device should be initialized by you; it should never arrive with a pre-filled recovery phrase. If a card, seller, website, or message gives you a phrase or asks you to reveal yours, stop. Your 24-word recovery phrase is the backup to your wallet and must remain private, offline, and in your control. Ledger support will never need it.

Use a computer or phone you trust, connect the device using the instructions supplied with your model, and follow the on-device prompts. Choose a PIN directly on the device. Write down the recovery words in the exact order shown and store that backup somewhere secure and private. Never photograph, email, type, or copy it into a website, chat, or cloud document.

Ledger Live is the companion application for managing supported accounts, checking portfolio information, and reviewing transactions. For a Ledger Live App Download, navigate to Ledger’s official website by typing the address yourself and use its download page: ledger.com/ledger-live. Select the version for your operating system and verify that the publisher and source are legitimate before installing. Avoid sponsored search results, unsolicited download links, and lookalike domains.

Open Ledger Live and follow its in-app setup prompts to connect or pair your device. The app can help you check device authenticity and install updates. Keep both the application and device firmware current, but only accept updates presented through the genuine Ledger software and verify instructions on the device screen. A so-called Ledger Live Login is not a reason to enter recovery words: never type your phrase into an app, browser, support form, or website.

Once setup is complete, use Ledger Live to add accounts for the networks and assets you actually use. The steps vary by asset, and availability can change, so check the current in-app guidance. Before receiving funds, confirm the selected account and network, then compare the address shown in Ledger Live with the address displayed on the hardware wallet itself. Approve only when the details match and make sense to you.

Sending requires the same care. Review the destination, network, and amount on the device screen before confirming. Transactions can be irreversible, and network fees or service terms may apply. A Ledger device does not remove market, software, or user risk; it provides a way to keep private keys offline and authorize actions. Keep a small test transaction in mind when learning an unfamiliar network.

Ledger Live Desktop is the desktop companion for supported workflows, while the mobile app is useful when managing accounts on a phone. Some people search for a Ledger Wallet Extension when connecting to web-based services. Browser compatibility, supported assets, and available extensions can change—do not install an extension based only on its name, an advertisement, or a direct message. Start from Ledger’s official website and follow its current compatibility instructions. Never enter a recovery phrase into a browser extension.

For the safest Ledger.com start, bookmark the official site, keep your recovery backup offline, and pause whenever a prompt feels urgent or unexpected. A legitimate setup should never ask you to share your phrase to activate, synchronize, validate, or restore a wallet online. When in doubt, disconnect and independently navigate to official support resources rather than following a message link.