Download Ledger Live
Ledger Live is the free companion application for Ledger hardware wallets, and installing it is usually the first thing a new owner does after opening the box. This page covers that single step in depth: where the Ledger Live installer legitimately comes from, which operating systems it runs on, how the installation behaves on each of them, and how to prove that the copy of Ledger Live now sitting in your downloads folder is the real one.
Downloading Ledger Live is not like downloading a media player. Attackers have a direct financial incentive to distribute a modified build, so treat the download as a three-part security operation: obtain the file from the official channel, confirm its signature or checksum, then let the hardware wallet confirm it is talking to an authentic copy of Ledger Live. Each part is explained below, with the exact commands where they help.
One rule holds on every platform and in every version. Ledger Live never asks for your 24-word recovery phrase, not during installation, not during setup, not while restoring an account list. No release of Ledger Live has ever needed those words, so any download, page, chat message, or pop-up that requests them is an attack, however convincing the branding looks.
What the Ledger Live download actually contains
It helps to know what Ledger Live is before you install it. Ledger Live is an interface, not a place where coins are kept and not a place where private keys are stored. Keys stay inside the hardware wallet and never enter Ledger Live on your computer or phone. What Ledger Live does is read public data from blockchains, build unsigned transactions, hand them to the device for approval on its own screen, and broadcast whatever comes back signed. If you want the underlying concept, the general description of a cryptocurrency wallet on Wikipedia covers the split between key storage and interface well.
A single installer gives you several tools at once. There is a portfolio view that aggregates balances across accounts, per-asset account pages with full transaction history, send and receive flows with address confirmation on the device, and a manager that installs or removes the individual coin applications living on the wallet itself. The same manager delivers firmware updates. Ledger Live also fronts optional third-party services for buying, swapping, and staking, each labelled with its provider name, and none of them are required to use the app as a plain wallet interface.
One download covers the whole hardware range. The desktop and mobile builds of Ledger Live talk to Nano S Plus, Nano X, Flex, and Stax, as well as the older Nano S, so there is no device-specific installer to hunt for. The same Ledger Live package serves every model. What changes between devices is the connection method and how much application storage the device has, not the software you put on your machine.
Where Ledger Live is published for each platform
Ledger Live ships as two products built from one codebase: a desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and a mobile application for iOS and Android. Desktop builds of Ledger Live are distributed from the download page on Ledger's own website. Mobile builds of Ledger Live are distributed only through the Apple App Store and Google Play, which matters for one reason: those stores insert a signing and review layer between the developer and your device.
Hardware requirements are modest. Ledger publishes the current minimum operating system versions next to each Ledger Live build rather than freezing them in a specification, because they shift as old releases age out of support. The practical rule: a 64-bit machine running an operating system that still receives security patches will run Ledger Live comfortably. Anything older is a poor host for a wallet interface regardless of what the installer accepts.
| Platform | Official channel | Package | Device link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Ledger download page | Signed .exe installer | USB |
| macOS | Ledger download page | Notarized .dmg image | USB |
| Linux | Ledger download page | AppImage (x86_64) | USB + udev rule |
| iOS | Apple App Store | Store package | Bluetooth only |
| Android | Google Play | Store package | Bluetooth or USB-C / OTG |
There is no fifth channel. Ledger Live is not published to third-party download aggregators, not distributed as a browser extension, and not handed out as an attachment by support staff. If a source is not in the table above, it is not a source.
Installing Ledger Live on desktop
The download page detects your operating system and offers the matching build of Ledger Live. If the detection is wrong, which happens on unusual browser configurations, pick the platform manually rather than accepting a file whose extension does not belong to your system. The three Ledger Live installs differ enough to be worth describing separately.
Windows
Windows receives a signed Ledger Live executable installer. Run it, accept the User Account Control prompt, and Ledger Live installs into your user profile, adds a Start menu entry, and offers to launch immediately. SmartScreen sometimes shows a reputation warning on a freshly published version. Before clicking past it, open the file's Properties, look at the Digital Signatures tab, and confirm that the publisher is Ledger. A missing signature, or one naming anybody else, means the file goes straight to the recycle bin.
No separate driver is needed. Windows handles USB access natively, so a wallet plugged into a rear port with a data-capable cable is normally recognised at once. When Ledger Live cannot see the device, the cause is almost always a charge-only cable, an unpowered hub, or another wallet application holding the USB interface open in the background.
macOS
macOS gets a disk image. Open the .dmg, drag the Ledger Live icon into the Applications folder, then eject the image and delete it. Because official builds are signed with a Ledger developer identity and notarized by Apple, the first launch should proceed without a Gatekeeper block. A warning that the application comes from an unidentified developer is a strong signal that what you have is not a genuine Ledger Live release.
Both Apple silicon and Intel Macs are supported, and the Ledger Live download page serves the build appropriate to your processor. Choosing manually only matters if you are moving the installer to a different machine than the one you downloaded it on.
Linux
Linux builds of Ledger Live are distributed as an AppImage, a single self-contained file that needs no package manager and no root install. Mark it executable with chmod +x and run it. Nothing is written outside your home directory, which makes Ledger Live easy to move, back up, or delete cleanly.
One extra step is required for the device to appear: a udev rule granting your user account access to the wallet's USB interface. Ledger publishes a script that installs those rules; run it once with administrator rights, unplug and replug the device, and restart the application. Skipping it produces the classic Linux symptom where Ledger Live starts normally but never detects any hardware at all.
Downloading Ledger Live on iPhone and Android
Downloading Ledger Live on mobile is simpler and, in one specific way, safer, because the stores act as gatekeepers. Search for Ledger Live in the App Store or Google Play, confirm that the developer name is Ledger, and glance at the review count and install base before tapping. Counterfeit wallet apps do occasionally slip into both stores, and they share a profile: a listing created recently, a handful of reviews, and a name that is subtly off. Getting to Ledger Live through a link in a message rather than a store search is the habit worth breaking.
iOS
On iPhone, Ledger Live connects over Bluetooth to the wireless models, which currently means Nano X, Flex, and Stax. Grant the Bluetooth permission on first launch, because without it the app cannot discover or pair with anything. The wired-only models cannot be used with the iOS build of Ledger Live, since iOS does not expose the direct USB path those wallets rely on. If you own a wired device, plan on doing setup and device management from a computer.
Android
Android supports both routes into Ledger Live. Bluetooth pairing works with the wireless models, and a USB-C or OTG cable connects a wired wallet directly to the handset. The first time you plug in, Android asks for permission to access the attached USB accessory; Ledger Live cannot enumerate the wallet until that prompt is accepted, and dismissing it accidentally is a common reason the device seems invisible afterwards.
Do not sideload an APK. A Ledger Live package offered outside Google Play, in a chat group, on a forum, in an email, or by someone claiming to be support, is not Ledger Live. On Android the store signature is the main thing standing between you and a repackaged build, and installing from an unknown source removes it entirely.
Verifying that your Ledger Live download is genuine
Three independent checks exist for a Ledger Live download, and they catch different failures. A signature check proves who built the file. A checksum proves the file did not change between the server and your disk. The device genuine check proves that the running copy of Ledger Live is speaking to authentic Ledger hardware over an authenticated channel. Doing all three takes a couple of minutes and only needs to happen once per download.
Signatures
Every official desktop build of Ledger Live is code-signed: Authenticode on Windows, an Apple Developer ID plus notarization on macOS. Your operating system already checks these quietly at launch, which is why an unsigned counterfeit tends to trigger a warning dialog. You can also inspect them yourself, and on macOS the two commands below report the signing authority and the notarization verdict directly.
# macOS / inspect signature and notarization
codesign --verify --deep --strict --verbose=2 "/Applications/Ledger Live.app"
spctl --assess --type execute --verbose "/Applications/Ledger Live.app"Checksums
If a digest is published alongside the release, compute the hash of the file you received and compare it with the published value. Replace the bracketed placeholders with the actual version string and architecture of the installer you downloaded.
# macOS
shasum -a 512 ~/Downloads/ledger-live-desktop-[version]-mac.dmg
# Linux
sha512sum ./ledger-live-desktop-[version]-linux-x86_64.AppImage
# Windows / PowerShell
Get-FileHash .\ledger-live-desktop-[version]-win-x64.exe -Algorithm SHA512Compare the whole string, not the first six characters. If the digests differ by so much as one character, delete the file, clear the browser cache, and download Ledger Live again over a network you control. A mismatch is more often a truncated download than an attack, but the correct response is identical either way.
The device genuine check
The final check happens inside the application. The first time you connect a wallet, Ledger Live runs a genuine check in which the device proves cryptographically that its secure chip was issued by Ledger. This does not verify the software on its own, but the combination is hard to fake: a counterfeit device fails the check, and a counterfeit copy of Ledger Live cannot produce a valid result out of thin air. Treat a failed genuine check as a full stop, not a glitch to retry.
For anyone who wants to go further, the source code behind Ledger Live is published in a public repository, so both the desktop and the mobile versions of Ledger Live can be read, audited by third parties, and built from source by developers who prefer to compile their own binary rather than trust a distributed one.
How fake Ledger Live downloads reach people
Single point of failure
Every counterfeit Ledger Live build has the same goal: getting your 24-word recovery phrase typed into a computer. Ledger Live has no feature that requires it. If a screen asks, the software is fake, the session is over, and any wallet whose phrase was entered must be treated as compromised.
Almost every fake arrives through one of four routes: a paid search advertisement sitting above the genuine result, an email announcing a mandatory update, an impersonator in a social or support channel, or a link buried in a forum thread. The counterfeit Ledger Live build itself looks convincing, down to the loading animation and the icon, and at some point during setup it asks for the recovery phrase. That request is the entire operation.
Search advertising is the most common vector, because typing a product name and clicking the first result is a nearly universal habit. Reach the Ledger Live download page by typing the official domain into the address bar yourself, or from a bookmark you saved during a session you had already verified. Scroll past sponsored results as a matter of routine.
Email is second. No legitimate update to Ledger Live arrives as an attachment or as a direct download link in a message you did not request, and Ledger Live updates are never urgent in the way phishing claims they are. Contact-data leaks are widespread in this industry, so an email that spells your name correctly and knows you own a hardware wallet proves nothing whatsoever about who sent it.
// red_flags
- Any prompt to type, import, or restore a 24-word phrase into Ledger Live
- A download link received by email, direct message, or ad rather than typed by you
- An installer whose digital signature is absent or names an unfamiliar publisher
- A domain with extra words, hyphens, or a different suffix around the brand name
- A support agent who contacts you first and offers to walk you through an install
- An APK, a browser extension, or a Ledger Live clone on a third-party download portal
Updating, reinstalling, and removing Ledger Live
After the first Ledger Live install, you rarely download anything again by hand. Ledger Live checks for a newer version when it starts and prompts you when one is available. On desktop the update is fetched inside the application and applied on restart, which conveniently keeps you off the open web for routine upgrades. On mobile the App Store and Google Play handle it, automatically if you have that setting enabled.
Reinstalling Ledger Live is not risky, and this surprises people. Removing Ledger Live deletes an interface and a local cache, not your funds, because the keys never left the hardware wallet in the first place. After a clean install, connect the device, add your accounts again, and balances plus full transaction history are rebuilt from the blockchains themselves. The same logic applies when you move to a new computer: install Ledger Live there and reconnect, no export or transfer required.
A standard uninstall of Ledger Live leaves the application data directory behind, which holds account names, display preferences, and any custom node settings. If you want a genuinely clean slate, or you are troubleshooting a corrupted profile, delete that folder too. Just be aware that you will be renaming accounts and reapplying settings afterwards, since none of that is stored on the device.
Common problems when installing Ledger Live
Most Ledger Live installation issues fall into a short list, and nearly all of them are cable, permission, or file-integrity problems rather than anything wrong with the application itself. Work through the likely cause below before reaching for a reinstall of Ledger Live.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|
| App runs, device never appears | Charge-only cable, hub, or missing udev rule | Use a data cable direct to the machine; on Linux install the udev rules |
| SmartScreen or Gatekeeper blocks the file | Altered build, or a very new release with low reputation | Inspect the signature; if the publisher is not Ledger, delete the file |
| Installer will not open at all | Truncated or interrupted download | Download Ledger Live again and compare the checksum before running |
| Portfolio empty after reinstall | Accounts not yet re-added to the new profile | Connect the wallet and add accounts; history resyncs from the chain |
| Bluetooth pairing fails on mobile | Permission denied or a stale pairing record | Grant Bluetooth access, forget the device in system settings, pair again |
| Something asks for your 24 words | Counterfeit build, not Ledger Live | Stop immediately, remove the software, move funds if the phrase was entered |
If none of these apply, close Ledger Live completely, restart the machine, and try again with the device unplugged until the application has finished loading. Persistent detection failures after a clean Ledger Live install are usually caused by another program competing for the same USB interface.
Desktop or mobile, which Ledger Live build to install first
You can run both builds of Ledger Live, and many owners do. The question is only where to start. Initial setup, device application management, and firmware work are generally more comfortable on a large screen with a wired connection, while the phone earns its place afterwards for quick checks and receiving.
| Criterion | Ledger Live desktop | Ledger Live mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Source of the file | Official download page, verified by you | App Store or Google Play signing chain |
| Device connection | USB cable, all models | Bluetooth models; USB-C or OTG on Android |
| Manual integrity check | Signature and checksum verifiable by hand | Delegated to the store review and signing |
| Update mechanism | In-app updater, applied on restart | Store updates, optionally automatic |
| Best suited to | Setup, device app management, long sessions | Balance checks, receiving, sends while away |
Both builds read the same blockchains and require the same physical confirmation on the device screen, so nothing about your security model changes when you install Ledger Live in a second place. Accounts added on one copy of Ledger Live do not appear automatically on the other unless you enable synchronisation, but re-adding them by connecting the wallet takes a minute.
Getting Ledger Live running, step by step
Follow the order below. It is deliberate: every step before the last one exists so that the moment you finally connect your hardware wallet, the software it meets is the Ledger Live that Ledger actually built.
-
step 01
Type the official address yourself
Open a new tab and enter Ledger's domain by hand, or use a bookmark to the Ledger Live download page that you saved earlier. Do not arrive from an advertisement, an email, or a search result you have not read carefully.
-
step 02
Pick your platform and download
Choose the Ledger Live desktop build for your operating system, or open the App Store or Google Play listing for the mobile version. Check that the file extension matches the platform you are on before saving it.
-
step 03
Verify before you run
On desktop, inspect the digital signature on your Ledger Live installer and, if a digest is published, compare the checksum. Two minutes here is the cheapest security you will ever buy.
-
step 04
Install and launch
Run the installer or drag the app into place, then open Ledger Live and allow the permissions it asks for, which on mobile means Bluetooth and, on Android with a cable, USB accessory access.
-
step 05
Connect the device and add accounts
Plug in or pair your wallet, unlock it with the PIN, and let Ledger Live run the genuine check. Once it passes, add your accounts and let the portfolio sync. At no point in this sequence should Ledger Live ask for your 24 words.
Frequently asked questions about downloading Ledger Live
Is Ledger Live free to download?
Yes. Ledger Live costs nothing on any platform, and there is no subscription or paid tier for the wallet functions. Optional services inside Ledger Live, such as buying or swapping through third-party providers, carry their own fees from those providers, and network fees are always paid to the blockchain rather than to the application.
Do I have to use Ledger Live with my device?
Third-party wallets can connect to Ledger hardware for day-to-day transactions, but Ledger Live is the official interface and the one that handles firmware updates and the installation of device applications. Most owners install Ledger Live even if they spend most of their time in another wallet.
Can I install Ledger Live on more than one computer?
Yes, and there is no license or activation limit. Install Ledger Live on as many machines as you like; each one holds only local settings and a cache. Security depends on the hardware wallet and its PIN, not on how many copies of the software exist.
Does it work without an internet connection?
Only partly. Ledger Live will open offline, but Ledger Live cannot fetch balances, refresh history, or broadcast a signed transaction without network access, since all of that comes from blockchain nodes. Downloading and installing the application obviously requires a connection too.
What happens to my crypto if I delete the app?
Nothing. Assets live on their blockchains and are controlled by keys inside the device, so uninstalling Ledger Live removes only the viewer. Reinstall Ledger Live later, connect the wallet, re-add your accounts, and everything reappears exactly as it was.
Can I download it before my device arrives?
You can. Ledger Live installs and opens without any hardware attached, which is a reasonable way to look around the interface in advance. Almost every meaningful action, from adding an account to signing a transaction, waits until a wallet is connected and unlocked.
How can I be sure I downloaded the real Ledger Live?
Combine the checks rather than relying on one. The file came from an address you typed yourself, its digital signature names Ledger as the publisher, its checksum matches the published digest, and the connected device passes the genuine check on first launch. If all four hold, you have a genuine copy of Ledger Live. If any one of them fails, or if anything at all asks for your 24-word recovery phrase, delete it and download Ledger Live again from the official channel.