Welcome to the Developer Portal guide for Ledger® Live Wallet. This article will walk you through everything from installation and initial configuration to developer tools, security best practices, and how to integrate Ledger with your apps. The content is structured with semantic headings (H1–H5) so you can quickly scan and jump to the parts you need.
Ledger® Live Wallet is a secure application for managing crypto assets paired with Ledger hardware devices (the Nano series and others). It’s the official desktop and mobile companion that enables you to check balances, send and receive assets, install third‑party apps on devices, and connect to decentralized applications.
Building with Ledger means you can offer users a strong device‑backed security model: private keys never leave the hardware, reducing attack surface while enabling standard UX for sending, receiving, and dApps connection flows.
Most modern Windows, macOS, and Linux machines are supported. Mobile installs are available on iOS and Android through official stores. Your Ledger device should be up to date with the latest firmware for compatibility.
Visit the official Ledger® Live download page and choose the right package for your OS. Run the installer and open Ledger Live for the first time.
Connect your Ledger device via USB or Bluetooth (if supported), then follow on‑screen prompts. Choose Set up as new device or Restore from recovery phrase if you already have one.
Ledger devices provide a 24‑word recovery phrase. Write it down—this is the only backup for your private keys. Never store it digitally or share it.
Ledger will never ask for your 24‑word phrase via email, chat, or any web page. Treat your recovery phrase as the single most important secret.
The whole point of Ledger is that private keys are generated and stay on the hardware. When designing apps that integrate with Ledger, always rely on its signing capabilities rather than exporting or duplicating keys.
Clear onboarding and frequent in‑product reminders reduce user mistakes: emphasize never sharing recovery words, verifying addresses on the device screen, and using only official apps.
If you’re implementing Ledger support, use the official SDKs and follow recommended signing flows. Avoid creating custom cryptographic wrappers unless absolutely necessary — standardized flows are audited and tested.
The Developer Portal provides SDKs, API references, integration examples, and best practices for connecting your application to Ledger devices and Ledger Live. It typically hosts JavaScript libraries (for web dApps), mobile SDKs, and CLI tools for advanced workflows.
Common tools include a JavaScript SDK that handles device discovery, APDU commands for device communication, and helpers for transaction serialization. Example projects demonstrate how to request a signature, verify responses, and present users with on‑device confirm screens.
Keep UX flows predictable: inform users when they'll need to confirm on device, show clear address checksums, and implement graceful fallbacks if the device disconnects mid‑flow.
If you’re building a wallet UI, Ledger enables you to delegate signing tasks to the device while keeping private key handling off your servers. That dramatically reduces regulatory and security burden.
Enterprises should treat hardware wallets as a root of trust for signing operations. Ledger devices can be used in multi‑sig setups, HSM hybrid architectures, and for manual approval workflows.
For dApps, the Ledger + Ledger Live flow usually provides a bridge between the browser and device. Provide explicit instructions for users and test across browsers that support device connectivity (Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium browsers often have the broadest support).
Device not detected: check cables, drivers, and browser permissions. Try a different USB port or cable. For Bluetooth, ensure the device isn’t paired to another app.
App installation failed: free up space on the device by uninstalling rarely used blockchain apps and try again.
If you lose your device, your 24‑word recovery phrase is the only way to restore funds. There are professional services that can assist with recovery if you legitimately lost the phrase or its order; always verify their credentials and never give the phrase to anyone.
Use the official support and community channels for guidance. Avoid unofficial tools that ask for full recovery phrases.
The snippet below shows a simplified example of how a web dApp could request an address from a Ledger device using a JavaScript SDK. Replace placeholder library calls with the official SDK methods from the Developer Portal.
// simplified pseudo‑code (replace with official SDK methods)
async function requestAddress(transport, accountIndex){
// create app instance for the chain (e.g., Ethereum)
const eth = new LedgerEthApp(transport);
// derive path for account
const path = `44'/60'/${accountIndex}'/0/0`;
const result = await eth.getAddress(path, false, true);
// result.address should be shown to user and verified on device
return result.address;
}
Below are ten official resources you can consult for downloads, SDKs, support, and developer documentation. Click any link to open the official pages.
Note: always verify the URL in your browser's address bar before downloading or entering sensitive information.
Ledger® Live Wallet combined with Ledger hardware provides a high level of assurance for private key security while still enabling a smooth user experience. As a developer, adopt the official SDKs and follow the portal's examples to create robust integrations. Prioritize user education, reliable UX, and conservative security assumptions to minimize risk.
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