Ledger Live Desktop® — Manage Your Crypto™ Assets Safely
Secure desktop app for portfolio management, staking, swapping, and firmware updates — pairs with Ledger hardware wallets.

Ledger Live Desktop — a trusted desktop companion for your Ledger hardware wallet

Ledger Live Desktop is the official desktop application designed to make managing your cryptocurrencies secure, intuitive, and powerful. Built to work hand-in-hand with Ledger hardware wallets, Ledger Live keeps private keys offline while giving you a smooth interface to monitor balances, send and receive funds, stake assets, swap tokens, and apply firmware updates. This landing page explains how Ledger Live Desktop works, why it’s secure, step-by-step setup, best practices, troubleshooting tips, and developer resources.

Why Ledger Live Desktop?

Ledger Live Desktop is built for users who prefer a dedicated application for managing crypto on a reliable workstation. Compared to mobile or web alternatives, the desktop app offers more screen real estate, advanced settings, improved hardware connectivity options, and enterprise-friendly features. Crucially, all signing operations — the creation of cryptographic signatures that allow transactions — happen on your Ledger device, never on the desktop host. Ledger Live Desktop acts as a secure, feature-rich UI that talks to your device.

Core capabilities

Portfolio overview
See combined balances across accounts and devices, historical charts, and asset breakdowns.
Send & receive
Create transactions, preview them in-app, then confirm on-device to sign.
Built-in swap
Access integrated liquidity partners to swap tokens without leaving the app.
Staking & Earning
Stake supported assets directly through the app while keys remain on device.

Getting started — step by step

  1. Download Ledger Live Desktop from the official site: ledger.com/ledger-live.
  2. Install the correct version for your OS and run the app. On first run, accept the terms and follow on-screen instructions.
  3. Connect your Ledger hardware wallet via USB (or Bluetooth for supported models) and unlock it with your PIN.
  4. Use the Manager to install blockchain-specific apps on your device (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum).
  5. Add accounts in Ledger Live for the assets you want to manage; the app will fetch balances and transaction history from the network.

Security model explained

Ledger Live Desktop is intentionally designed as a user interface layer. The private keys and seed remain inside your Ledger hardware device’s secure element. When you perform an action like sending crypto, Ledger Live constructs the unsigned transaction and sends it to the device; you then verify the details on your device screen (address, amount, fee) and approve. The device signs the transaction and sends the signed payload back to Ledger Live for broadcast. This separation — UI on the host, keys on the device — prevents host compromises from stealing keys.

Privacy and data handling

Ledger Live Desktop collects minimal telemetry to improve stability and user experience; opt-out options are available in settings. Account public keys or transaction requests are used only to query the blockchain and are not uploaded as private material. Always review privacy settings and avoid connecting third-party apps you do not trust.

Advanced features for power users

  • Custom fee control — set precise fees for supported chains to manage confirmation times and cost.
  • Developer & debug mode — enable advanced logs and developer options for integrations (for experienced users only).
  • Multisig & enterprise workflows — integrate with compatible services to build multi-signature schemes and institutional custody solutions.

Common troubleshooting

Device not recognized? Use a data-capable USB cable, unlock the device before opening Ledger Live Desktop, try different USB ports, and disable interfering security software. For Bluetooth pairing issues (Nano X), unpair and re-pair via the Bluetooth settings on your OS and in Ledger Live.

Apps or accounts missing? Open the Manager in Ledger Live, reinstall the necessary blockchain apps on the device and then re-add accounts. Uninstalling an app from the device does not delete your funds — they remain recoverable from your recovery phrase.

Best practices to keep assets safe

  1. Always download Ledger Live Desktop from the official site: ledger.com.
  2. Record and secure your recovery phrase offline; consider a metal backup plate for durability.
  3. Confirm wallet addresses and transaction details on your Ledger device before approving.
  4. Use strong PINs and consider additional passphrase protection for advanced privacy.
  5. Keep your OS, Ledger Live Desktop, and device firmware up-to-date.

Supported assets

Ledger Live Desktop supports hundreds of assets across major blockchains. Some specialized tokens or chains may require third-party integrations; Ledger Live documents supported assets and recommended companion apps on the official site. If you rely on niche chains, consult the support pages or Ledger community for integration tips.

10 essential links

  1. Download Ledger Live Desktop
  2. Start Guide
  3. Support
  4. Ledger Academy
  5. Buy Ledger
  6. Ledger GitHub
  7. Security Center
  8. FAQ
  9. Enterprise
  10. Ledger Blog

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