The most common way people lose crypto is by downloading a fake wallet app or entering their recovery seed on a fake site. This page does not host any software. It only points you to the official source and teaches you how to confirm you're really there.
What You’re Actually Downloading
Ledger Live is the desktop and mobile app that works alongside your Ledger device. Since October 2025 it has been called Ledger Wallet (formerly Ledger Live). In it, you can:
- see your portfolio across 15,000+ supported coins and tokens
- send and receive, with every address confirmed on the device
- install coin apps on your device and update firmware
- access staking, swaps and purchases through third-party providers, which set their own fees and may require identity checks
What it never does is hold your private keys. Those stay inside the device’s Secure Element chip. That is exactly why scammers want you to type your recovery phrase somewhere else.
Step One: Find ledger.com Yourself
Think of the official domain as the front door. Everything else is a window someone could have painted to look like a door.
-
1Type ledger.com into the address bar.
Don’t rely on search results or ads.
-
2Look closely at the domain.
It should be
ledger.com— no extra words, dashes or endings such as .io. -
3Open the Ledger Wallet page
(it also lives at
shop.ledger.com/pages/ledger-wallet). -
4Add a bookmark for next time.
Computer or Phone?
| If you want to use... | Get it from | Connects to your Ledger by |
|---|---|---|
| A Windows, Mac or Linux computer | ledger.com | USB cable |
| An iPhone | App Store (developer: Ledger) | Bluetooth (Nano X, Gen5, Flex, Stax) |
| An Android phone | Google Play (com.ledger.live) | Bluetooth, or USB-OTG for Nano S Plus |
Many owners install both. There is no browser version, so a page offering “Ledger Live online” is not genuine.
Step Two: Install on Your Computer
Windows
- Run the
.exefrom ledger.com. - In the permission prompt, check the publisher says Ledger.
- Finish the wizard.
macOS
- Open the
.dmg. - Drag the app into Applications.
- Launch it and let macOS confirm the Ledger signature.
Linux
- Download the
.AppImage. - Make it executable (
chmod +x). - Install Ledger’s udev rules if USB detection fails.
Step Three: Your First Launch
- Click Get started and choose your model: Nano S Plus, Nano X, Nano Gen5, Flex or Stax.
- Select set up a new device if it’s fresh out of the box.
- Plug in with USB.
- On the device, choose a PIN and write your 24-word recovery phrase on the paper card. Keep it offline.
- Let the app run the Genuine check.
- Install coin apps in My Ledger, then add accounts.
Your recovery phrase is written on paper and stays there. Never type it into any website, app form, chat or support request — not even one that claims to be Ledger.
The Traps Beginners Fall Into
New owners are attractive targets because they don’t yet know what “normal” looks like. Watch for these:
- Lookalike apps that ask you to enter your 24 words to “activate” the wallet
- Malware-laced installers from forums, video descriptions or file-sharing sites
- Address swapping, where malware changes a copied address — always compare it on the device screen
- Fake update alerts pushing a “firmware fix” outside the app
- Friendly helpers in Telegram or Discord groups who message you first
Any of these can drain your wallet, and crypto transfers cannot be reversed.
Five Red Flags at a Glance
🚩 Five Red Flags at a Glance
- You found the download through an ad
- The file came zipped or from a non-Ledger domain
- An app screen asks for your recovery phrase
- Someone contacts you offering help
- A message creates urgency: “act within 24 hours”