Frequently asked questions

Ledger Wallet is the current name of the desktop and mobile application published by Ledger for use with its hardware wallets. It displays balances, prepares transactions, communicates with the device over USB or Bluetooth as appropriate, and installs blockchain applications onto the device. Ledger's documentation describes it as a local application that keeps your data on your own computer or phone, and it does not require an email-and-password account on desktop.

Ledger Live was the previous name of the same application. It was used for years and appears throughout older tutorials, screenshots and search results. The product itself did not change identity when the name changed; the rename reflects the application's expanded role beyond simple portfolio tracking.

Yes. Ledger's support documentation records the rename reaching the desktop and mobile applications by 3 November 2025, and states that Ledger Wallet is the current name of the application formerly called Ledger Live. If a guide written before that date says "Ledger Live", it is describing the same software. What matters is that the package you install is the current one published by the developer, not an old build redistributed by a third party.

Yes. The desktop application is published for Windows, and the developer's system-requirements documentation states a minimum of Windows 10 (64-bit) or later. Only x64 Windows is supported: Windows on ARM (arm64) is not. Verify the current requirement on the developer's own documentation page before installing.

Yes. The desktop application is published for macOS, with a documented minimum of macOS 12.0 (Monterey) or later, including Ventura and Sonoma. The developer recommends using a macOS release that Apple still supports with security updates.

Yes. Current releases run natively on Apple Silicon Macs. If macOS offers to install a compatibility layer when you launch the application, that is a strong indication you are running an old or unofficial build, because a current release does not require one.

Yes. Intel Macs are supported by the same download as Apple Silicon Macs; there is no separate Intel build to find, and no need to hunt for an older release.

The documented minimum is Windows 10, 64-bit, or later — which includes Windows 11. Two constraints are worth repeating: only x64 is supported (not ARM64), and virtual machines are not supported. Confirm the current minimum in the developer's official documentation before you install.

The documented minimum is macOS 12.0 (Monterey) or later. Earlier releases are below the supported minimum; if your Mac cannot run a supported macOS version, the documented alternative is the mobile application rather than an unofficial desktop build.

The developer does not publish a fixed disk-size figure for the desktop application, and this guide will not invent one. Any site quoting a specific megabyte figure as if it came from the developer is quoting something the developer does not say. Practical advice: check free space on your system drive, leave a comfortable margin rather than a few dozen megabytes, and clear space before installing.

Yes, for the parts of the application that use online services — market data, portfolio values, and connections to third-party providers. The application itself is local and does not require an online account. Your keys remain on the hardware device whether or not the computer is online.

On Windows, installing the application requires administrator approval, because the installer writes into protected locations. On macOS, installing into the Applications folder may require an administrator password depending on how the Mac is configured. You never need to grant administrator rights to a website, a chat participant or a "support technician".

Windows raises two different kinds of prompt. SmartScreen reports that the file has not yet accumulated download reputation, which is normal for a new release; the "not a Microsoft-verified app" notice appears when your PC is configured to install applications from the Microsoft Store only. Neither is proof of maliciousness, and neither is proof of safety — so verify the file's checksum against the developer's published signature page, and check the publisher shown in the prompt. Never disable SmartScreen, Defender or your antivirus to get past a warning.

macOS applies additional checks to applications downloaded outside the App Store, and reports the result before the first launch. The wording distinguishes between a first-run warning and a verification failure: an "unidentified developer" message means macOS could not confirm the developer, while a "damaged" message usually indicates an incomplete or modified download. In both cases the correct response is to verify the checksum and the signing identity, not to disable Gatekeeper or strip quarantine attributes from an unverified file.

Yes. The application is software and can be installed on any supported computer; your keys remain on the hardware device. Connect the device to the second computer, and the application will rediscover your accounts. Account labels stored locally may need to be re-created, since those are local conveniences rather than on-chain data. Install on the second machine using the same verification steps as the first.

The four most common causes, in order: the device is locked (unlock it with its PIN), the cable is charge-only or worn, the device is connected through a hub, dock or monitor port, or the device has gone to sleep. Try the supplied cable directly in a port on the computer, and connect the device after the application has started. If the device is still not detected on a second computer with the supplied cable, contact the developer's official support before attempting any firmware work.

USB problems are usually physical rather than software. Test the cable with another device, test another cable with the same device, and remove adapters and hubs from the chain. Note whether disconnections happen only under load, such as during a firmware or application installation, because that pattern points to power rather than to the application.

Check four things before running anything: the domain in the address bar, read right to left and typed by hand; the publisher or signing identity of the file; the file name and version against the developer's current release; and the SHA-512 checksum against the developer's published signature page. A fake page can copy the design perfectly and still serve a different file, and a checksum mismatch is the clearest signal you will get. Treat advertisements, "download portals", helper downloaders and cracked builds as untrusted by default.

No. Ledger's own support documentation states plainly that Ledger will never ask for the 24 words of your Secret Recovery Phrase, and its support site carries a standing phishing warning to that effect. Any person, page, chat or form that asks for your recovery words is attacking you, regardless of the branding, the tone or the sense of urgency they create.

Never. Your Secret Recovery Phrase is only ever entered on the hardware device itself, during initial setup or during a recovery you initiate deliberately. No installer, update, website, pop-up, support form or chat needs it. Typing it anywhere else hands a complete copy of your keys to whoever is asking.

Disconnect the computer from the internet, do not enter a recovery phrase to "check" anything, and check for unfamiliar extensions, remote-access tools or startup items. Remove the application through the normal uninstall process, run a full scan with your existing security software, and report the domain and file to the developer's official support channel. If a recovery phrase was ever typed into that computer, treat it as exposed and move holdings to a new account created on the device following the developer's official guidance.

Use the application's own update mechanism first, since that keeps file handling inside software you have already installed and verified. If that is unavailable, download the new release from the developer's own website by typing the domain, then verify the checksum against the published signature page before installing. Confirm the version afterwards. Never install an update from a link that arrived by email, advertisement or direct message.

On Windows, use Settings → Apps → Installed apps and choose Uninstall, then check for leftover application data in your user profile. On macOS, quit the application, move it from Applications to the Trash, empty the Trash, and check your user Library folders for leftover local data. In both cases, uninstalling is a software operation only: it does not move, freeze or delete any assets, because assets exist on the blockchain rather than on your computer.