Desktop companion app · Windows · macOS · Linux
Ledger Live Desktop brings hardware wallet management, account tracking and transaction verification into one calm workspace — so every signature is confirmed on the device screen before a single coin moves.
What it does
Everything that touches the network is separated from everything that touches your keys.
Connect over USB or Bluetooth, unlock with your PIN, and the app discovers your accounts automatically. Private keys never leave the secure element — the desktop only ever sees public addresses.
Live balances and price history for every account, aggregated into one net-worth view with fiat and crypto pairing.
Address and amount are shown on the hardware screen. If the two displays disagree, stop — that is exactly the attack the device exists to catch.
Every inbound and outbound transfer, exportable to CSV for record-keeping and bookkeeping at the end of the year.
Delegate to validators or stake natively where the network allows it, with rewards appearing in the same balance view.
Compare third-party rates inside the app. The provider moves the funds; your device still signs the outgoing leg.
Starting up your device
Skipping a step is how most people lose access. Take it slowly the first time.
Download the desktop app from the manufacturer's own website — never a search ad, an email link or a direct message. Compare the publisher name before you run the installer.
Choose your own PIN on the device. Write the recovery phrase on the supplied card by hand and store it offline. It is never requested by the app, by support, or by any website.
Install the coin app on the device, then add the matching account in the desktop app. Repeat only for the assets you actually hold.
Receive into the account, then move a trivial amount out and confirm the address on the device screen. Once that round trip works, you understand the flow.
Blog
Ledger Live Desktop is the companion application that turns a hardware wallet into a practical daily tool. Instead of juggling block explorers and half a dozen exchange tabs, you get one place to install apps on your device, create an account per asset, and watch your portfolio move in real time.
The workflow is deliberately sequential. You connect the device, unlock it with your PIN, and confirm on its screen that the app you are opening is the one you expected. Nothing sensitive leaves the hardware: balances are read from public blockchains, while private keys stay sealed inside the secure element. When you send funds, the recipient address and the amount are verified on the device itself before you approve them — the single most effective defence against clipboard malware and look-alike addresses.
Beyond sending and receiving, the desktop app supports staking, swaps through integrated providers, and exportable reporting that helps at tax time. Used well, it rewards patience: keep firmware current, download only from the official source, treat the recovery phrase as the wallet itself, and never type it into a computer. Verified hardware, careful habits and clear visibility are what make self-custody sustainable rather than stressful.
FAQ
The desktop companion application for a hardware wallet. It installs coin apps on the device, creates accounts per asset, tracks the portfolio, and walks you through verifying and signing transactions. It reads public blockchain data; it holds no private keys.
Yes, for anything that signs. You can open the app and add accounts without a device, but sending, staking or swapping all require the hardware wallet to approve the operation on its own screen.
Downloading and using it costs nothing. Only network fees, swap provider spreads and staking commissions apply — and those are set by the networks and providers, not by the app.
A mobile companion exists, but the desktop version offers the wider screen that makes address comparison and history review far easier. Many people use both with the same device.
Stop. Disconnect the device, close the app, and re-check the address or contract from a source you trust. Never enter a recovery phrase to "fix" an error — that request is always an attack.
Follow the four steps above and your keys stay offline while your portfolio stays visible.