Welcome & quick safety note
Congratulations on starting with Ledger. This guide focuses on secure, privacy-preserving habits you should follow when you first set up your device. Read every step carefully — the most important part of owning a hardware wallet is protecting your recovery phrase. Never share it.
Tip: Only set up your Ledger on a secure, private network from a trusted computer. Avoid public Wi-Fi and avoid recording your recovery phrase digitally.
Unboxing checklist
Verify the seal and packaging. Ledger ships with tamper-evident packaging — if the box or seal looks damaged, contact the vendor. Inside you should find the device, a USB cable, recovery cards (paper), and quick start materials.
- Ledger device (model: Nano S / Nano X — follow model instructions)
- USB cable
- Recovery sheet(s) for writing your phrase
- Manufacturer's card & instructions
Initial setup — step by step
Power up your Ledger, follow on-screen prompts, and choose a strong PIN. Key steps:
- Initialize device — choose "Set up as new device" unless restoring.
- Create PIN — 4–8 digits recommended; avoid birthdays or repeating sequences.
- Write recovery phrase — device will display 24 words (or 12 depending on model). Write them in order exactly on the provided recovery sheet.
- Confirm phrase — you will be asked to confirm a subset of words to ensure accuracy.
- Install companion app — download Ledger Live from the official site and follow verified instructions.
Never enter your recovery phrase into a computer or phone; Ledger will never ask you to type it online.
Backup and physical security
After you write your recovery phrase, store it in at least two secure physical locations (safe, safety deposit box) and consider using a metal seed backup for fire/water resistance. Do not photograph or store the phrase digitally. If someone gets the phrase, they control your funds.
- Use tamper-resistant storage (metal backup plates).
- Consider geographic separation for copies.
- Test a small recovery occasionally on a spare device (only if you understand the risk).
Verifying your wallet
After setup, verify addresses using Ledger Live and your device: check that the receiving address shown in the app matches the address shown on the device screen. This mitigates remote compromise or malicious software altering addresses.
Send a small test transfer first and confirm on-chain receipt before larger transfers.
Everyday best practices
- Keep firmware and Ledger Live up to date — but only fetch updates from official sources.
- Use a different password for Ledger Live and enable additional device passphrases only if you fully understand them.
- Beware of phishing: check domain names, use bookmarks for Ledger Live download pages, and never follow unsolicited links.
- Use a hardware device for high-value holdings and prefer cold storage for long-term savings.
Troubleshooting & recovery
If you lose your device, you can recover funds on another Ledger or compatible wallet using the recovery phrase. If your phrase is lost and funds exist, recovery is impossible. For device errors, contact Ledger support and follow official guides — never enter your recovery phrase into a support chat.
Glossary
Recovery phrase: The master list of words that restores your wallet.
PIN: Local code to unlock the physical device.
Seed: Another term for recovery phrase used interchangeably.
Final checklist before use
- Device sealed and unaltered
- PIN created and safely recorded (do not store PIN with seed)
- Recovery phrase written offline on provided sheet and stored securely
- Ledger Live installed from official source and address verified on-device
You're ready to use your Ledger. Keep practicing safe habits and remember: the most secure wallet is one where only you hold the recovery phrase.