Secure Your Ledger Wallet — Official Guide

Clear steps, best practices, and resources to keep your hardware wallet and funds safe.

Overview

Hardware wallets such as Ledger protect crypto by keeping private keys isolated inside a secure element. This guide explains the essential steps to initialize, verify, and maintain your Ledger device, plus recovery and operational best practices you should adopt immediately after purchase. Follow these to reduce the risk of theft, loss, or accidental exposure of your Secret Recovery Phrase.

Initial Setup (Do this first)

Unbox & check authenticity

Only use a Ledger device that is sealed and purchased from an authorized reseller or directly from the official Ledger site. Perform the device genuine check during onboarding to ensure the device is authentic before transferring funds.

Install Ledger Live

Download Ledger Live only from the official ledger.com site and verify the installer signature when possible. Ledger Live is the official companion app used for firmware updates, app installs, and general device management.

Initialize & write down your recovery

When you set up the device, it will generate a 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase (seed). Write it down on the recovery sheet supplied in the box — do not take a photo or store the phrase digitally. Store that sheet in multiple secure, offline locations if you choose, and never share it with anyone.

Everyday Security Habits

Use a strong PIN

Configure a PIN and never reveal it. Many devices allow optional passphrases for additional hidden accounts; treat passphrases as a separate secret — losing it is equivalent to losing the account.

Keep firmware & apps up to date

Regularly update the device OS (firmware) and Ledger Live. Updates often include security fixes. Only apply updates via Ledger Live and official channels — never run unknown scripts or installers claiming to “fix” your device.

Protecting Your Recovery Phrase

Best practices for storage

Best practice is to keep the recovery words offline, on paper or metal, in a physically secure location (safe, deposit box). Consider using a metal recovery backup for extra durability against fire/water damage.

What not to do

  • Never store your recovery phrase in plain text on cloud services, email, or photos on your phone.
  • Never type your recovery phrase into a website or app — any request for it is a scam.
  • Never share your recovery phrase with support agents, friends, or social media.
Tip: Use the Recovery Check app on your Ledger device to verify your backup was written correctly (it checks the words without exposing them off-device).

Operational Safety — Sending & Receiving

Verify addresses on-device

Always verify the receiving address on your Ledger’s screen before confirming any transaction. That prevents malware on your computer or phone from altering destination addresses.

Phishing & fake apps

Beware of fake Ledger Live downloads and phishing pages. Only navigate to ledger.com directly and confirm the domain and installer signature. Ledger will never ask you for your recovery phrase.

Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Device

Recovery from your 24-word phrase

If your device is lost or damaged, you can restore accounts using the 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase onto a new Ledger device or other compatible hardware wallet. Treat the phrase as the ultimate backup — anyone with it can control your funds.

When to contact support

Contact Ledger Support if you suspect your device has been tampered with or if you encounter unusual requests for your phrase or PIN. For urgent issues, use Ledger's official support channels.

Advanced Tips

Use a passphrase for deniability or compartmentalization

Adding a passphrase creates hidden wallets tied to the same seed — this is powerful but increases operational complexity. Only use it if you understand recovery implications.

Multi-backup approach

For high-value holdings, consider geographically separated backups (e.g., a safety deposit box + trusted local safe) or split-seed techniques using well-documented, secure methods.

Quick Checklist (Printable)

Before you transfer funds
  • Device genuine check completed.
  • Ledger Live downloaded from ledger.com and verified.
  • Firmware & apps up to date.
  • Recovery phrase safely recorded and checked with Recovery Check.
  • PIN & optional passphrase set and memorized/stored securely.

Official Ledger resources

Use these official pages for downloads, support articles, and verification tools (links listed below the code block as well).