Ledger® Live Wallet – Getting Started™ Developer Portal

Overview

Ledger Live is the desktop and mobile application that connects users to their hardware wallets and helps manage accounts, sign transactions, and interact with decentralized applications (dApps). For developers building integrations, extensions, or wallet-aware services, understanding Ledger Live and its developer portal is crucial to delivering secure, seamless user experiences.

Getting Started: Install & Setup

Download and install Ledger Live

Start by downloading Ledger Live for your platform (Windows, macOS, Linux) or installing the mobile app (iOS / Android). Installation is straightforward — follow the official installer and use the in-app prompts to create or restore a Ledger hardware wallet (Nano S / Nano X / etc.). Always verify the download origin and checksums if provided by the vendor to avoid tampered binaries.

Initial device setup

When you first power on your Ledger hardware device you’ll be guided to set a PIN and write down a recovery phrase. These steps are performed on-device — never type the recovery phrase into a computer or share it. For developer testing, use a dedicated test device and test seed where possible; never reuse mainnet recovery seeds for automated tests.

Create or restore accounts

Within Ledger Live, add accounts for the blockchains you're targeting. Ledger Live supports many chains (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, etc.). When integrating, understand how Ledger Live represents accounts and the derivation paths used for each asset — this impacts address discovery and transaction signing flows.

Developer Portal & Documentation

Ledger’s developer portal provides API references, SDKs, best-practice guides, and security recommendations. Bookmark the portal and the official SDK repositories to keep up-to-date with supported integration patterns and supported firmware or protocol changes.

Integration Patterns for Developers

Depending on your product — whether a custodial service, dApp, exchange, or wallet companion — there are several integration patterns to consider:

1. Simple transaction signing

The most common integration is prompting a user to sign a transaction using their Ledger device. Typically, your application constructs a raw transaction, sends it to Ledger Live or to LedgerJS (or a transport layer), and then instructs the hardware device to display and verify transaction details before the user confirms on-device.

2. Address discovery and account linking

Use standard derivation paths for account discovery. Many wallets provide BIP44/BIP39 standards — ensure your implementation respects canonical derivation paths and displays precise account details during onboarding to avoid user confusion.

HD derivation & UX

When presenting account options to users, explain derivation path choices plainly (e.g., "Standard Ethereum account (m/44'/60'/0'/0)"). Consider offering an “advanced” toggle for power users — but keep the default flow simple to lower friction.

3. Live connectivity with Ledger Live

Ledger Live acts as both a user-facing wallet and a transport bridge to the hardware device in some flows. Some integrations interact directly with a Ledger device via USB/BLE using the official client libraries; others rely on deep linking into Ledger Live where the user will complete the signature inside Ledger Live and return to your app with the transaction result.

SDKs, Libraries, and Tools

Ledger provides client libraries — commonly under the LedgerJS umbrella — to interact with hardware devices from Node.js or browser contexts (using WebUSB, WebHID, or Bluetooth transports). Use maintained libraries rather than rolling your own transport; they encapsulate protocol versions, device compatibility, and behavioral edge cases.

Recommended dev tools

• LedgerJS (JavaScript/TypeScript client libs)
• Official transport adapters (webhid, webusb, node-hid, BLE)
• Emulators and local test harnesses (when available)
• Automated signing test scripts to validate UX edge cases

Example: signing flow (conceptual)

// conceptual sequence — not copy/paste production code
1. App constructs transaction payload (unsigned)
2. App requests user to connect Ledger device (via transport)
3. App sends payload to Ledger client library
4. Ledger device displays details on-screen for user verification
5. User approves on-device; device returns signature
6. App broadcasts signed transaction to the network
      

Security Best Practices

Security is the primary reason users pick hardware wallets. As a developer integrating with Ledger devices, your responsibilities include preserving that trust:

Never request recovery phrases

Do not design flows that ever ask a user to enter or transmit their recovery phrase. Recovery phrases are secret and must remain on the user’s physical paper or device — never in your service's logs, databases, or UIs.

Validate transaction details

When displaying transaction amounts, recipient addresses, and fees in your UI, ensure values match what the device will show. Encourage users to confirm that on-device values match on-screen values. This alignment prevents phishing and UX mismatch attacks.

Minimize surface area

Only request the minimum required permissions and data from users. Avoid prompting for unnecessary metadata, and never persist sensitive payloads unencrypted. Instrument your integration with clear telemetry for debugging but strip or redact sensitive content.

Developer Experience (DX) & UX Suggestions

Good DX reduces support overhead and increases adoption. Here are practical tips to provide a smooth integration experience.

Onboarding and clear prompts

Provide explicit steps: "Connect device -> Unlock with PIN -> Open the App for the chain (e.g., Ethereum) -> Approve on device." When possible, detect device connection status and show real-time prompts.

Meaningful transaction descriptions

Hardware devices often display truncated transaction details. Ensure your host app presents an unambiguous description and, where possible, match the exact text the hardware will render so users can validate easily.

Accessibility

Support keyboard navigation, screen readers, and color-contrast-friendly designs. An accessible onboarding flow helps users who rely on assistive tech to safely use hardware wallets.

Testing & QA

A rigorous QA pipeline helps catch integration regressions and security issues early.

Test networks & test assets

Use testnets (Ropsten, Goerli, testnets for other chains) for end-to-end testing. Fund test addresses using community faucets. Do not use real assets for automated tests.

Automated hardware-in-the-loop tests

Where feasible, automate flows that interact with a test Ledger device — unlocking, opening chain apps, signing sample transactions — to detect regressions early. If you cannot automate device interaction fully, provide strong manual QA checklists for release testing.

Edge case testing

Test across firmware versions, app versions on device, and transports (USB vs BLE). Verify behavior when the device is disconnected mid-flow, when the user rejects a signature, and when the host has malformed payloads.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Developers and users commonly encounter a handful of predictable problems — here are fixes and diagnostic tips.

Device not detected

Confirm the correct transport (WebUSB/WebHID) is enabled in browser settings, confirm OS-level permissions, and verify the Ledger device is unlocked with the PIN. On mobile, ensure Bluetooth is on and the Ledger Live Mobile app is allowed to connect.

App not open on device

For some chains, the device requires the chain-specific app to be open (e.g., the Ethereum app). Prompt the user with clear instructions and an on-screen hint (e.g., "Open the Ethereum app on your Ledger device").

Signature rejected

If users reject signatures, show the exact reason and provide clear retry or cancel options. Log only non-sensitive status codes for support debugging — never log full transaction payloads with user addresses or amounts.

Publishing Integrations & Compliance

If you’re building a public integration (e.g., Ledger Live apps, app catalog entries, or wallet connectors), follow the developer portal’s submission guidelines. This often includes security reviews, compatibility testing, and adherence to UI/UX policies.

Legal & regulatory considerations

For services that move or custody assets, consult legal counsel about KYC/AML requirements, data handling rules, and jurisdiction-specific obligations. Keep UI language clear about custody and risk.

Example Code Snippet (Conceptual JavaScript)

Below is a lightweight conceptual illustration of how a host app might call a Ledger client library to request a signature. This is a conceptual guide — consult official SDK docs for production-ready code, error handling, and transport setup.

// Conceptual: use official ledgerjs packages in production
import TransportWebUSB from "@ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb";
import AppEth from "@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth";

async function signEthereumTx(unsignedTx) {
  const transport = await TransportWebUSB.create();
  const eth = new AppEth(transport);
  // derive path example: m/44'/60'/0'/0/0
  const path = "44'/60'/0'/0/0";
  const signature = await eth.signTransaction(path, unsignedTx);
  await transport.close();
  return signature;
}
      

Reminder: use official repositories for the exact API and follow recommended transport fallback strategies (WebHID, WebUSB, node-hid, Bluetooth).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I build a service that stores users' recovery phrases for them?

A: No. Never store or request a user's recovery phrase. If you provide "backup" services, use industry-standard approaches like encrypted key management with clear user consent — but avoid retaining raw recovery phrases.

Q: How do firmware updates affect integrations?

A: Firmware updates can change device behavior or available features. Follow official changelogs and test your flows against new firmware releases. Encourage users to update but provide graceful handling for devices on older firmware.

Q: Where do I get support for developer tools?

A: Start with the Ledger Developers Portal and official SDK repos. For deeper issues, use the official support channels and community forums linked in the resources above.

Checklist Before Launch

1. Verify transport compatibility across target browsers and OSes.
2. Complete device and firmware compatibility testing.
3. Implement and test robust error handling for user cancellations and disconnects.
4. Ensure all user-facing prompts match on-device displays.
5. Conduct security review and penetration tests for your integration.
6. Prepare clear documentation and user help flows explaining the Ledger device steps.

Appendix — Glossary & Terms

Recovery phrase

A human-readable list of words (often 12-24) representing the seed that derives a wallet's private keys. Keep it secret and offline.

Derivation path

The hierarchical deterministic (HD) path used to derive keys (e.g., m/44'/60'/0'/0/0). Derivation choices affect address generation and account compatibility.

Transport

The channel used to communicate with the hardware wallet — WebUSB, WebHID, node-hid, Bluetooth — each with different capabilities and platform support.

Closing Thoughts

Building with Ledger Live and Ledger hardware devices means putting user security first while delivering clear, low-friction flows. Focus on transparent UX, rigorous testing across devices and firmware, and strict security hygiene. Use the official developer resources listed above as the primary source of truth during development.