Ledger® Live Wallet — Getting Started (Developer Portal)

Welcome to the developer-focused quickstart for Ledger® Live Wallet. This page guides engineers through setup, integration notes, and best practices when building with Ledger Live Wallet, Ledger/Live/Wallet interfaces and companion integrations.

What you’ll learn

How to set up Ledger Live Wallet for development
Essential APIs and integration patterns for Ledger/Live/Wallet
Security and signing flow best practices
Quick troubleshooting steps

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

A Ledger hardware device (Micro or Nano model compatible with Ledger Live).
Ledger Live desktop or mobile installed and configured.
Node/npm toolchain for client-side integration and a basic understanding of WebUSB/ WebHID if you plan to support direct device connectivity.

Quick start — local dev flow

Follow these steps to get a local dev environment talking to Ledger Live Wallet:

Open Ledger Live and enable the Developer mode or the experimental Web HIDs option if required by your OS.
Install the Ledger SDK or the language-specific transport package (e.g., @ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb for browser).
Initialize a test account and ensure the device is unlocked.
Use the transport to open a connection and request public keys or sign payloads as shown below.

// Example (pseudo-js)
import TransportWebUSB from '@ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb';
import AppEth from '@ledgerhq/hw-app-eth';

const transport = await TransportWebUSB.create();
const appEth = new AppEth(transport);
const result = await appEth.getAddress("44'/60'/0'/0/0");
console.log('address', result.address);

This example demonstrates the standard pattern used by most Ledger/Live/Wallet integrations: open transport & request operations. For production, ensure you use robust error handling and user prompts.

Security & best practices

Always verify the UI: Confirm that the information shown on the hardware device screen matches the transaction or data being signed.
Limit permissions: Only request the permissions you need — for example, request account read access separately from signing permissions.
Keep secrets off-device: Never store private keys or seed phrases on your server. Use the Ledger device to keep keys isolated.

Common issues

Problems you may encounter and quick fixes:

Device not detected: Check OS permissions and try reconnecting the device. Ensure Ledger Live is not blocking external connections.
Transport errors: Use the latest transport package matching your runtime (WebUSB, WebHID, Node HID).
Signing rejected: The user must approve the action on-device; show clear prompts in the UI.

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Ledger Live Wallet and how does it relate to Ledger devices?

Ledger Live Wallet is the companion application that manages accounts, signs transactions and acts as a bridge between applications and Ledger hardware. Developers interact with Ledger/Live/Wallet transports to request keys and signatures from the Ledger device.

2. Can I use Ledger Live Wallet in a browser-based dApp?

Yes. Use the Ledger transport libraries (WebUSB/WebHID) to establish a connection from a browser dApp to the Ledger Live Wallet or directly to the device. Test across browsers for compatibility and ensure you follow user permission flows.

3. How do I test signing flows without real funds?

Use testnets supported by the blockchain you target. Configure accounts in Ledger Live Wallet to use test networks, and keep devices updated with the necessary apps for those test currencies.

4. Where can I find the official SDKs or packages?

Official transport and app packages are available via npm (e.g., @ledgerhq/hw-transport-webusb, @ledgerhq/hw-app-eth). Always pin to stable versions and review changelogs before upgrading.

5. Is there a recommended UX pattern for showing device prompts?

Yes. Show clear, step-by-step instructions: (1) ask the user to connect and unlock their Ledger device, (2) confirm network/account, (3) show the exact payload to be signed, and (4) request approval on the device. Keep users informed at each step.