Ledger.com/Start® — Starting Up Your Device®

A complete, designer-friendly, & colorful guide to safely set up your Ledger hardware wallet — step-by-step, with best practices and troubleshooting.

This walkthrough is made for first-time users, power users, and designers who want a clear, attractive, and safe setup experience. It covers initial out-of-box steps, PIN and recovery setup, Ledger Live essentials, security best practices, troubleshooting, and a compact FAQ. Follow every step closely; hardware wallets are your strongest line of defence for private keys — but only when configured correctly.

Why a hardware wallet (brief)

Hardware wallets like Ledger store private keys offline — physically on a secured element — minimizing exposure to internet-borne threats. When you start up a Ledger device, you create a PIN and a recovery phrase; the combination keeps your assets accessible only to you. This guide explains the exact steps at Ledger.com/Start and expands on useful context so you won't miss safety-critical details.

Unboxing & visual inspection (H3)

Before powering the device, inspect the box and tamper-evident seals. Ledger ships with packaging designed to show tampering if present. If seals look broken or the device seems previously opened, stop — contact official Ledger support and do not initialize. Use only official Ledger materials and links (never follow a random link in email or chat).

Package contents (H4)

  • Ledger hardware device (e.g., Ledger Nano S Plus, Ledger Nano X)
  • USB cable or Bluetooth pairing materials (device-dependent)
  • Quick start guide and recovery phrase cards
  • Stickers and other branding

Initial power-up & setup steps (step-by-step)

1

Power on the device

Connect your Ledger to a computer or phone using the supplied cable. Newer devices may require you to press both buttons to boot. Wait for the device welcome screen that says Welcome or displays a Ledger logo.

2

Create a new wallet — DO NOT restore from seed given by others

Choose Create a new wallet on the device. If you were given a recovery phrase by someone else, do not use it — that's almost certainly a scam to steal your funds.

3

Set a PIN

Choose a 4–8 digit PIN that you can remember but is not easily guessable. Use a PIN you haven't used online or in password managers. The device will ask you to confirm the PIN by re-entering it.

4

Write down your recovery phrase (the recovery seed)

The device will show a 24-word recovery phrase — write each word in order on the supplied recovery card. Do not photograph the phrase, store it digitally, or share it. The recovery phrase is the ultimate backup: treat it like the physical key to your safe deposit box.

5

Confirm the phrase

The device will quiz you on several words in the phrase to ensure you copied them correctly. If any mismatch occurs, do not proceed — reset and re-generate the phrase until it matches exactly.

Install Ledger Live & pair the device

Ledger Live is the official desktop and mobile application used to manage accounts and install apps to your Ledger device. Download Ledger Live only from the official domain (ledger.com) — verify the URL and SSL certificate in your browser. After installing Ledger Live, follow the app instructions to connect and pair your device. Ledger Live will never ask for your 24-word recovery phrase.

Adding accounts & managing apps (H4)

Within Ledger Live you can install cryptocurrency-specific apps (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, etc.) onto the device. Each app consumes storage — install only the apps you need. When adding an account, Ledger Live will read public addresses from your device; always verify the receiving address on the device display before sending funds.

Security best practices (H3)

Follow these strict rules to keep assets secure:

  • Never share your 24-word recovery phrase with anyone.
  • Store the recovery phrase offline, ideally in multiple physical locations (fireproof safe, bank safe deposit box) separated geographically.
  • Consider metal seed storage (stainless steel plates) to guard against fire & water damage.
  • Use a unique PIN and enable optional passphrases only if you fully understand them.
  • Keep firmware up to date: Ledger periodically releases firmware updates that improve security and functionality. Update only from official Ledger Live prompts.

Optional passphrase / hidden wallet (H4)

A passphrase acts as a 25th word and creates an additional hidden wallet derived from the same seed. It can increase privacy but has higher risk: if you forget the passphrase, the hidden wallet is irrecoverable. Use only if you understand the trade-offs and have secure passphrase management.

Troubleshooting & common pitfalls (H3)

Device not powering on

Check the cable and try a different USB port. If the device still doesn’t power on, contact official Ledger support. Avoid using third-party cables that might be data-altering.

Recovery phrase mismatch

If the device rejects the recovery phrase during confirmation, re-start the setup and carefully re-generate. Do not accept a mismatch — that could indicate a faulty device or bad copy process.

Suspicious emails or sites

Phishers commonly impersonate Ledger. Always verify you are on ledger.com and use bookmarks for Ledger Live downloads. Ledger support will never ask for your full recovery phrase.

Advanced tips for power users (H3)

Power users may want to consider:

  • Segregating funds across multiple devices for defense-in-depth.
  • Using multisig (multiple hardware wallets) for large holdings; multisig is an advanced way to distribute private-key control across keys so a single compromised device doesn’t drain assets.
  • Automating small recurring payments using software wallets combined with cold storage for the bulk of funds.
  • Keeping a read-only backup (xpub) stored in a safe place for address reconciliation, not private spending.
Designer note: this guide intentionally uses clear typographic hierarchy (H1–H5), color accents, and card layouts to make complex security behaviour digestible. If you are producing your own onboarding UI, emphasize the recovery phrase and tamper-evidence visually and with microcopy.

FAQ — quick answers (H3)

Q: Can Ledger ever ask for my 24-word seed?
A: No. Ledger support will never ask you for your recovery phrase. If asked, it is a scam.
Q: What if I lose my Ledger device?
A: Use your recovery phrase on a new Ledger or compatible hardware wallet to restore access. Ledger devices are recoverable if you have the 24-word phrase (unless a passphrase was used and is lost).
Q: Is it safe to use Ledger over Bluetooth?
A: Ledger Nano X supports Bluetooth for convenience. Bluetooth can be secure when implemented correctly, but use it only when necessary and keep firmware updated.

This article is an instructional guide and not legal or financial advice. For warranty, replacement, or device-specific issues, consult Ledger’s official support channels on ledger.com/support. When in doubt, verify contact channels via the official Ledger website.

Conclusion

Starting up your Ledger device correctly is the most important step toward securing digital assets. Take the time to verify packaging, follow the device prompts closely, and protect your recovery phrase with offline, physical storage. Treat the hardware wallet setup as you would setting up a bank vault: careful, deliberate, and irreversible if done incorrectly.

Written as a comprehensive, designer-friendly guide to Ledger.com/Start. If you want this output as a downloadable HTML file or a lightweight PDF with the same styling, reply and I’ll generate it for you.