A Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Accounts in Ledger Live

Clear, official-style walkthrough to add accounts in Ledger Live (desktop & mobile). Learn how to add account in Ledger Live, add accounts Ledger Live safely, verify asset apps, and troubleshoot missing accounts.

Overview — add accounts in Ledger Live

This guide explains how to add accounts in Ledger Live so you can view balances, send and receive crypto, and manage assets from your Ledger hardware wallet. The process to add account in Ledger Live is straightforward: you pick the coin, ensure the required app is installed on your Ledger device, connect and unlock the device, and then add the account(s) from the Accounts section. Repeat these steps to add multiple accounts or to add accounts from another Ledger device.

Before you begin — checklist

  • Install the latest Ledger Live version and open the app on your desktop or mobile.
  • Ensure your Ledger hardware device is charged/has battery (if mobile) and that you know your PIN. Connect with the official USB cable or via Bluetooth (if supported by your device).
  • Check that the crypto asset you want to add is supported by Ledger Live and install the corresponding app on your Ledger device (Bitcoin app for BTC, Ethereum app for ETH/ERC-20 tokens, etc.).
  • Never share your 24-word recovery phrase. Ledger Live and Ledger support will never ask for it.

Step-by-step: Add an account in Ledger Live (desktop)

  1. Open Ledger Live on your computer and unlock with any necessary passwords or OS approvals.
  2. Go to Accounts from the left-hand menu and click + Add account (or the Add account button visible in Portfolio if Accounts is grayed out).
  3. Choose the cryptocurrency you want to add (type the name or pick from the list).
  4. Connect & unlock your Ledger device, then open the corresponding app on the device (for example, open the Ethereum app for ETH / ERC-20 tokens).
  5. Wait for Ledger Live to detect accounts. You'll see two sections: Add existing account (accounts with activity) and Add new account (a fresh account if allowed by derivation rules). Select the accounts you want to add, optionally rename them, then click Add account(s).
  6. Finish: The accounts are now visible in Ledger Live's Accounts and Portfolio screens. You can send/receive, track history, and use staking/buy/swap features where available.

Step-by-step: Add accounts in Ledger Live (mobile)

On Ledger Live Mobile the flow is similar but optimized for touch. Open Ledger Live, go to Wallet (or Accounts), tap the plus icon, choose your asset, pair your Ledger device (or use Ledger Sync), open the asset app on your device, and select which accounts to add. You can also rename accounts by swiping or using the edit icon.

Advanced notes — multiple accounts, derivation and ERC-20 tokens

Ledger Live follows hierarchical deterministic (BIP32) rules: adding a second account for the same cryptocurrency typically requires that the previous account has at least one transaction. For tokens built on a smart-contract chain (like ERC-20 tokens on Ethereum), add the main chain account (ETH) and Ledger Live will show and manage tokens attached to that account; for some tokens you may need to enable token visibility in the account settings.

Troubleshooting: If an account shows zero balance or is missing, confirm you're using the correct recovery phrase on the connected device, that the correct app is opened on the device, and that Ledger Live is up-to-date. If issues persist, use Ledger Live's Add account flow again or consult Ledger support.

Quick tips & best practices

  • Always use the official Ledger Live app (desktop from ledger.com or official mobile store apps).
  • Install the coin app in Ledger Live's Manager before trying to add that coin’s account.
  • When renaming accounts, pick memorable names if you use multiple Ledger devices (e.g., "Ledger-A BTC", "Ledger-B ETH").
  • Use Ledger Sync carefully if you want accounts visible on both desktop and mobile without reconnecting the device every time.