When you use a Ledger wallet and the Ledger Live app, it’s important to consider hardware wallet maintenance, which includes Ledger firmware and other kinds of updates, considering the device itself, apps running on it, and the Ledger Live interface. As such, we need to be aware of what firmware updates and other installations are, why they are important for security and function, and how to go about keeping up-to-date with new versions.
When you’ve got your Ledger wallet set up, with Ledger Live installed and everything connected together, it should all operate smoothly and you won’t need to think too much about Ledger wallet firmware updates or hardware wallet maintenance.
That said though, you will sometimes need to install Ledger updates to make sure everything is running smoothly, and you can think of these also as Ledger security updates ensuring that there are no vulnerabilities and that your crypto stack is as safe as possible.
Keeping your wallet updated and secure is not so difficult, but to make sure you’re doing everything required, let’s run through how to update Ledger wallet firmware and other components, and also summarize exactly why these procedures are required.
What Are Ledger Firmware Updates?
Firstly, when we talk about a Ledger firmware update, what exactly does that term firmware refer to? Hardware and software are more commonly used expressions, and firmware sits somewhere between the two. In fact, firmware is a type of software that is programmed or embedded into a piece of hardware to provide close control, like a very minimal OS.
So, it’s not hardware but it’s connected to the hardware, and it’s not as general purpose as a regular OS, although like an OS it can be updated when necessary.
Why Ledger Wallet Updates Matter
We’ve looked at what a Ledger wallet firmware update is, but actually, there are multiple updates that are necessary to keep your Ledger working smoothly, including Ledger firmware updates relating to the OS, and updates to the apps running on your device.
These updates are important for a variety of reasons, and it’s worth being aware of why we need to do hardware wallet maintenance. Firstly, updates ensure that you have all the latest security patches and are not exposed to any potential hazards. Additionally, updates ensure that you will have no issues with synching and connecting your device. And beyond that, keeping everything up to date reduces the likelihood of having any other problems with your device’s functionality.
All in all then, to be certain that your wallet is working as smoothly and securely as possible, make sure to install Ledger updates as and when they are needed. And if you want to find out more about how Ledger makes devices that are so secure, then take a read through Advanced Security Features of Ledger: Protecting Your Crypto Assets.
Checking Versions
To confirm you’re up to date with your hardware wallet maintenance, you can check which firmware and OS versions you’re using, although the way to do this depends on which model you’re using.
With the older Ledger Nano models, you can enter the wallet Control Center by holding down both buttons on the device for three seconds, and then going into the Settings, then to General, and then looking at Firmware, and the OS version will be shown under Secure element.
With the newer Ledger Stax hardware wallet–which you can take a look at over at the Ledger store–navigation is simpler thanks to its curved e-ink touchscreen. In this case, you just have to turn on the device, click on the Settings cog at the bottom left, then click About this Ledger, then OS Version, and the version you have running is again shown under Secure element.
When you know the OS version on your device, you can check over on the Ledger Support page Latest OS Updates for Ledger Devices to find out what the latest OS version is for your model of wallet, and make sure that you’ve got the current version running.
Note that you don’t absolutely have to use the latest version, so don’t panic if you find you’re not up-to-date, but for the reasons mentioned earlier, it’s advisable to install the latest version as soon as you’re able to.
Installing Updates
If you require a Ledger wallet firmware update, then take a look in Ledger Live, and you’ll find that there’s a notification banner there letting you know about the issue. In fact, you can see from this that while it’s possible–as we just went through–to check for yourself which versions you’re running, it’s not usually necessary, especially if you’re interfacing with your wallet regularly, because Ledger Live will automatically notify you when updates are required.
However, the point is that if you see a notification banner about updates, then look in the banner for where it says Update firmware, and click there. Then–if you’re using a Ledger Stax wallet–on your device screen, it will say Install OS update? with the version number displayed, and you just need to tap Install.
The process will begin–stay in Ledger Live while it’s happening–and you’ll need to enter your PIN, and then finally you’ll get a message in Ledger Live saying Firmware updated. You don’t need to worry about any apps you had on the device, as these are automatically installed, and of course, your crypto balances and staked coins will all be as they were, as will any personalization such as the device name and lock screen image.
Warnings
Keep in mind that Ledger Support offers an important warning about installing Ledger firmware updates, explaining that there is a very small chance that your hardware wallet will reset completely. However, situations like this are exactly where your 24-word Secret Recovery Phrase is essential.
Remember that as long as you have that phrase, you can always recover your wallet, along–most importantly–with any crypto it’s holding, so before initiating a firmware update, make sure that you have your recovery phrase available just in case. Of course, you should always have access to your recovery phrase–that’s a fundamental habit to maintain–and if you want to read more about taking care of your portfolio in general, then take a look at Understanding Ledger Live: How to Manage Your Crypto Portfolio Effectively.
Installing Other Ledger Wallet Updates
When you open up Ledger Live, you will sometimes see a dot next to where it says My Ledger on the sidebar navigation menu. This can indicate that you need to install Ledger updates of all kinds–not only to the OS–so if you see that dot then take a look in the My Ledger tab.
You should find a notification banner waiting for you there, and for example, here we can see a message announcing that there are two updates available.
Click on the banner to see which updates are ready, and in this case, it’s not the OS, it’s updates to two specific apps: Bitcoin and Solana. It’s important to keep these up to date with the latest versions–just as it is with the OS–so here you’d click on Update all to get everything in order and running smoothly.
Updating Ledger Live
Along with Ledger wallet firmware on the device itself, the other important component is the Ledger Live app, which will also need updates sometimes. However, you don’t need to worry about this, as Ledger Live has an auto-update feature to alert you to new versions as they are released.
Again, if you see a banner on opening Ledger Live telling you that an update to Ledger Live is available, then you simply need to click Download update, and then Install now and relaunch, right there on the banner.
That said, this only applies to recent versions, and if you’re using a desktop version earlier than version 2.30, it’s a good idea to download and install the latest version (which is currently 2.86.0 for desktop) from the Ledger Live site.
To check which version you’re currently using, you can go to the Settings cog at the top right in Ledger Live, and then click the About tab, and your version will be the top item displayed.
Haven’t Updated Ledger Wallet Firmware for a Long Time?
It’s in the nature of hardware wallets that some users might just want to place their coins in cold storage and forget about them for months, years, or until we’re somewhere near the top of a crypto bull run.
In that case though, when you dust off your device and fire it up again, you might find that you’ve missed a few technical developments and skipped your hardware wallet maintenance, and so in that case, you should head straight over to Ledger Live, and check in the My Ledger section for updates, or if you no longer have Ledger Live running, you’ll need to install the latest version (which is fine, because then it will be up-to-date).
Also, don’t worry if something happened to your wallet–maybe it got damaged somewhere down the line and you can’t get it working–as long as you’ve kept your secret recovery phrase safe. Remember that with the recovery phrase, you can restore your wallet and recover all your accounts on a new device, because your crypto is accessible on the blockchain, and the blockchain is decentralized.
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Ps. We compared Ledger to a couple of other hardware wallets:
- Ledger Stax vs Trezor Safe 5
- Ledger Nano S Plus vs Ledger Nano X
- Ledger Nano X vs Trezor Model T
- Ledger Nano X vs Coolwallet Pro
Ps2. Our team also reviewed Ledger products:
Other interesting reads:
How to set up your Ledger wallet successfully.
How to recover your Ledger wallet – and how to avoid losing it in the first place
Staking your crypto on Ledger – earn crypto while doing NOTHING
