If you are new to the world of cryptocurrencies and keeping your crypto assets in cold storage, things may seem daunting. There’s just so much terminology and things you have to learn. And the last thing you probably want is to risk losing your assets.
In this article, I am going to cover one topic that often confuses (and scares) crypto newcomers. I am going to discuss what happens if you uninstall the Ledger Live application or delete any of the apps installed on your ledger device. For those that are looking for quick answers:
You can safely uninstall the Ledger Live application or remove any of the Ledger apps installed on your wallet. Your funds are safe because the private keys that give access to your crypto assets remain securely on the Ledger hardware wallet.
There are some minor nuances though that you should consider before uninstalling and I am going to discuss all of them in this article. So without further ado, let’s get started!
Uninstalling Ledger Live Desktop Keeps Your Accounts
Sometimes the need to uninstall Ledger Live can arise (whether for troubleshooting, moving to a new computer, etc).
If you uninstall the Ledger Live desktop application on Windows, it will remove the application and executable files from your OS like with any other program. As already states you do not lose your crypto assets or access to them!
Regular uninstall (from Add/Remove programs) does not even delete the application data folder of Ledger Live that holds information about configured accounts, settings, etc).
This means that if after uninstalling you go ahead and reinstall Ledger Live on the same PC, all your added accounts and setting changes will still be there. I have demonstrated this in the Youtube video below:
If you want to do a clean uninstall of Ledger Live (delete everything, including saved accounts and settings) you have to first reset Ledger Live and then uninstall the application.
Note! In Windows, the Ledger Live application data is stored in %APPDATA%. You can copy and open the location in Windows Explorer, locate the “Ledger Live” folder and delete it manually to remove any application data stored on your PC.
Uninstalling Ledger Live From Mobile Also Deletes App Data
Unlike the Ledger Live desktop application, if you uninstall the Ledger Live mobile app, it will also delete all the configured accounts and settings changes. This means that If you re-install Ledger Live on your phone you must set up the application from a blank sheet again.
If you want to restore the accounts that you previously configured, you have two options:
- Export Accounts from Ledger Live Desktop – If you are using both the Ledger mobile and desktop apps simultaneously, you can export your accounts (and configured settings) from the Ledger Live desktop application (Settings → Accounts → Export Accounts) and import them to your phone app.
- Add accounts back manually – When you connect your Ledger hardware wallet to your phone, you can add back all the required accounts manually. Ledger Live will query the blockchain for all your associated addresses and allows you to choose which ones you want to add to the application.
Note! If you only use the Ledger Live mobile app and plan on uninstalling (with the intention to re-install), take note (or screenshot) of your configured accounts, so you would remember which ones to add back.
The key thing to understand here is that if you uninstall the Ledger Live mobile app, your funds are secured safely on the blockchain whether you decide to reinstall the application and add the accounts back or not.
Deleting Ledger Wallet Apps Is Completely Safe
Apps installed on your Ledger hardware wallet are only used for managing crypto assets. You can safely install and uninstall these apps when needed. Your private keys stay safe on your device and are backed up by your 24-word recovery sheet.
Having to remove/install the wallet apps used to be the norm with the original Ledger Nano S, which has quite a limited memory capacity. It could only fit about 2-3 applications, meaning that you sometimes had to remove apps to make room for others.
In conclusion, uninstalling the Ledger Live or Ledger wallet apps is really not a big deal. You don’t have to worry about losing your crypto assets or access to them. If you have your hardware wallet (and recovery seed as a backup) on hand, you can safely uninstall / reinstall both the Ledger Live application as well as the wallet apps.