If you have been asking yourself why there's a separate Ledger app for Kusama and if you need both Polkadot and Kusama apps for managing DOT and KSM, this article is for you. It will explain why you need both apps installed in your Ledger.


Since Polkadot and Kusama are separate networks, you still need to download the Kusama app from Ledger Live to operate on the Kusama network.


Follow these simple steps to connect your Ledger to the Kusama network.


1. Install the Kusama app on your Ledger device from Ledger Live.


2. Once the app is installed, follow this guide to import the account into the Polkadot extension (in step 5, choose "Kusama relay chain"). You may notice that you cannot switch networks afterward for that account from the Polkadot extension; this is normal behavior for Ledger accounts.


3. On Polkadot-JS UI, you'll need to switch the network to Kusama:



4. And that's it! If you go to the Accounts page, your Kusama account from Ledger should be accessible, and you will be able to operate from it while your Ledger device is connected and unlocked and your Kusama app is open.