In this article you will learn how to add your Ledger Polkadot account in the Polkadot extension.
‼️ IMPORTANT

The Polkadot extension is an account manager meant for power users and developers. There are several user-friendly browser extensions funded by the Polkadot Treasury that support a lot of features right from the extension. Discover them on Polkadot's homepage.


We highly recommend that you add your accounts in the browser extension, as it has many advantages:


1. It provides better security than using the Web UI directly.

2. Your browser won't "forget" your accounts if its cookies are cleared.

3. It allows you to interact with any Web 3.0 compatible site in the Polkadot ecosystem.

4. The extension recognizes all known Polkadot scams and alerts you when you try to visit a known scam site. This will help you protect yourself and your funds.


If you haven't installed the Polkadot extension yet, you can find download instructions here.


ℹ️ GOOD TO KNOW

The Polkadot extension is an account manager, not a wallet. You will still need to use Polkadot-JS UI to interact with your accounts and see your balance. 

How to add your Ledger account through the extension


1. First, update your browser to the latest version. Please note that Ledger hardware device support is only available on Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Brave, Edge) where WebUSB and WebHID support is available in the browser.


2. Connect and unlock your Ledger and open the Polkadot app

3. Open the extension and click on the plus (+) button on the top right

4. Click on "Attach ledger account":


5. Select "Polkadot Relay Chain" from the drop-down menu. 

6. Once you do, a text field will appear. Give your account a name. 

7. Then, the Account type and index will appear. You can leave them to the default values of zero. 


8. Finally, click on Import Account.


⛔️ READ THIS FIRST!

If you choose to change the Account Type and Index, make sure to note them down for the future. Every Account Type and Index combination will produce a different DOT address. If you need to re-add your Ledger account in the future, you will need to select the same Account Type and Index in order to access the same account.



‼️ IMPORTANT:

If you get an error "No device selected", check your browser settings. Go to: 

Settings > Privacy and Security > Site Settings > Additional permissions > USB devices 

and make sure "Sites can ask to connect to USB devices" is selected. Then try again.

If this doesn't help, please ensure that your browser has permissions to access USB devices, in particular if it is running as a snap such as Brave on Ubuntu.  As a workaround, uninstall the default version and reinstall it from the official package repositories.

If your Ledger account doesn't appear on your Accounts page right away, refresh the page. 

If you prefer visual instructions, you can check this video which also shows an example of how you can stake using your Ledger account. This video covers Ledger accounts in general, but you can skip to the 2:30 timestamp in the video to view the instructions on how to add your Ledger account in the Polkadot extension: