Ledger Recovery Key and Ledger Recover are distinct optional solutions for backing up your Secret Recovery Phrase, offering different formats and methods of protection to the mandatory paper Recovery Sheet.
Ledger Recovery Key is a private, durable 5 cm square card that acts as a "spare key" for your assets. It securely stores your Secret Recovery Phrase offline, directly on the card’s built-in Secure Element chip. Access is protected by a user-defined 4 to 8-digit PIN code. Three incorrect attempts to use it wipe the device. It communicates securely via encrypted NFC with compatible Ledger touchscreen devices. Its purpose is to provide a reliable backup to the Recovery Sheets included in all Ledger hardware devices by providing a convenient, PIN-protected private backup.
Ledger Recover is a digital resilience layer, and a subscription service that securely backs up separate encrypted fragments of your Secret Recovery Phrase. When subscribed, your Ledger device encrypts and splits a version of your Secret Recovery Phrase into three fragments, with each fragment encrypted and then stored by a separate, independent company using Hardware Security Modules (HSMs). These fragments are useless on their own, and the Secret Recovery Phrase is never exposed in a usable form.
To recover, two of the three encrypted fragments must be reassembled only on your Ledger device, requiring explicit consent and identity verification through Ledger Live. It is designed to mitigate risks like loss, damage, or human error associated with purely physical backups. To find out more information about Ledger Recover, please consult Ledger Recover FAQ
Ledger believes in optionality there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to secure self-custody. That’s why we offer multiple solutions to meet users where they are, whether they prefer physical backups, HSM based redundancy, or both.
