Trezor Bridge — The Secure Gateway to Your Hardware Wallet

What is Trezor Bridge?

Trezor Bridge is the official local gateway service that facilitates secure, authenticated communication between your Trezor hardware wallet and desktop applications or browsers. Instead of relying on deprecated plugins or fragile browser extensions, Bridge runs as a lightweight background service that exposes a secure, local API. It is responsible for connecting to the device over USB (or appropriate native channels), forwarding user-initiated commands, and ensuring that messages are delivered without exposing private keys or seed material.

Built for reliability and auditability, Bridge is open-source and maintained by the Trezor team. Developers can review the code on GitHub to verify behaviors, while users download signed binaries from the official Bridge page to preserve integrity. Common uses include powering Trezor Suite, enabling third-party wallet integrations via Trezor Connect, and providing a stable connection surface for exchanges or custodial tools that require hardware-backed signing.

Quick start — installation

1. Visit the official Bridge download page: trezor.io/bridge.
2. Choose the installer matching your OS (Windows, macOS, Linux).
3. Run the installer and follow the on-screen prompts.
4. Restart your browser and connect your Trezor device.

Once installed, Bridge launches automatically and listens on a secure local port. Applications like Trezor Suite will detect it and use it for device discovery and signing flows. If you prefer not to use Bridge, some modern browsers offer WebUSB, but Bridge ensures broader compatibility and fewer user friction points on desktop environments.

How Bridge protects your keys

Bridge does not—and cannot—access private keys or seeds. Those stay inside the Trezor device at all times. Bridge acts as a tunnel for approved commands (e.g., request public key, request signature) and forwards those to the device. All user confirmations must happen on the physical device screen, ensuring that any sensitive operation requires explicit on-device approval. This model preserves a strong boundary between the host computer (which may be compromised) and the secure enclave inside the hardware wallet.

To keep the service trustworthy, Bridge releases are digitally signed and published through official channels. Users should always download Bridge from the official website and verify signatures when working in high-security environments. The codebase is public on GitHub—inspectable for security researchers and auditors.

Developer integration & examples

Developers typically integrate with Bridge through the higher-level Trezor Connect library which abstracts transport, manifest registration, and common flows like account discovery and transaction signing. The basic integration steps are: 1) include trezor-connect in your project, 2) initialize it with a manifest so users can identify your app, 3) call the appropriate API endpoints to request features or sign transactions, and 4) handle user-approved responses.

import TrezorConnect from 'trezor-connect';

TrezorConnect.init({
  manifest: { email: 'dev@yourapp.com', appUrl: 'https://yourapp.com' }
});

TrezorConnect.getFeatures()
  .then(f => console.log(f))
  .catch(e => console.error(e));
          

This flow ensures your app never touches private keys and that users confirm sensitive operations on-device. Bridge runs in the background and handles device enumeration and secure forwarding for you.

Troubleshooting common issues

• Make sure Bridge is installed and the service is running in your OS process list.
• Verify browser permissions for USB / WebUSB if using an alternative transport.
• Restart your computer and reconnect the device if it is not detected.
• Update Bridge to the latest version from trezor.io/bridge.
• Confirm firmware compatibility on the firmware page.

For persistent problems, view Bridge logs (platform-specific locations) or search the Trezor GitHub issues. For official assistance, open a ticket through the Support Center.

Best practices & security hygiene

Always download Bridge and related software from the official Trezor domain. Keep both Suite and Bridge updated; updates include security fixes and performance improvements. When integrating Bridge into apps, require robust manifest information (email and app URL) so users know which app is requesting device access. Avoid logging sensitive responses and never store mnemonics or keys outside the device.

In production, ensure you pin dependencies, enable reproducible builds where possible, and maintain a clear changelog so users and integrators can track breaking changes or compatibility notes. Encourage users to verify firmware signatures on critical machines and follow the official security guidelines posted on the Trezor security page.

Maintenance, updates & performance

Bridge updates are typically lightweight. When Suite or firmware releases require Bridge changes, release notes will indicate any necessary client updates. Bridge focuses on minimal resource usage; it runs headlessly in the background and only becomes active during device operations. For advanced users, Bridge exposes a status endpoint (local) useful for debugging; developers can monitor handshake durations and connection reliability to optimize UX.

Where to learn more

Official documentation and resources: the primary docs hub (Trezor Docs), the Bridge download and info page (trezor.io/bridge), firmware release notes (Firmware), integration examples on GitHub (trezor-suite and trezor-connect), and official support (Support Center).