Trezor Bridge and Trezor device

Trezor Bridge — The Secure Gateway to Your Hardware Wallet®

Trezor Bridge is the lightweight, trusted application that securely connects your Trezor hardware wallet® to your computer. It acts as a translator between web interfaces and the device, ensuring that every command, signature request, and transaction stays private and verifiable.

Updated guide • Clear explanation • Best practices

Trezor Bridge plays a deceptively simple but critical role in the safety of your crypto. When you use a Trezor hardware wallet® with a browser-based wallet manager or a desktop app, Bridge handles the communication layer — mapping USB calls to secure web messages. This isolation reduces attack surface: websites never get direct low-level access to your device, and the Bridge enforces the allowed operations.

Screenshot of Trezor Bridge connection dialog
Example: Trezor Bridge prompts and connection panel — replace this image with your own screenshot for documentation.

How Trezor Bridge protects your keys

At its core, Trezor Bridge ensures your device's private keys never leave the hardware. When a signing request occurs, Bridge forwards the request to the device, which then displays transaction details on its secure screen for manual user confirmation. Because the device itself validates and signs, even a compromised host computer cannot forge signatures or exfiltrate keys.

Isolation

Bridge isolates USB communications and exposes a constrained API to apps — limiting what external software can request.

User confirmation

Every sensitive operation requires you to confirm on the device display — a tamper-resistant step crucial for security.

Signed interactions

Bridge facilitates signed messages and transactions without exposing the private key to the host environment.

Installation and compatibility

Trezor Bridge is available for major desktop operating systems and installs quickly. Once installed, it runs in the background and automatically detects connected Trezor devices. Most modern browser-based wallet managers, including official Trezor Suite or compatible third-party apps, will detect your device through Bridge without additional setup.

Best practices when using Bridge

  1. Download only from official sources. Always get Bridge from the official Trezor website or the verified repository to avoid malicious versions.
  2. Keep Bridge updated. Security and compatibility fixes are delivered regularly — updating minimizes risks and improves UX.
  3. Verify device prompts. Never confirm a transaction on the device unless the details shown exactly match what you expect.
  4. Use a secure host. While Bridge protects keys, avoid using public or untrusted machines when managing significant funds.

When to troubleshoot

If your browser cannot detect the Trezor device, first check that Bridge is installed and running. Reconnect the USB cable, try a different port, or restart the Bridge service. If problems persist, consult the official troubleshooting documentation and ensure both the device firmware and Bridge are up to date.