The **Trezor Bridge®** is an indispensable utility layer that empowers you to communicate securely and seamlessly with your Trezor hardware wallet via a browser. Unlike ad hoc browser extensions or unsecured plugins, Bridge acts as an authenticated channel linking your computer to your device, ensuring your crypto keys remain safe within the hardware device and never exposed to the host environment.
At its core, Trezor Bridge® is a small background application (daemon) installed on your operating system. It handles USB or WebUSB communication between your browser or wallet interface (e.g. Trezor Web) and your physical Trezor device. This architecture ensures that no sensitive data, including private keys or seed phrases, travels through insecure layers. Bridge abstracts the complexity of device communication, letting developers and users interact with Trezor with minimal friction.
Security and reliability are paramount when dealing with digital assets. By using Bridge, you achieve:
Internally, Trezor Bridge® listens on a local port (for example, 21325) on the computer’s localhost interface. The wallet web app communicates via HTTP or WebSockets to this local port. Bridge then relays requests to the Trezor hardware via USB or WebUSB APIs. All messages are encrypted and structured according to protocol standards. This decoupling means the browser doesn’t talk directly to USB hardware—which helps with sandboxing and reduces attack surface.
To use Bridge, you download and run its installer on your system. During installation, it grants permissions to access USB devices. Bridge periodically checks for updates and can prompt you to upgrade. These updates may include improvements in compatibility, bug fixes, or support for new hardware or protocols. Always ensure you're downloading Bridge from the official Trezor website to avoid tampered versions.
Trezor Bridge® works on Windows (7 or newer), macOS (10.12+), and many Linux distributions. For browsers, it supports Chrome, Firefox, Brave, Edge, and others that support WebUSB or fallback to HTTP communication. If a browser doesn’t allow direct USB, Bridge can simulate communication through fallback techniques.
Bridge itself is a trusted component within your local machine. It doesn’t store any private key data. However, because it runs locally and listens on a port, you should:
If WebUSB access is blocked or your browser is incompatible, Bridge can fallback to a bridged HTTP layer, which proxies communication. While this introduces slight overhead, it preserves functionality. Also note that in certain restricted environments (corporate networks with firewall rules), the local port might be blocked. In such cases, port exemptions might be required.
Bridge follows semantic versioning. Each release is tested against supported browser versions and Trezor firmware versions. If your Trezor’s firmware is newer, Bridge may trigger a warning until updated. Always match Bridge to the recommended version for your device to ensure stable operations.
Communications via Bridge are optimized for minimal latency—commands and responses are small in size, so round‑trip times are negligible in normal desktop environments. Even complex operations, such as enumerating accounts, signatures, or encryption tasks, remain fast and fluid.
The Trezor development team is continually working on enhancements. Future versions may include zero‑trust verification, hardened cryptographic tunnels, or improved error recovery mechanisms. The goal is always to keep the **Trezor Bridge®** layer transparent to users while improving robustness and resilience.
Without Bridge, your browser will likely not detect the Trezor device or be unable to communicate with it. You might see “device not found” errors or prompts to install missing drivers. The wallet UI often prompts you to install Bridge to proceed.
Bridge is safe when downloaded from the official source and used on a trusted system. It doesn’t store keys or seed phrases. However, if your computer is compromised by malware or a rootkit, a malicious actor could intercept or mimic Bridge traffic. Thus, local system security is critical.
Yes, Trezor Bridge® supports many modern Linux distributions. The installer or package (e.g. .deb, .AppImage) is available from the official site, and the service runs in the background. Make sure to grant USB permissions (udev rules) so the Bridge can access the device.
Bridge usually notifies you in the UI when an update is available. You can also manually download and install the latest version from Trezor’s official website. Uninstalling older versions first is recommended for a clean upgrade.
Yes, Bridge can detect and interface with multiple Trezor hardware wallets connected at the same time. The wallet interface (UI) will allow you to select which device to interact with. Each session remains isolated and secure.