Introduction — why Trezor Bridge matters
Trezor Bridge is the official communication component that enables secure, local, high-integrity interactions between your Trezor device and desktop or web applications. When you use Trezor Bridge, the hardware wallet stays offline for private key storage, while Bridge acts as a local, authenticated translator that forwards requests, receives signed transactions, and ensures every action requires on-device confirmation. For safety and trust, always get Trezor Bridge from the official starting point at Trezor.io/start.
How Trezor Bridge works
At a high level, Trezor Bridge runs as a small background process on your machine. It exposes a secure, local interface that trusted wallet apps (for example, Trezor Suite) can use to communicate with the connected Trezor hardware via USB. Bridge does not have access to your private keys — it merely routes requests and ensures that any sensitive operation is confirmed physically on the Trezor device screen. This architecture reduces exposure to browser-based attacks while maintaining a fast and reliable user experience.
Install & setup
Go to Trezor.io/start and choose the Bridge installer for your operating system. Verify the file if a checksum is provided.
Follow OS prompts. On some systems, you may need to grant small permissions for the Bridge service to run.
Launch Trezor Suite or your third-party app — it should detect Bridge automatically and request pairing with your Trezor device.
Every transaction and sensitive request must be confirmed on your Trezor device. Check device fingerprints and details before approving.
Security best practices
To keep your cryptocurrency safe while using Trezor Bridge, follow these recommendations:
- Only download Trezor Bridge from Trezor.io/start to avoid tampered or counterfeit installers.
- Keep your OS and Bridge updated. Security updates fix vulnerabilities quickly — apply them from trusted sources.
- Always confirm transactions on the Trezor screen; never approve blind signing requests you don't understand.
- Do not enter your recovery seed into any computer or website. Bridge does not require seed words.
Troubleshooting tips
Device not detected: Use a different USB cable or port, and confirm the cable supports data (not only charging). Try reinstalling Bridge from Trezor.io/start.
Installer blocked by OS: Allow the installer in system preferences or temporarily bypass the Gatekeeper while verifying the checksum of the downloaded file.
Developer & advanced notes
Developers integrating Trezor support should design flows assuming that Bridge provides a local RPC-like interface. Always prompt users to confirm critical details on-device and avoid exposing sensitive payloads in logs. For integration, consult the official developer docs linked from Trezor.io/start.