What is Trezor Bridge?
Trezor Bridge is an essential piece of software that acts as a secure, local intermediary between your Trezor hardware wallet and web-based wallet interfaces. While your Trezor wallet holds your private keys offline, safely isolated from online threats, the web application needs a way to communicate with it to display your balances and create transactions. This is where Trezor Bridge comes in. It's a small program that runs on your computer and is responsible for detecting your Trezor device, establishing a secure connection with it over a recognized USB protocol, and facilitating the secure signing of transactions.
Think of it as the secure translator for your Trezor. Web applications, like Trezor Suite, are isolated in your browser, a high-risk environment. Without Trezor Bridge, these applications would have no way to directly and securely communicate with your device. The Bridge ensures that all communication is local and authenticated, preventing man-in-the-middle attacks and ensuring that your sensitive information, such as your private keys, never leaves the hardware wallet. This setup maintains the core promise of a hardware wallet: that your keys are never exposed to the internet.
How It Works: A Simple, Secure Process
1. Local Application on Your Computer
When you install Trezor Bridge, it's a small, lightweight application that runs quietly in the background on your desktop. It doesn't consume significant system resources and only becomes active when you visit a web-based wallet interface that requires it.
2. Communication via USB Protocol
When you connect your Trezor device to your computer via a USB cable, Trezor Bridge recognizes it instantly. It establishes a direct, encrypted connection, allowing the web interface to send unsigned transaction data to the hardware wallet.
3. Transaction Signing on the Trezor Device
The unsigned transaction data is sent through the Bridge to your Trezor. The hardware wallet's isolated secure element then performs the cryptographic signing process using your private keys. This is the most crucial step, as the keys never leave the device.
4. Returning the Signed Transaction
Once signed, the transaction is sent back through Trezor Bridge to the web application. The web application can then broadcast the signed transaction to the blockchain, all without ever having access to your private keys.
Key Features & Benefits
Enhanced Security
Trezor Bridge is a foundational element of Trezor's security model. It ensures that your private keys are completely isolated from your internet-connected computer, providing robust protection against malware, phishing, and other online threats. The Bridge's design eliminates the risk of an attacker intercepting your keys during a transaction.
Seamless User Experience
Despite its critical role in security, Trezor Bridge operates seamlessly in the background. The user experience remains smooth and intuitive. Once installed, it runs automatically, and you can connect to Trezor Suite and other compatible services without any additional steps.
Cross-Platform Compatibility
Trezor Bridge is compatible with all major operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This ensures that a wide range of users can connect their Trezor devices to web-based applications securely, regardless of their chosen platform.
Lightweight & Efficient
The application is designed to be minimal and efficient. It has a small footprint on your system and does not interfere with other applications. Its sole purpose is to provide the secure communication layer, which it does with high reliability.
Ready to Get Started?
Trezor Bridge is an essential part of the official Trezor Suite setup. To begin your secure journey, download the latest version of Trezor Suite, which includes Trezor Bridge.
Download Trezor Suite (Includes Bridge)