What is Trezor™ Bridge?
Trezor™ Bridge is a lightweight, secure software layer that enables your desktop apps and browsers to communicate with your Trezor hardware wallet over USB. Modern browsers limit direct device access for security reasons — Bridge fills that gap as an authorized local service that handles encrypted messaging between your machine and the device. It is built to be minimal, privacy-respecting, and auditable, acting as the trusted intermediary that keeps private keys sealed on your hardware at all times.
Why a bridge matters
Without a dedicated connector, interactions between web apps and hardware devices would be constrained and inconsistent. Trezor™ Bridge simplifies this by providing a single, stable channel that standardizes device discovery, handshake, and message relay. This means you can approve transactions on the hardware screen while the app submits non-sensitive instructions — a separation that drastically reduces attack surface and preserves the integrity of key material.
Security and privacy by design
The Bridge is engineered with layered safety: communications are only processed locally, the service runs with limited permissions, and it intentionally avoids unnecessary data collection. All signing operations remain on the hardware device and require explicit physical confirmation. Bridge itself does not store private keys or transaction secrets; it only passes encrypted payloads between the app and the device. These constraints make it simple for users to understand and validate the role of each component in their security model.
Seamless experience for users
Installing and running Bridge is designed to be frictionless. Once present, it auto-detects the device when plugged in, offers clear status messages, and provides straightforward troubleshooting cues if connectivity issues arise. For developers, Bridge exposes a stable, documented interface that eases integration and improves reliability across platforms. For end users, that translates into fewer prompts, faster transactions, and fewer surprises.