Trezor Bridge® | Official Guide to Connecting Your Trezor Hardware Wallet

🌐 What Is Trezor Bridge®?

Trezor Bridge® is the official communication interface developed by SatoshiLabs that enables your Trezor® hardware wallet to securely connect with modern web browsers and web-based wallets. Unlike legacy browser plugins, Trezor Bridge runs locally on your computer as a background service, acting as a secure bridge between supported browsers and your device. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

👉 Download or learn more from the official official Trezor Bridge page: https://trezor.io/bridge/ :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

🧠 Why Trezor Bridge Is Important

1. Secure Browser Communication

Web browsers restrict direct USB access for security. Trezor Bridge® solves this by safely relaying messages between your browser and your Trezor device, ensuring encrypted and verified communication. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

2. Broad Compatibility

Bridge works across major browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Brave, on Windows, macOS, and Linux. This makes it compatible with most user environments. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

3. Consistent Updates

Instead of depending on outdated browser plugins or drivers, Trezor Bridge is updated and maintained externally, giving a more secure and reliable interface. :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

🔧 How Trezor Bridge Works (High-Level)

Step-by-Step Communication Flow:

  1. Your Trezor wallet is connected via USB.
  2. The browser requests connection to Trezor Bridge.
  3. Trezor Bridge listens on a local port (localhost).
  4. The browser-bridge handshake is established.
  5. Bridge securely forwards commands to your device.
  6. Your device signs or responds inside the hardware.
  7. Bridge relays the result back to the browser interface. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

📥 Install & Set Up Trezor Bridge

Official Download and Installation

Always download Trezor Bridge only from the official Trezor download page: https://trezor.io/bridge/ :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Windows & macOS

1. Visit the official Bridge page.
2. Choose your OS and download the installer.
3. Run the installer and allow system permissions if prompted.
4. Restart your browser or computer after installation. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}

Linux

Install the `.deb` or `.rpm` package for your distribution or use your package manager, and then start the Bridge background service. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Tip:

The service typically runs automatically in the background; you may see it running as a small background process on your machine. :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}

🔗 Another official setup path: https://trezor.io/start — guides you through complete onboarding with Bridge. :contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}

🧪 Step-by-Step Usage With Your Browser

After installation, plug in your Trezor device using a USB cable. Then:

  1. Open your browser.
  2. Navigate to the official Trezor wallet interface: https://wallet.trezor.io/ :contentReference[oaicite:12]{index=12}
  3. Your browser will prompt to connect via Bridge.
  4. Authorize access by clicking “Allow”.
  5. You can now view accounts, check balances, and sign transactions directly from your browser interface. :contentReference[oaicite:13]{index=13}

Tip for Developers

Developers can interact with the local Bridge API through Trezor Connect libraries. Official docs: https://github.com/trezor/connect (GitHub). :contentReference[oaicite:14]{index=14}

🛠 Troubleshooting Common Issues

Bridge Service Not Running

If your browser says “Bridge not installed” or “cannot detect Trezor” — make sure:

macOS Security Block

On macOS, you may need to authorize Bridge under “System Settings > Privacy & Security”. :contentReference[oaicite:18]{index=18}

Uninstall & Reinstall

If issues persist, uninstall Bridge, then reinstall from: https://trezor.io/bridge/ :contentReference[oaicite:19]{index=19}

🔐 Security & Best Practices

Only Use Official Links

Always use the official Trezor links below to download and manage Bridge or firmware. Avoid third-party sources. :contentReference[oaicite:20]{index=20}

Protect Your Recovery Seed

The Bridge never asks for your recovery seed or private keys — they remain safely stored on your hardware wallet. :contentReference[oaicite:21]{index=21}

📌 Summary & Final Notes

Trezor Bridge® is an essential, lightweight background application to allow secure communication between your Trezor hardware wallet and web browsers. It provides a secure, cross-platform bridge that doesn’t expose your keys to the internet and makes browser-based crypto management easy and safe. :contentReference[oaicite:22]{index=22}

When used with official links and best practices, Bridge provides a smooth and secure experience for sending transactions, checking balances, and managing your hardware wallet online. :contentReference[oaicite:23]{index=23}