Trezor Bridge is a lightweight background service that enables your Trezor hardware wallet to communicate securely with your computer or browser. Without it, your device cannot connect to wallet interfaces like Trezor Suite. This guide serves as your one-stop resource for everything about Trezor Bridge—covering installation, updates, troubleshooting, and expert insights into how it works behind the scenes.
Trezor Bridge acts as a communication layer between your hardware wallet and web applications, using a secure USB interface. It replaces older browser plugins like Trezor Chrome Extension and ensures encrypted data exchange between your device and the computer.
Hardware wallets like Trezor are designed to isolate private keys from online exposure. However, when interacting with blockchain interfaces or signing transactions, your browser needs a way to communicate with the device. Trezor Bridge facilitates this safely, ensuring that no unencrypted data ever leaves your computer.
The software listens for USB connections and translates the communication between the hardware wallet and browser APIs. When you open Trezor Suite or a third-party wallet, Bridge recognizes your device and establishes a secure channel using the HID (Human Interface Device) protocol.
Tip: If your browser can’t detect your Trezor wallet, the Bridge service might not be running or could be blocked by firewall settings.
The latest version of Trezor Bridge is available on the official Trezor website. The setup is straightforward, but ensuring authenticity and proper permissions is critical for secure operation.
Important: Never download Trezor Bridge from third-party sources. Fake installers can contain malware designed to steal seed phrases or mimic wallet interfaces.
Trezor Bridge is continuously updated for modern browsers and OS environments. As of 2025, the compatibility list includes:
Firefox requires manual permission handling for USB connections but works seamlessly once configured.
Updates are crucial to maintain compatibility and patch security vulnerabilities. Trezor Suite typically detects outdated Bridge versions and provides an update prompt. Alternatively, users can manually reinstall from the Trezor website—this overwrites the existing service without affecting wallet data.
Tip: Updating Trezor Bridge does not erase your wallet or affect your recovery seed. It only updates the communication layer.
Even with stable releases, users occasionally encounter connection issues. Below are common problems and practical fixes:
On Linux, you may also need to install udev rules provided on the Trezor support page. Without these rules, your device may not appear when plugged in.
Trezor Bridge never accesses your private keys or seed phrases. Its function is purely to transport encrypted data between your Trezor hardware and host computer. All sensitive operations—such as signing transactions or revealing public keys—occur directly on the device.
Communication flows as follows: browser → Bridge → USB → Trezor device → user confirmation → signed response → Bridge → browser. The Bridge merely passes encrypted packets; it cannot decrypt or alter them.
Developers integrating Trezor devices into custom applications can use the Bridge API. It exposes an HTTP interface on localhost to handle JSON-RPC requests, making it compatible with libraries like trezor-connect.
127.0.0.1:21325This design makes Bridge ideal for decentralized app developers or those creating custom wallets that rely on Trezor security layers.
Some browsers support WebUSB, a native protocol allowing direct USB communication without extra software. While convenient, WebUSB’s permissions vary across operating systems, and Bridge remains the more stable and universal solution.
Recommendation: Use Trezor Bridge for full compatibility and better reliability across different browsers. WebUSB should only be used when Bridge is unavailable.
Trezor’s development roadmap aims to make Bridge lighter and more modular, with improved security monitoring. The integration with Trezor Suite Cloud and multi-OS signing layers hints at an ecosystem where wallet interaction remains fast, secure, and intuitive—without relying on browser plugins.
As the crypto landscape evolves, Trezor Bridge continues to stand as the trusted foundation ensuring your hardware wallet stays connected to the blockchain world securely.