Trezor Bridge^ – Secure Connection for Your Crypto Trezor^
Bridge your device safely — local, fast, and transparent
Trezor Bridge provides a dependable, privacy-first local channel that connects web and desktop wallets to your Trezor hardware device. It keeps private keys isolated inside the device while enabling secure signing and trusted device discovery.
Overview & Value Proposition
Trezor Bridge is the trusted translator between your local machine and the secure, offline world of a hardware wallet. Its core function is simple but essential: establish an encrypted, local-only communication channel so that wallets and applications may request public data and signing operations from your Trezor without exposing private keys or routing sensitive information over the internet.
Built with privacy and transparency as foundational principles, the Bridge runs as a lightweight background service, auto-detects attached devices, and exposes a small, well-documented API that third-party wallet software can use to interact with a Trezor device. The design intentionally avoids cloud intermediaries — all traffic remains on-device and on-host, greatly reducing metadata leakage and third-party trust requirements.
- Ensures signing happens on the hardware device — private keys never leave the secure element.
- Offers predictable cross-platform behavior and fewer driver headaches for end-users.
- Makes integrations simpler for developers while preserving hard security guarantees.
Core Features & Capabilities
Local-Only Channel
All communication between an application and the Trezor device is routed locally. No cloud relay or external broker is required or used.
Cross-Platform Support
One installer works across Windows, macOS, and many Linux distributions. Bridge includes sensible defaults for USB and WebHID/WebUSB transports.
Open Source & Auditable
The code is public, enabling independent security reviews, audits, and community contributions.
Automatic Device Discovery
Plug and play detection with clear UI signals, minimizing user confusion during the first-time setup.
Session Persistence
Short-lived encrypted sessions simplify multi-step flows (e.g., complex signing, multisig participants) while keeping state local.
Diagnostic Mode
Optional telemetry for troubleshooting (user-controlled) and local logs that help identify driver or connectivity problems without exposing keys.
Bridge exposes a minimal API: device discovery, session negotiation, and JSON-RPC style command patterns for signing and retrieving public keys. Use mocked transports for unit testing and physical devices for integration tests.
Developer Guide & Integration Patterns
Developers integrating hardware wallet support should follow a staged approach: start with read-only interactions (fetching public addresses), then implement simple single-signature signing flows, and finally support advanced patterns like multisig coordination, account discovery, and transaction batching. Always show users a clear transaction summary and prompt explicit on-device approval before signing.
async function discover() {
const bridge = await Bridge.connect(); // local API
const devices = await bridge.listDevices();
return devices;
}
async function sign(tx) {
const session = await Bridge.openSession();
const sig = await session.signTransaction(tx);
await session.close();
return sig;
}
- Never cache private key material or seeds in application storage.
- Pin supported protocol versions and validate device firmware compatibility.
- Provide clear, human-readable transaction details for on-device confirmation.
Testing note: use a combination of mocked transports for automated runs and at least one physical-device test in CI or manual QA to confirm platform-specific behaviors (USB permission dialogues, WebHID quirks, and driver interactions).
Troubleshooting & FAQ
- Device not found: Check cable, try another port, ensure Bridge is running, and unlock your device.
- Permission denied: On first use, browsers request access for WebHID/WebUSB — guide users to accept and persist the permission.
- Old firmware: Ask users to update the device firmware from official sources and avoid unverified packages.
- Is Bridge safe? Yes — Bridge is designed to keep private keys on the hardware; Bridge only acts as a local messenger and is open for audit.
- Can I run multiple instances? Running multiple Bridge instances concurrently is not recommended; use one active service to avoid port and session conflicts.
- Where to download? Always use official distribution sources, verify checksums and signatures when provided.
Get started with Trezor Bridge
Download, test on a device, and explore SDK examples. Follow security best practices and keep both Bridge and device firmware up to date.