Trezor Bridge — the secure connector for your hardware wallet
A concise guide to what Trezor Bridge was, how it worked, and where it fits in today’s Trezor ecosystem.
What is Trezor Bridge?
Trezor Bridge was a lightweight desktop helper application designed to let your browser (or Trezor Suite) communicate with a Trezor hardware device. Instead of browser plugins, Bridge ran in the background and exposed a secure local API so web apps and the official software could interact with your Trezor wallet over USB. This approach avoided browser extension security problems and standardized the device communication layer.
How it worked (high level)
When installed, the Bridge process listened for requests from authorized local pages and forwarded commands to the Trezor hardware over USB. The device itself retains the critical secrets — the Bridge only relayed messages and verified device responses. This separation kept private keys on the hardware, while letting modern web apps provide rich interfaces for sending, receiving, and reviewing transactions.
Important change: deprecation of the standalone Bridge
The Trezor team has deprecated the standalone Trezor Bridge. Users are encouraged to move to Trezor Suite and uninstall older Bridge installations to avoid compatibility issues with future releases. If you still have a standalone Bridge installed, the vendor provides instructions for safely removing it on Windows, macOS and Linux. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
Where to get the official tools
For the latest official desktop/web application and instructions, users should download Trezor Suite from the official site. Trezor maintains installation and verification notes and links to releases (desktop and web). If you need Bridge packages or older installers for a particular environment, the project's distribution endpoints include signed installers for Windows, macOS, and many Linux flavors. Always download from the official domain and verify signatures where provided. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
Security considerations
The hardware device keeps your seed and private keys isolated — even a malicious Bridge would not directly reveal them. Still, installing software from unofficial sites can pose risks to the host machine, so rely only on official sources and checksums. If you run a Bridge process locally, watch for unexpected network activity or unfamiliar background processes, and remove any deprecated standalone installation as advised by the vendor. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Final notes
Trezor Bridge played an important transitional role while browsers phased out certain plugin APIs. Today, Trezor’s recommended path is through Trezor Suite and official supported apps — that keeps the stack simpler and reduces the chance of compatibility surprises. If your workflow still depends on a legacy Bridge install, follow the vendor guidance to update or uninstall to remain compatible with future updates.
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