ZeroTrace Companion

Installation

Name: ZeroTrace
Address: DE

Download Companion for Windows, macOS, or Linux and connect your first device

The Companion app is a free download from GitHub Releases. No account required, no telemetry, no install-time license check.

Download

Platform	Release	Size	Requirements
Windows	Windows release	~11.5 MB	Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
macOS	macOS release	~5 MB	Intel + Apple Silicon
Linux	Linux release	~10 MB	Tested Ubuntu 20.04+ (64-bit)

Source: github.com/ZeroTracePW/desktop. Release notes accompany every tag.

Download the Windows installer (.exe or .msi).
Run the installer. SmartScreen may warn for fresh release builds — click More info → Run anyway.
Launch from the Start menu.
The CH343 USB-Serial driver is bundled.

USB drivers (rare cases):

Most ZeroTrace devices auto-install drivers on first plug.
If a device doesn't appear in the COM port list, install the CH340 / CP210x driver from the manufacturer's site or via Windows Update.
Confirm the COM port number in Device Manager → Ports (COM & LPT).

Plug the device's COM port (not USB) into your computer with a USB-C data cable.
Open Companion.
The device auto-appears in the device list within ~2 s.
Click Connect.

Device dashboard opens with firmware version, storage usage, and connectivity. See First Launch for the full tour.

First-time USB permission prompts

Grant any USB-access permission your OS asks for. macOS in particular prompts on first connection — click Allow.

Symptom	Fix
Device not in port list	Cable is charge-only (most "USB-C cables" are). Try a known-good data cable.
Wrong port (USB instead of COM)	Switch the cable to the device's COM port. The USB port talks to targets, not the host.
Permission denied (Linux)	Group change isn't active — `groups` should list `dialout` (Debian) or `uucp` (Arch). Log out / log in.
Companion launches but stays empty	App not yet detecting devices — confirm the OS sees the COM port (Windows Device Manager / `dmesg
Port busy	Another app is holding it (Web Flasher, browser serial monitor, the dashboard's COM picker). Close it.
Firmware update stalls	Don't unplug. ESP32-S3 flashing takes ~2 minutes; only retry after >5 minutes idle.

First Launch — tour after install.
Connecting Devices — multi-device setups, custom firmware, serial-port deep dive.
Troubleshooting — full failure-mode catalog.