I have been using Logitech peripherals for years. Logitech gear always just worked.
Now they demand internet accounts to use the features of the keyboard and mouse that I purchased. WTF?
Not only that, have to use wide-open-to-snooping Chrome to adjust the settings. You cannot adjust/use your mouse and keyboard if you just use Firefox.
This only makes sense if they are planning (or are already) tracking my every move online to sell to advertisers or spooks.
What are the good options?
Also, if anybody sees how these changes could be benign, please let me know.
EDIT:
By popular demand:
The keyboard I bought that started this journey: MX Keys S
The key feature that first demanded cloud access: Swithing between computers, now it is requires it to adjust the receivers. I have both a Bolt and a Unifying receiver.
Mouse (actually a trackball) that now is requesting that I use a Chrome Browser to adjust it: M570
Software:
The Logi SetPoint Settings I open from Windows now requires you to log into your Logitech account to make changes to your Unifying or 2.4 ghz usb receiver. This link takes you to a screen that says Logi Web Connect. It does not work unless you use the latest version of Chrome, Edge, & Opera, but reccomends Chrome for the best experience.
Logitech + used to require this to enable options, but I don’t see it on my Windows computer anymore. It is still on my Mac, but upon opening it to confirm for this message, it seems to be announcing that it is now able to incorporate AI into everything I type. (ugggh)
I know this might not be the most convenient solution, but learning to resolder mouse switches means you can just replace the faulty components (and maybe the sliders too) and just keep using the hardware that works for you. As long as you don’t have a mouse with that awful rubber that de-vulcanizes after about 3 years, and don’t mind the visual wear from your hand on the shell over time, you’ll easily 10x the life of most products manufactured with planned obsolescence. Logitech almost always cheaps out on the switches for their gaming mice, unfortunately. After replacing the switches on my g pro wireless when they started double-clicking after 2 years (almost exactly), it’s been smooth sailing ever since.
ifixit almost always has comprehensive teardown and rebuild instructions for popular peripherals. Bonus points is that whenever you take apart something to do a repair, you can clean out all the hard to reach places that collect random dust and debris. Can be kind of gross but is also pretty satisfying. Additional bonus points for being more sustainable with your consumer habits and minimizing e-waste in landfills!
If you’ve got a mechanical keyboard, you can do the same but it’s generally a lot more tedious since most have the switches soldered on, and LEDs double the amount of joints you have to deal with. I recently did just the WASD and a few other high-traffic keys on my board after one one of them failed, and it was a several hour process
Probably not the answer you’re looking for, but switch to Linux and use Piper, a free & open source replacement for the Logitech software, that was created because they don’t offer an official version for Linux
Cool!!!
Every fuckdamn ‘switch to linux’ cultist in this thread is getting blocked right the fuck now
Hey, block me too!
Since the best course of action is not supporting predatory companies, using Linux is THE solution for such problems.
Dude, chill.
This just in, child online upset that people recommend the open source solution to an issue caused by proprietary crap.
In other news, OP who had said question responds to helpful suggestion with “Cool!!!”
We at OPBR (Orrk Public Broadcast Radio, your favorite pirate news satire group) think that someone needs to cool their beans
Build your own or buy from other mech keeb enthusiasts. Theres also probably some 60-80 dollar ones that use QMK, and using QMK is a pretty good sign the keyboard is open to you and you own it. Mice, idk I definitely have an enshittified mouse (proprietary app to setup). It’d a gravistar. 130 for a magnesium mouse was too good to pass up.
Some of the older apps will still work if you can track them down. Most of the features will work with no Logitech software at all (and something like AHK can help). The custom drivers themselves will probably work without the app or at least without logging in. My old M560 still uses SetPoint in Windows, and it seems less oppressive than the newer LogiOptions or whatever.
Finally, join us! There’s a whole world of fully programmable open-source-firmware custom keyboards, and mice are coming along, too, especially trackballs.
Disclaimer: I’m a keyboard snob. I can’t think of a single good keyboard that even has software.
I actually use Logitech for all my mice and trackballs, but I also haven’t installed Logitech’s junky software in a long time. Maybe I don’t know what I’m missing.
Can you help me solve keyboard chattering then please? I’ve got some from Massdrop from a few years back that are pretty unusable without program to dechatter/debounce them.
If you have chattering, that is sadly a problem with the specific switch itself and the software has just been ignoring the issue. I don’t suppose the keyboard you’re using is hotswappable? If it is, just pull and replace those switches. If not, you either need to desolder the bad switches and resolder in replacements or stick with that software. I have had some consistently bad chattering issues with Gateron switches to the point that I completely avoid them as a manufacturer. So if you coincidentally are using switches from them and plan to replace them, I’d look for a different brand of switch.
I’ll look more into it again someday. Once I found a program that effectively filtered it I stopped digging. But I think it’s Windows only. I don’t remember.
The switches were HALO Clear or something like that.
Well, if your keyboard is hotswappable and you have any spare switches, it could be a quick fix as long as you know which switches/keys are chattering and you have leftovers. I don’t know who (Mass)drop had actually manufacture the Halo Clear switches, it could be Gateron, but I don’t think they made that information public.
Dygma is second to nobody and has software.
While that keyboard isn’t for me, I’ll admit that look good and does in fact have software. Good counter point. Also, that software appears to just for reconfiguration of the layout and probably macros so I bet it doesn’t need to be run all the time, or even at all if you like the standard layout. That is how software for hardware should be done.
Fellow keyboard snob here. Gotta say I love keyboard that use VIA/vial for software, It’s open source and can run in a browser without installation.
Wooting keyboards also have the wooting configuration software that is also ran in a browser and is very good.
Just hope one day they all get supported on firefox.
I suppose technically any keyboard with a programmable controller could be considered to have software even if you don’t need to run, but I was thinking more along the lines of Logitech or Razer always memory resident garbage.
I think the mice and keyboard requiring “Chrome” is actually due to WebHID. WebHID is only supported in Chromium browsers. Now here’s the fun part, this thread has VIA mentioned a couple times and even though VIA/QMK/ZMK are FOSS, the usevia.app website requires a, you guessed it, WebHID capable browser.
That said, don’t use Logitech keyboards. Sell it to a sucker on local and buy any of the above compatible keyboards instead. Drop CSTM, Luminkey, Keychron, Akko, QK NEO, CK Bakaneko, there’s probably couple more that are affordable and quality. Just don’t fall for GMMK, Ducky and other pseudo-gaming crap. Also visit !mechanicalkeyboards@lemmy.ml and ask questions.
Not sure about your trackball problem.
Just here to back you up on this. All solid advice.
If it runs QMK I would port to vial over via any day of the week, cannot stand via. Granted I need to run the app when I want to adjust the key map (and only then), but it removes the need for WebHID or any similar problems. I have been able to replace my custom mapping and macros then compiling my own custom QMK firmware and uploading it to the keyboard workflow with live editing of the map and macros.
Use Keychron
You could get keychron keyboard or something similar that supports open source key mapping/lighting (or just leave it as is when you get it)
Got a Keychron K8 Pro wireless for work very recently. I was considering the MX Keys S and went to the store try out both of them. I just want to second Keychron as being a viable option instead of Logitech (but nothing will make me switch from MX Anywhere 3S).
Just don’t use the software lol. If it requires software to function, return it.
garbage advice lol
the software has useful features, like reconfiguring buttons on your mouse. however lately all of them got to be enshittified with a login requirement.
the real solution is to not buy their shit, or to keep buying used hardware for which decent software configurator is still available
My advice was to not buy/use it and your advice is also to not buy it lol
Jawbone headsets used to be like that. When they were still in business. They made good headsets, but introduced this feature as well to change certain settings.
Apparently that wasn’t taught in business schools.
I still have a small fleet of M570 trackballs in service, I keep having to swap out the switches but what else is my soldering iron doing, amirite? My keyboard is from Cooler Master, a Masterkeys Pro M White LEDs, and they never made bloatware for it. The lights are configurable from the keyboard itself. That’s the kind of thing I look for.
I’m going to assume you need to use Chrome to set up the dongle because Firefox still doesn’t support Bluetooth web APIs.
Logitech G devices with the Lightspeed dongle don’t require setup (they’re all uniquely paired from the factory) and will work without the G Hub software. The software itself, if you do want it, works offline without an account.
This is assuming you don’t want to move away from Logitech entirely of course.
I have boycotted Logitech since they started pushing Logitech Download Assistant through Windows Update, as soon as you plug a Logitech device into your Windows computer you get the program Logitech Downlod Assitant that you can’t uninstall or easily stop running.
So I got myself a Xtrfy M4 and later the Xtrfy M4 Wireless, they require zero program to configure it, it’s brilliant!
Last week I got myself a Pulsar Xlite V3, it needs a program to configure it, but it is manually installed, require no internet connection and saves the config to the mouse.
As for keyboards, I am a huge fan of Ducky keyboards, they just work for me.
For my audio, I use a Röde Videomic Go II, no software needed, but Röde central is used to configure it, it acts as a soundcard that I connect my Philips X2HR Fidelio headphones to.
It works brilliantly!
Custom mechanical keyboard, and older Logitech mice.
