Table of Contents
Logitech devices need a dongle to connect to a laptop
This applies to Logitech keyboards, mice and headsets that are not Bluetooth compatible.
If the dongle is lost, in most situations, a new dongle is required to connect. We cover the general cases first and the exceptions at the end of this post.
Can I use a Bluetooth dongle to connect?
Most Logitech keyboard and mouse are not based on Bluetooth. Rather they are based on proprietary Logitech protocols and technology.
Can I use any Logitech dongle if I lose the original receiver?
No, you cannot use any Logitech dongle. Let’s take a closer look at why.
Many different USB dongles
Over the years, Logitech has developed four different USB receiver dongles
- Nano
- Unifying
- Lightspeed
- Bolt
These receivers provide a convenient way for a wireless connection between mouse or keyboard and laptop/PC.
The dongles cannot be mixed and matched. A keyboard or mouse designed for the Unifying receiver system cannot be used with the Bolt system for instance.
Which dongle to use?
Flip your keyboard or mouse upside down.
If you see an orange logo like the one under a K400r keyboard, then it’s a Unifying receiver product.
In this case you will need a Unifying Receiver.
If your keyboard or mouse has a green or grayscale version of the logo that looks like the picture below,
then you will need a Bolt USB receiver.
Finally Lightspeed products have a “G” before the part number such as G Pro for instance and/or a Blue logo as shown below. These products need a Lightspeed receiver.
Lightspeed receivers can be purchased here.
If your device has no logo, it needs an older Nano (or non-unifying) receiver. Here for instance is what the underside of a M185 mouse looks like.
These receivers were designed for specific Logitech part numbers and you can find a replacement here.
As you can see, all of Logitech’s USB receivers are USB-A. Here’s why you will never see a Logitech USB-C Receiver
Notable Exceptions
The Logi Bolt series of products support both
- the proprietary Bolt standard and
- Bluetooth
If you lose a Bolt receiver, you can still work with the mouse or keyboard as long as your laptop has Bluetooth capability. The reason you can do this is because Bolt is based on Bluetooth. As we have explained in this post there are differences between Bolt and Bluetooth. The main differences are in the areas of Security and Speed/Latency.
For this reason you might want to consider buying a replacement receiver.
Alternatively, if you have a Bluetooth dongle you might be able to use that as well. These products show both Bolt and Bluetooth logos.
Summary
In this post we have written about the different Logitech products and their associated USB receivers. If you lose the USB dongle that shipped with your mouse or keyboard, you have to be careful in picking the correct replacement dongle. As we have explained, keyboards from one family of products (Unifying for instance) are not compatible with others (like Lightspeed or Nano).
