Fixing Logitech Bluetooth Pairing Issues

Fixing Logitech Bluetooth Pairing Issues | Generated by AI

Home 2025.11

Troubleshooting the AuthenticationCanceled Error

This error commonly occurs with Logitech Bluetooth keyboards (your MAC F4:73:35:78:28:4E matches Logitech’s OUI prefix) during pairing in Ubuntu due to authentication timeouts, missing PIN prompts, or agent mishandling in BlueZ. The brief connect/disconnect in your log suggests the keyboard is responding but the process times out before completion. Other devices (like 54:2B:FC:F1:1C:D8) appearing may cause interference—clear them first.

Quick Prep Steps

Remove all paired devices to avoid conflicts:
In bluetoothctl, run devices to list them, then remove <MAC> for each (e.g., remove 54:2B:FC:F1:1C:D8). Exit with exit.

Restart Bluetooth service:

sudo systemctl restart bluetooth
sudo systemctl status bluetooth  # Verify it's active

Put keyboard in pairing mode: Press and hold the pairing button (e.g., Easy-Switch channel or Bluetooth button) until the LED blinks rapidly. Do this fresh each attempt.

Enhanced Pairing Steps in bluetoothctl

Reopen bluetoothctl and follow these exactly—the agent setup is crucial, and trusting first often bypasses some timeouts. For Logitech models (e.g., K380, K480, MX Keys), enter any PIN blindly on the physical keyboard (no on-screen echo) immediately after the pair command.

Enter bluetoothctl:
```
bluetoothctl
```
Power on and set agent:
```
power on
agent on
default-agent
```
Scan and confirm device:
```
scan on
```
Wait for F4:73:35:78:28:4E to appear (refresh with Enter if needed). Then:
```
scan off  # Stop scanning to focus
```
Trust the device (helps with auto-accept on reconnects):
```
trust F4:73:35:78:28:4E
```
Pair:
```
pair F4:73:35:78:28:4E
```
- If a PIN/passkey appears (e.g., [agent] PIN code: 390412 or [agent] Passkey: 299595), immediately type it on the physical keyboard and press Enter. Do this blindly—even if no prompt seems active.
- If no PIN shows (common with some Logitechs), try typing 0000 or 1234 on the keyboard and Enter anyway.
- Watch for [CHG] Paired: yes. If it connects briefly then drops, re-run connect F4:73:35:78:28:4E right after.

Connect and trust:

connect F4:73:35:78:28:4E
trust F4:73:35:78:28:4E  # If not done earlier

Exit and test:
```
exit
```
Open a text editor or terminal—type to verify input. If it works, it should auto-reconnect on wake.

If It Still Fails

GUI fallback: Use Ubuntu Settings > Bluetooth (toggle on, select the device). This often shows a visible PIN prompt. If CLI agent fails, GUI’s pinentry handles it better.
Blind PIN retry: Even without a displayed code, some users succeed by typing 0000 + Enter right after pair—the keyboard authenticates silently.
Logs for clues: Run sudo journalctl -u bluetooth -f in another terminal during pairing. Look for “PIN code” or timeout messages.
BlueZ update: Ensure latest (Ubuntu 24.04+ has BlueZ 5.72+ with better Logitech support):
```
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade bluez
```
USB dongle quirk: Your BT 5.3 emitter on USB 3.0 is fine, but test on USB 2.0 port—rare interference reported.
Model-specific: If it’s a K480/MX Keys, hold the pairing button 5+ seconds. For multi-device, cycle to an unused channel first.

This should resolve it—most Logitech cases stem from the blind PIN step. If you share your exact model or full logs, I can refine further.

Bluetooth Pairing - AuthenticationCanceled (AskUbuntu)
[SOLVED] Bluetooth keyboard: Unable to pair (Arch Linux Forums)
Barely able to pair Logitech K480 on bluez 5.72 (GitHub)

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