Logitech Options Auto-Installing LogiBolt Software

[ek faton]

Since Version 9.20, the Logitech Options Software (used to configure/customize logitech mice) automatically installs the LogiBolt Software as well which is only used if the special Bolt Hardware Dongle is used. LogiBolt is installed whether such a device is installed or not!

Btw: Logitech Options itself is automatically installed if a logitech dongle is connected - somehow this can be triggered by windows driver update. So now I have 2 pieces of software I don't even need for the device to work, auto installed.

 

There is a post in the official reddit thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/logitech/comments/pk8ikv/logi_bolt_app_added_with_new_update_to_options/) and Logitech answers with a Link to their FAQ (https://support.logi.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408852014999) which states:

Quote

Why was the Logi Bolt app installed when I installed or updated the Logitech Options app?

If you installed or updated to Logitech Options 9.20 the new Logi Bolt app would also have been automatically installed and set to run. The Logi Bolt app is used with our latest generation of Logi Bolt wireless products, specifically to pair more than one Logi Bolt product to a single Logi Bolt USB receiver or to replace a Logi Bolt USB receiver.

We temporarily removed Logitech Options 9.20 and stopped all automatic updates, since we understand that this isn’t the desired experience we want all our customers to have.

You can keep using Logitech Options 9.20 and remove the Logi Bolt app, if you do not have a Logi Bolt compatible device. You can safely uninstall the software using these instructions for Windows or macOS.

Now I would think, based on this, that Logitech would stop force-installing LogiBolt in future Logitech Options Versions. I would be wrong.

This week I checked the latest version, 9.40,86 (https://support.logi.com/hc/de/articles/360025297893) , and it installed LogiBolt.

 

Again there is a reddit thread (https://www.reddit.com/r/logitech/comments/pxuciw/logi_bolt_again_reinstalled_with_latest_options/) but the official response is just a copy-paste from the previous thread about version 9.20.

 

So I contacted support, which you can do if you ask the robot on the logitech website enough questions he cannot answer. Logitech Support basically told me that this is intended behavior

Quote

By installing and/or updating the latest version of Logitech Options (9.20), the Logi Bolt software is installed automatically. We designed this intentionally to support Logi Bolt compatible devices for a seamless experience, similar to Logitech also installing the Logitech Unifying software.
 
 The Logi Bolt and Logitech Unifying software are used to connect and monitor the battery performance of your Logi Bolt or Logitech Unifying compatible devices.By installing and/or updating the latest version of Logitech Options (9.20), the Logi Bolt software is installed automatically
 
 We designed this intentionally to support Logi Bolt compatible devices for a seamless experience, similar to Logitech also installing the Logitech Unifying software. The Logi Bolt and Logitech Unifying software are used to connect and monitor the battery performance of your Logi Bolt or Logitech Unifying compatible devices.

I replied asking why their own FAQ states something different, but I only got an answer which could very well be automated, containing copy-pasta from the very FAQ article I mentioned

Quote

Thank you for your response and I am hoping that everything is well. Software team released a solution to that auto update. You can keep using Logitech Options 9.20 and remove the Logi Bolt app, if you do not have a Logi Bolt compatible device. You can safely uninstall the software using these instructions for Windows or macOS.

This of course is not a solution - yes I know I can go and remove it from 100+ computers it was auto-installed on but that's clearly not the point. I replied again asking for clarification, but I'm not very optimistic.

This is not you treat customers, big or small. The trend of opt-out instead of opt-in is very annoying and honestly unnerving as someone who has to manage even just a small IT infrastructure. I simply cannot check every update of every software for additional features I need to opt out of.

 

Anyways, end of rant, I will update this if I get an answer from Logitech Support.

 

 

[ek faton]

I'm still fighting with support. Today I got the following response:

Quote

Upon checking the software update from our developers, we notice some complaints against the version 9.20 so our development team decided to remove that version and create the 9.40 as the replacement for 9.20

This is not a clear answer.

As far as I can see the only thing they did is hide the Bolt installer and the taskbar icon so people stop complaining. But as of today, Logitech Bolt is still bundled with Logitech Options 9.40.86. Now I'm waiting for them to answer again (since most my questions are still unanswered.

 

I can't be the only one who has an issue with this?

[Slayerking92]

Logitech Options and G-hub are just viruses and should never be installed.  I had to throw out a $200 keyboard because of that crap.

 

 

[ek faton]

I use it to configure the mouse buttons, is there an alternative?

And do you by any chance know how I can prevent the logi options installer popup as soon as I connect a logitech dongle? It seems it gets sideloaded somehow by the windows driver installation, however I never found ou thowto prevent that without disabling windows driver update alltogether.

[ek faton]

After explaining my issue to support and getting copy-pasta replies multiple times I finally got a real answer: Logi Bolt will from now on be bundled with Logitech Options. Period.

Also, don't bother contacting logitech support unless you're ready to waste time and ask the same question many times before getting a simple yes/no answer.

 

Since we cannot just replace every single logitech mouse in our company I am still searching ways to prevent logitech options from auto-installing when a logitech mouse is connected (dongle and bluetooth) so any hints would be greatly appreciated.